African Wildlife Economy Institute - AWEI

01/06/2026

We’re pleased to share news of a new AWEI research project: “Mapping South Africa’s Insect Markets and Trade Policy Imperatives.”

Working with the University of Venda and Stellenbosch University, and supported by the Atlas Network, we’ll map the edible insect trade across three districts in Limpopo to generate the evidence policymakers need to better support this sector.

The insect trade supports many traders across Limpopo, particularly women, yet it operates largely without legal recognition or formal market data. This project aims to change that.

Stay tuned for more.

29/05/2026

What can a praying mantis teach us about conservation?

Our AWEI team recently spent a day at !Khwa ttu, home to the San people of Southern Africa, and it changed how we think about the wildlife economy.

We heard stories about the praying mantis, the Moon and the Hare, and the stars. We learned how wild melons were buried under trees to be retrieved during droughts, shared with animals when water was scarce. We discovered that the confetti bush was used as a perfume and a hunting aid, masking human scent on windy days.

What struck us most was this: for the San, humans, animals, and plants exist in a living, interconnected system. Use without relationship becomes extraction. And that's a lesson the modern wildlife economy urgently needs to hear.

As we head toward 2035, AWEI is committed to broadening what we mean by the "wildlife economy" to include plants, knowledge systems, and cultural practices as foundational, not optional.

Read the full story on our website 👇
https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/Reimagining-the-wildlife-economy-through-indigenous-knowledge

22/05/2026

Did you know that the baobab oil in your moisturiser, or the frankincense in your perfume, may have been harvested by hand from wild trees in Africa?

Today is International Biodiversity Day, and this year’s theme is “acting locally for global impact.”
In the spirit of that theme, we’ve profiled six remarkable African companies that are doing exactly that: sustainably sourcing wild ingredients from their local landscapes and selling them to the global cosmetics industry.

From shea butter co-operatives in Ghana to myrrh resins from Somalia, these entrepreneurs are proving that protecting biodiversity and building a business don’t have to be in conflict.

🌿 Read the full story here: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/Africas-biodiversity-entrepreneurs


Bubune Africa Namib Desert Oils Kaza Natural Oils FairWild

15/05/2026

A 2025 study asked a hard question: Should rangers shoot at suspected criminals to protect wildlife?

Researchers surveyed people across eight countries to find out how the world feels about armed enforcement inside protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa, and the findings may surprise you.

Overall, most people found it unacceptable. But acceptability was higher for self-defence situations and preventing poaching. Perhaps most striking: people living far from these protected areas were more accepting of shooting than those living near them.

It’s a powerful reminder that conservation decisions made in distant boardrooms may not reflect the values of the communities most affected.

This research is essential reading for conservationists, policymakers, and anyone who cares about the future of wildlife and the people who share landscapes with it.

👉 Read the research: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/research/acceptability-of-shooting-suspected-criminals-in-protected-areas

12/05/2026

What happens when conservation systems don’t talk to each other?

AWEI's Lydia Bhebe was in Vienna last month for the 72nd CIC - The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation General Assembly, where she shared an African perspective on wildlife economies.

Her key takeaway? The challenge isn’t building new systems. It’s connecting the ones that already exist.
From game meat regulation to community participation to cross-border wildlife monitoring, many of the right structures are already in place across Africa. What’s missing is coordination across actors, sectors, and scales.

Read Lydia’s full reflection on the AWEI website.
https://wildlifeeconomy.info/articles/towards-transformative-wildlife-economies

01/05/2026

Africa's wildlife feeds people. So why are we not taking it more seriously?

Wild meat is not a footnote in Africa's food security story. For millions of people across the continent, it is nutrition, livelihood, and cultural heritage rolled into one. Yet the sector remains largely informal, under-researched, and too often reduced to a headline about poaching.

There is a bigger, more nuanced conversation to be had, and the African Wildlife Economy Institute and Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) in Uganda are having it on 28 May. Join them as they convene researchers and practitioners for a focused webinar on the real opportunities present in wild meat value chains across Africa.

