Out in the wide, windy plains of South Africa’s Northern Cape, a quiet revolution is unfolding. Once characterised by isolation and resource extraction, these rugged landscapes are now home to a new movement. Local communities are stepping up to protect their environment while building sustainable livelihoods.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
At the centre of this transformation is the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, which collaborates with South African National Parks (SANParks) and CapeNature to show that conservation and community development can work hand in hand.
Launched in 2022, the project, “Building Local Community Capacity and Sustainable Livelihoods,” brings together eight communities around Namaqua National Park and the Knersvlakte Nature Reserve to boost employment, support small businesses and ensure people benefit legally and sustainably from the region’s rich natural resources.
The pilot project was rolled out around Namaqua National Park in the Namaqualand region and the Knersvlakte Nature Reserve near Vanrhynsdorp on the West Coast. Its focus is clear: learn from local communities, strengthen their capacity and work alongside them in shaping sustainable futures.
“This project is about understanding and learning from the people around the protected areas and supporting their community development,” explained Katherine Forsythe, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Landscape Manager for the Northern Cape.
WWF and its partners have built relationships in several towns, including Kamieskroon, Hondeklip Bay, Soebatsfontein, Concordia, Steinkopf, Bulletrap, Nourivier, Leliefontein and Komaggas in Namaqua, as well as Vanrhynsdorp, Vredendal, Papendorp, Ebenhaeser, Doringbaai and Kliprand in Matzikama. Most of these are inland communities, whereas Hondeklip Bay, Papendorp, Doringbaai and Port Nolloth are coastal fishing villages.
Partnering with Conservation South Africa, WWF also works with livestock farmers in the Kamiesberg region to promote sustainable rangeland practices. “Most of the farmers already know the value of the environment because it supports their livelihoods,” Forsythe said. “We get the best results when we layer solutions and form partnerships with those already working in the landscape.”
Also read: Major fashion retailer H&M drives regenerative wool revolution in Drakensberg
‘Nothing for Us Without Us’
Few voices capture this spirit more powerfully than Walter Steenkamp, Chairperson of the Aukotowa Small-scale Fisheries Cooperative in Port Nolloth.
“People think that just because we are rural and poor, we are ignorant. We are not ignorant, and we refuse to accept short-term, false promises of jobs and development that end up destroying our natural resources, leaving us with nothing,” said Steenkamp. “We have the right to say no to developments that harm our people and our environment. And we have the right to speak on, be part of and benefit from the developments that take place in our communities. Nothing for us without us!’
Across Namaqualand and Matzikama, communities are standing firm against illegal fishing, climate impacts and mining pressures, choosing to chart their own sustainable path.
Also read: Nature conservation boosts communities in uMzimkhulu
Guarding Land, Shaping the Future
Ilanushca “Noekie” van Neel, Chairperson of the Concordia Communal Property Association (CPA), has been at the forefront of protecting communal land from mining encroachment.
“We want to use our land for meaningful farming that won’t pollute our groundwater or destroy our rangelands,” van Neel said. “But we need legal expertise and the right partnerships to protect our rights and build lasting livelihoods.”
According to Azitu Fernando, WWF’s Community Conservation Coordinator for the Northern Cape Landscape, true progress starts with listening. “We’ve spent time understanding the needs of these communities, building trust and partnering with those already rooted in the area to address socioeconomic challenges,” said Fernando.
Through partnerships with government and civil society, the project has:
- developed a restoration SMME proposal to create jobs;
- supported household and community vegetable gardens with agroecology training;
- facilitated exchanges between livestock farmers to promote sustainable rangeland management; and
- partnered with SANParks and CapeNature to deliver environmental education to hundreds of young people.
“True impact at scale cannot be achieved without trustworthy partners. When communities are empowered to lead, their landscapes and livelihoods thrive together,” concluded Fernando.
Also read: Communal farming: Ensuring profitability benefits the environment too
