Sustainable use of wildlife is a conditional promise — that SA has not reached
African wildlife farmers have the unique ability to own wildlife and farm with it to grow the economy. For wildlife farming to make economic sense it must outperform other land uses. If other enterprises like maize or livestock were more profitable, farmers would switch, because farming is about generating income to cover costs.The biggest problem arises when wildlife has no value to rural communities. There is also a Eurocentric viewpoint that wildlife should not be touched or traded, which the industry says is wrong and needs attention.All livestock farmers work with the same basic resources — land, water, air and grass — it just depends which commodity is grazing on that land.
About 19% of marginal agricultural land in South Africa has been converted to wildlife farming because other uses are not viable. Of the estimated 20 million wild animals in the country, 16 million are privately owned. Hunting alone contributes billions to the economy each year.
A recent study found that 59% of farms in one province with wildlife also run other forms of mixed farming. Only a small percentage of animals on these properties are threatened or protected species, while most are common species including large predators.The industry also contributes significantly to conservation. The majority of several antelope species in the country are owned by private wildlife farmers. However, this contribution is not recognized in international conservation assessments.
Current global red lists show very low numbers for some species, while more of those same animals have been hunted and sold at auctions in a single year than the total listed.The core argument is that wildlife should be treated as a usable agricultural commodity to ensure rural livelihoods, economic growth and conservation.
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