South Africa's natural wealth should benefit everyone

Mail & Guardian

25-05-2025

People must be reconnected to their natural heritage for conservation to create jobs.
Last month, I had a brief conversation that continues to haunt me. While dining at a restaurant in one of Cape Town's tourist hotspots, I met Ntando — a 42-year-old waitress. Though she works in the heart of a global biodiversity hotspot and World Heritage Site, her words were jarring: 'Conservation means nothing to me and my family.'
Ntando, a single mother of three daughters, walks four hours daily to and from her minimum-wage job. With no direct public transport to her workplace, she relies on unreliable commuting options. Surrounded daily by the
'I can barely make ends meet,' she told me. 'But, more than that, I worry about what future awaits my daughters.'
Ntando's story reveals a painful truth. While generations before her might have been stewards of this land, the modern conservation economy has pushed her to its margins. She represents millions of South Africans living beside natural treasures who have been excluded from both decision-making and the economic opportunities these areas offer.
This systematic exclusion not only perpetuates inequality but threatens the very sustainability of conservation — no ecosystem can thrive long-term when the people who live within it are treated as afterthoughts rather than essential partners.
The natural wealth around us
South Africa is one of the world's most naturally rich countries. Our land holds nearly
According to Statistics South Africa, nature-based tourism directly contributed
And yet, the benefits of this wealth do not reach the majority of South Africans.
Even worse, illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction cost us between
A new path forward
At the UN Development Programme
First, we need to redirect the money.
Research from the University of Cape Town shows
Second, we should embrace new technologies to unlock conservation financing.
Digital platforms like
Through Wildcards, technology enthusiasts become 'guardians' of virtual animals or conservation projects by purchasing uniquely designed digital wildlife cards. Each guardian makes regular donations to conservation organisations until someone else purchases their card.
This approach could operate on an even larger scale — imagine a regulated South African marketplace for similar conservation investments where most proceeds directly support community-led initiatives. This could generate millions while creating jobs
Third, we must give local communities real power in conservation decisions and management.
Studies show that conservation programmes designed with community input are
The cost of continuing as we are
If we continue on the current path, we risk irreversible biodiversity loss and growing socio-economic instability. Our
But there's hope in change. Projections from the South African National Biodiversity Institute suggest that inclusive conservation models could create
At UNDP-BIOFIN, we're working with the government, businesses, investors and communities to create new ways of funding biodiversity protection that benefit everyone. With our partners, we've launched a platform connecting nature-focused entrepreneurs with impact investors and development funders.
But technical solutions alone aren't enough — we need a fundamental shift in how conservation is understood, accepted and practised.
For Ntando and millions like her, conservation must matter
When I think about Ntando's daily four-hour walk to serve tourists who come to admire 'pristine' landscapes, the disconnect is chilling. Her family once lived in harmony with this land, but exclusionary conservation approaches severed that relationship, sometimes turning stewards into spectators.
True conservation must translate into real, visible benefits for people like Ntando: secure jobs, sustainable income and a brighter future for their children. It must reconnect communities with their natural heritage and recognise them as rightful partners, not obstacles.
Only by placing communities at the heart of nature financing can we transform it from a perceived burden to a national opportunity. South Africa's natural wealth belongs to all its citizens — it's time our approach to protecting it reflected that reality.
Deshni Pillay is the head of the Nature, Climate and Energy portfolio at the UN Development Programme South Africa.