The SAWC’s Three Pillars of Education and Impact

By Emeritus Professor Ric Bernard 

Under the new organisational structure, guided by the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) 2030 Strategy 2030, our educational endeavours rest on three interlocking pillars: 

1. Council on Higher Education (CHE) Pillar – offering qualifications accredited by the Council on Higher Education; 
2. Occupational Qualifications Pillar – offering occupational qualifications and skills programmes, accredited by the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO); 
3. Applied Projects and Short Courses Pillar – applying current knowledge and skills through targeted short courses, applied conservation projects and research.  

Each pillar is carefully accredited, rigorously driven and deeply rooted in the practical realities of conservation work. 

From the moment our Advanced and Higher National Certificate students arrived on campus this year, it became clear that these pillars are already reshaping lives. Twenty-four (24) emerging leaders are mastering transfrontier conservation management under the Council on Higher Education (CHE) Pillar. Simultaneously, 26 aspiring conservation managers from across southern Africa are now immersed in terrestrial practice through the Occupational Qualifications Pillar. Simultaneously, forging the high-level partnerships and applied acumen essential for tomorrow’s protected area networks. 

In addition, our second year Natural Resource Management Short Course programme students eagerly anticipated the registration of our Diploma programme, allowing them to garner further credits in their second year to enable them to complete the three-Year Diploma in Applied Natural Resource Management moving forward. 

Bridging the gap between school leavers and our higher education pathways, the Youth Access: Conservation Bridging Programme recently welcomed 15 ambitious 18 to 26-year-olds. In November, these young conservationists will stand proudly as graduates from a course explicitly designed to ease the transition into further study or direct entry into vital field roles. 

Behind the scenes, our Applied Projects and Short Courses Pillar is securing fresh accreditation and expanding our curriculum: 

• Conflict Management and New Venture Creation Occupational Skills Programmes received approval in May from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) – watch the SAWC website for enrolment details. 
• Following June’s visit by a delegation from the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and South African National Parks (SANParks), we hope to secure accreditation on the EcoRanger programme. 
• Post accreditation by the CHE in 2024 and registration in April 2025 with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), we are finalising plans for the full rollout of our Three-Year Diploma in Applied Natural Resource Management, set to welcome its inaugural cohort in 2026.  

As we move beyond the halfway mark of the academic year, these interconnected pillars are more than structural divisions – they are the engines of impact. Together, they ensure every SAWC student graduates with the accredited skills, the applied experience and the visionary outlook needed to safeguard our shared natural heritage.