Working with communities, women, youth and traditional leaders

Inclusive conservation — working alongside communities, traditional leaders and local knowledge holders — remains central to the work of the Natural Heritage Alliance (NHA), a civil society coalition advocating for conservation reform in South Africa.

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The alliance this year marked five years since South Africa adopted the recommendations of the High-Level Panel’s report to review policies, legislation and practices on matters related to the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephants, lions, leopards and black and white rhino, a process that reshaped debate around wildlife conservation, animal welfare and community inclusion.

Established in 2022, the NHA brings together communities, women leaders, youth organisations, traditional healers and conservation groups. It says conservation should not focus only on protecting wildlife but also on justice, equity and livelihoods.