Community-based Wildlife Conservation

Madikwe’s primary objective differs somewhat to other game reserves, which focus primarily on wildlife and conservation. It is not solely a conservation area or a tourist destination; it is also a major social and economic hub.

Madikwe was established in the early 1990s as a result of an economic analysis that explored two land-use options: Big 5 ecotourism and extensive cattle farming. The outcome was that the area was most suited to wildlife tourism and this would lead to more employment opportunities than the agriculture option.

The focus is to stimulate a 3-way partnership between the state, private sector and community to create ecologically sustainable economic activity for the benefit of the people of the region. The role of the private sector is to establish and manage a variety of tourism developments and activities within the reserve. In order to do this, private companies pay the state concession fees. A portion of these is used for conservation and the rest is paid to local communities to fund a variety of community-based projects. Not only do the community benefit from the projects but also from the employment opportunities created in and around the game reserve.

This approach has often been referred to as community-based wildlife conservation and is being considered as a viable option in other developing countries. It is believed that community-based wildlife conservation offers the only long-term successful approach to wildlife conservation in Southern Africa and perhaps the entire African continent.