By Jacobs Botha,
The South African government has called for a unified, countrywide effort to protect the nation’s biodiversity, warning that conservation cannot succeed without the direct involvement of communities.
Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh, who made the call at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) South Africa Annual General Meeting in Sandton, Johannesburg, said community participation must be placed at the centre of environmental protection efforts.
“Conservation without people is hollow. True success hinges on inclusive, transformative biodiversity management, where local communities are not just beneficiaries, but co-architects and custodians,” Singh said.
His remarks align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2050. The framework outlines four long-term goals and 23 targets for 2030 aimed at tackling the main drivers of environmental decline, including habitat loss, pollution and invasive species. South Africa is currently updating its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to reflect these commitments.
Singh said the importance of protecting indigenous knowledge was underscored during the World Tribal Alliance gathering held earlier in the week.
“At COP16 in Colombia, we cemented the Cali Call for Action to protect Indigenous Knowledge holders and ensure they benefit economically from the remedies, medicines and innovations derived from their heritage,” he said.
The AGM brought together leaders from government, business and civil society to discuss South Africa’s conservation priorities. Singh urged WWF to take a leading role in promoting community-based natural resource management and in supporting youth and women through skills development, enterprise creation and access to biodiversity-based markets.
He also raised concerns about the increase in transnational wildlife crime, describing it as a threat that stretches far beyond environmental damage.
“This is not just an environmental crisis — it is an assault on our rule of law, security, economy and tourism sector. Criminal syndicates embed themselves in communities, diversify their operations and exploit corruption and porous borders to traffic high-value species,” he said.
Singh warned that these networks operate like “mafia-type” groups involved in poaching, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illicit activities. He commended WWF for its support in combating succulent poaching, noting that the organisation has deployed personnel to assist in enforcement efforts.
Government, he added, is strengthening its response through the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, approved by Cabinet in 2023. The strategy aims to improve coordination, intelligence-sharing and law enforcement capacity to dismantle wildlife trafficking syndicates.