📅 28 May 2026 | 15:00 SAST | Online (Google Meet)

What does a well-regulated wild meat market actually look like? What would it take to get there? And who stands to benefit when we get it right? These are the questions on the table.

Speakers include:

Prof. Francis Vorhies, AWEI Director
Dr Wiseman Ndlovu, AWEI Deputy Director
Mr Kumbirai Takawira, AWEI Research Associate
Ms Lydia Daring Bhebe, AWEI PhD Candidate & Programmes Assistant
Co-hosted by Dr Taddeo Rusoke & Ms Lucy Basemera K, MMU

If you care about conservation, rural economies, food systems, or evidence-based policy in Africa, pull up a chair.

🔗 For more, see https://wildlifeeconomy.info/events/2026-05/opportunities-in-wild-meat-value-chains-africa-webinar

29/04/2026

Did you know that harvesting mopane worms can bring a rural household up to R3,000 in a single season?
In Limpopo, communities have been harvesting mopane worms and termite alates for generations, for food and for income. New research by Ndidzulafhi Innocent Sinthumule shows just how significant this is for food security and poverty relief, especially for women-led households.

What's equally important is how communities are managing these resources. Using traditional rules around timing and tree protection, they've developed their own systems to prevent over-harvesting. Sustainable resource management doesn’t always start with government policy.

Read more:

South Africa’s Limpopo province borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. It is one of the poorest provinces in the country. This is due to a combination of historical underdevelopment, a high unemployment rate, heavy reliance on government grants and a rural-based economy with limited industrial...

17/04/2026

This week, African Wildlife Economy Institute - AWEI PhD candidate Lydia Daring Bhebe takes the stage at the CIC - The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation General Assembly 2026 in Vienna as a panellist on the Global Wildlife Economy Panel.
She’ll be sharing an African perspective shaped by real research in the game meat sector. What does a sustainable wildlife economy look like when viewed from the African continent? That's the conversation being had in Vienna today.
Follow along for updates and reflections after the event.
🔗 wildlifeeconomy.info/events/2026-04/cic-general-assembly-2026

17/04/2026

Ecxiting opportunity to enter the wildlife economy and generate livelihoods!

Call for Applications: SADC Wildlife-Based Economy Champions Training

Are you working on wildlife-based economy or livelihoods projects at the national level in a SADC member state?

We are inviting conservation NGOs/NPOs, community-based organisations, and private-sector actors to apply for a fully funded 5-day WBE Champions Training programme in Johannesburg this July.

One individual per SADC member state will be selected.

The programme brings together regional practitioners to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and advance best practices in wildlife-based economies and livelihoods across Southern Africa.

📅 Applications close: 28 April 2026
📣 Selected candidates notified: 7 May 2026
🗓 Programme dates: 27–31 July 2026
📍 Venue: Johannesburg, South Africa

This initiative is supported by the German Government and the European union, through the GIZ-implemented NaturAfrica/C-NRM project, in partnership with the Southern African Wildlife College, the African Wildlife Economy Institute - AWEI, and the ALU School of Wildlife Conservation

For more information, see here: https://ow.ly/Lq8U50YKBx3

Apply here: https://ow.ly/8ilc50YKBx2

13/04/2026

What does it look like when young conservation professionals take the stage – and the audience leans in?

At the Business of Conservation Conference 2026 in Nairobi, African Wildlife Economy Institute - AWEI's Klarine Engelbrecht was part of a panel that sparked exactly that kind of conversation. Her reflection explores the links between agricultural economics, the wildlife economy, and what it really means to build something that lasts – people included.

Read her article on the AWEI website: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/young-professionals-working-in-conservation

I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Business of Conservation Conference (BCC) 2026 as part of a panel of young professionals working in conservation. What stood out most was the energy in the room – the audience was deeply engaged and curious, asking thoughtful questions that pushed the...