Cap: Morne Du Plessis, the chief executive of WWF-SA, at SANParks Vision 2040 Indaba this week
In May, Thulisa Mnqabisa was among a group of graduates from a biodiversity economy skills training programme aimed at equipping underprivileged Eastern Cape communities with income-generating skills.
The initiative, run by Meals on Wheels Community Services in partnership with South African National Parks (SANParks), focused on sustainable manufacturing using organic materials. Participants were trained to produce beauty products, leather goods and preserved foods.
For Mnqabisa, who owns a beauty salon in Nomathamasanqa in the town of Addo, the training opened new doors. She has since launched her own range of eco-friendly personal care products.
This week, she showcased her natural healing massage oil at SANParks’ inaugural Vision 2040 Indaba in Gqeberha, as one of its 48 local small, medium and micro enterprise exhibitors.
“All the products I make are based on biodiversity,” she said. “There are no chemicals — we use plants.”
Mnqabisa’s future range will include soaps, lip balms and facial creams. “Since attending Vision 2040, I realised we can use plants around us for personal care products. It’s amazing to learn more about our nature and what it can offer.”
She dreams of one day opening a spa inside Addo Elephant National Park.
“SANParks and I are together because I get some guests from the park. But some guests are too scared to come to the location … so I want to open another spa and create a secure, comfortable space for them inside the park.”
Vision 2040: A new conservation model
The three-day indaba was intended to foster meaningful dialogue and forge collaborative actions that will advance the implementation of Vision 2040, which SANParks describes as a bold strategy that advocates for a “people-centred, conservation-driven agenda that will ensure collaborative thriveability between biodiversity conservation, social justice and economic empowerment”.
Vision 2040 aims to repurpose the role of conservation, shifting to a people-centred model built on three pillars, said SANParks board chairperson Pam Yako. The first is biodiversity conservation and cultural heritage — safeguarding ecosystems, wildlife and landscapes for current and future generations.
The second pillar is social justice through ensuring that historically excluded communities are recognised, included and benefit directly from conservation, while the third is economic empowerment — unlocking the economic potential of parks and protected areas through regenerative tourism, sustainable agriculture, job creation and inclusive development.
“Vision 2040 is big and has stretched us to the limit,” Yako conceded. “It does scare us, but with everyone’s support, it’s not insurmountable. As the African proverb says: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, bring everybody along.’”
SANParks is taking a “mega-living landscape” approach, integrating parks with surrounding communities, ecosystems and economic activities.
Four priority landscapes will lead the rollout: Greater Addo — including the Garden Route, Addo, Great Fish and Amathole Mountains; Greater Grasslands — spanning northern Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Free State; Greater Kruger — Western Kruger and Barberton Makhonjwa and Namaqualand
Starting with these sites, SANParks and its partners will expand conservation areas, strengthen ecotourism, develop regenerative agriculture projects and create jobs and skills opportunities.
“Working with others, we will use the biodiversity economy to catalyse growth, for job creation and entrepreneurship,” Yako said.
Beyond traditional conservation
The indaba was “a celebration, a reflection, and a declaration of intent”, said Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dion George.
“The future of conservation in South Africa is integrated, inclusive and transformative,” he said. “It’s about linking ecological integrity, climate resilience and human well-being. This is a deliberate departure from traditional models — recognising that people and the environment are inextricably connected.”
Integrated conservation requires constant innovation, strong partnerships and vigilance, he stressed.
“The threats we face — climate change, wildlife crime, habitat loss — are urgent and interconnected. Our response must be equally integrated, coordinated across agencies, borders and sectors, and anchored in justice and equity.”
Schools must teach the value of biodiversity, while communities must see tangible benefits from conservation efforts, George added. Policymakers, in turn, must ensure laws and budgets reflect realities on the ground.
With South Africa holding the G20 presidency, the minister said the country has an opportunity to show the world that ecological protection is both a moral imperative and an economic necessity.
Eastern Cape’s key role
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane highlighted his province’s unique natural wealth — it is the only province with all seven of South Africa’s biomes, home to world-renowned sites like Addo and the Wild Coast.
But many communities living near protected areas face deep poverty. “Vision 2040 resonates because it’s about inclusive conservation — not isolated reserves, but interconnected landscapes that sustain both people and nature,” he said.
The identification of Greater Addo and Greater Grasslands as pilot sites places the Eastern Cape at the centre of this shift.
“These landscapes must be places where tourism, sustainable agriculture, cultural heritage and community enterprise thrive alongside biodiversity protection.”
He said the green economy has untapped potential to create jobs in renewable energy, ecotourism, biodiversity-based businesses and sustainable agriculture.
“Vision 2040 must translate into tangible empowerment, enabling people in villages and towns to become active custodians and beneficiaries of conservation,” Mabuyane said. “Conservation is not a burden — it’s a catalyst for growth, jobs, dignity and sustainability.”