Investing in the Environment: Corporate Award
Finalist: Conservation Corporation Africa
Niki Moore
The Phinda private game reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal used to be a 17?000ha stretch of degraded farmland. Now it is a world-famous “big five” tourist destination as well as a conduit for international foreign aid.
Phinda, which means “the return”, is an apt name for a project with various resonances: not only is the bush being returned to its pristine state, but it is also seeing the return of the value of the land to its people.
The restoration work at Phinda encapsulates the philosophy and practice of Conservation Corporation Africa (CCAfrica), which owns Phinda and other ecotourism operations throughout Africa.
The purchase of the land for a “dream park” between Mkuze Game Reserve and Lake St Lucia began in the early 1990s. At the time, it was the largest undertaking of its kind.
Right from the inception, the communities who lived around the park were invited to participate. CCAfrica works from the basis that luxury reserves will only succeed if they have the wholehearted support of the surrounding communities. Gone are the days when pristine wilderness could survive as an island for a privileged few, surrounded by a sea of poverty and hopelessness.
Since 1990, Phinda has raised almost $1-million through donations for facilitating community development. This in turn has created a spirit of entrepreneurship among the communities that border the reserve and are benefiting from the increased tourist flow.
The nearby Mavuso School has been extensively upgraded and the Mnqobokazi Combined Primary School has 13 new classrooms. In Mduku village, a 24-hour clinic was opened with a $110 000 grant from Phinda.
From its inception, Phinda has trained local people to work in the reserve in various capacities. Bursaries are offered annually to people from the communities.
In four years, 27 young people from the region around Phinda were given the chance to continue with tertiary education.
Possibly the most valuable service Phinda offers is bringing environmental awareness to its neighbours.
Recreational activities offered to locals include rugby coaching clinics and workshops with the popular television series, Soul City.
Micro-loans offered by Phinda have assisted in setting up the Nibela Sewing Club, a group of women who have a contract to make school uniforms for the local school.
A charcoal business was established for local entrepreneurs, using the alien vegetation taken from bush-clearing initiatives.
The communities that live around Phinda are proud of their park, as they have seen the benefits that accrue from responsible conservation.