Our Community – Southern African Wildlife College

Community development and capacity building

We’re committed to developing and building capacity in our local communities. We work with historically disadvantaged individuals and support the development of community-owned wildlife areas so that benefits from the wildlife economy flow to everyone.

Our neighbouring communities include the village of Welverdiend, where many of our staff come from. We liaise with them closely and are building solid relationships, with a focus on areas of strategic importance to the College, and where we can achieve maximum and sustainable community development impacts.

Where possible, the College will continue to facilitate the establishment and expansion of targeted sustainable and commercially viable small and medium enterprises in the local communities via projects, training, linkages between businesses, procurement, entrepreneurial and technical support, and management development in line with our own vision, mission and corporate governance.

Our continuing long-term aim is to form strategic, sound, transparent and meaningful partnerships with the communities, civil society and government, in dealing with community needs and problems in an integrated and sustainable way.

As part of its recent Phase II infrastructure development, the College engaged with 11 villages under Chief Mnisi to appoint subcontractors, with a community committee elected by community members to ensure that this was done transparently and fairly. This resulted in the employment of small businesses as well as skilled and semi skilled members of the community during the SAWC infrastructure development.

Through the Development Bank of South Africa’s Jobs Fund, the College recruited, trained and supported the growth of 100 local enterprises over a two year period along the western boundary of the Kruger National Park. This included both contact training, mentorship and workplace assessments and support in order to guide the enterprises into a position of strength and a clear capacity and understanding of conducting business in a remote, rural context.