By Fortunate Mathonsi, Christopher Kafoteka & Kudakwashe Musengi The Student Administration and Programme Support (SPS) department has experienced a tremendous level of activity during the first quarter as we welcomed our long-course students to the campus. The team worked diligently to ensure prompt registrations, preventing any loss of valuable classroom time. To date, 126 students […]
REFLECTING ON 2025 By Our CEO, Theresa Sowry As we close out 2025, undeniably a challenging financial year, it is important to pause and reflect on the milestones that reaffirm why the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) continues to matter so deeply. Despite pressures felt across the conservation and education sectors, our work has not […]
At the College, leadership is not reserved for those at the top – it is nurtured at every level. Now in its third year, the Junior Leaders Programme has become a catalyst for innovation and internal transformation, answering an important question: how can junior staff shape the future of the College today? What began in […]
By: Pieter Nel In the modern conservation discourse, biodiversity loss is too often treated as a passive consequence of external pressures — urban encroachment, climate change, or human presence. Yet, biodiversity is not a static condition of pristine wilderness, but a dynamic outcome of processes that include disturbance, regeneration, and trophic interactions. Nowhere is this […]
By Dr. Thabang Teffo In the first year of implementing the new Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) Strategy 2030 plan, the Nature-Based Economy (NBE) thematic area demonstrated strong leadership and steady growth throughout 2025. The year reinforced the SAWC’s role as a regional training institution for the responsible use of natural resources, regenerative land management, […]
Written by Sboniso Ryan Phakathi Between September and December 2025, the Community-Led Conservation Practices thematic area continued to strengthen the connection between conservation outcomes and community wellbeing. Through reflective learning programmes, youth development initiatives, and livelihood-linked conservation projects, the Southern African Wildlife College reinforced its commitment to inclusive, ethical, and people-centred conservation across the Greater […]
By Scott Yammin, Precious Malapane and Bruce McDonald Protecting Africa’s wildlife requires far more than enforcement alone. It demands skilled, resilient people, well-trained canine units, and reliable aerial support working together on the frontline. At the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), the Protected Area Integrity: Beyond Law Enforcement thematic area continues to strengthen this integrated […]
By Cliford Nxumalo, Research Assistant: Conservation Science In October and November 2025, Professor Alan Gardiner and I from the Conservation Science thematic area, together with ethnobotanist Tony Cunningham and field assistant Shabani, undertook a biodiversity sampling trip to Angola. Our primary objective was to collect endemic butterflies and conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) biodiversity sampling. […]
By Dr Kudakwashe Musengi Over two action-packed weeks, our Natural Resource Management Diploma students stepped out of the online classroom and into the real world of conservation, community engagement, and environmental education. These practical activities formed a vital part of their experiential learning, giving them the opportunity to apply their knowledge, develop leadership skills, and […]
By Christopher Kafoteka National Certificate: Natural Resource Management, Terrestrial (NQF Level 5) We are delighted to share the outstanding achievements of 26 students who successfully completed the one-year occupational qualification in Protected Area Management, completing the National Certificate in Natural Resource Management, Terrestrial (NQF Level 5).  Graduates were equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes […]