When 51 rhino horns worth R9-million were stolen from the North West Parks and Tourism Board vault in 2023, it exposed a deep rot in provincial conservation management. The theft, later traced to officials within the agency, was not an isolated act of corruption but a symptom of institutional collapse. Facilities once meant to protect our most endangered species have, in many parts of South Africa, become vulnerable, neglected and underfunded.
In that context, Adam Cruise’s recent op-ed on the failing state of provincial reserves raises essential questions about the future of South Africa’s conservation estate. His concern is justified. Across the country, the picture is grim: staff shortages, decaying infrastructure and a loss of public trust in institutions meant to safeguard our natural heritage. It is a national crisis that deserves urgent attention.
However, it is not a universal one. Amid this collapse, the Western Cape remains a notable exception. Under CapeNature’s stewardship, the province’s reserves are not only surviving but thriving. For the 11th consecutive year, CapeNature achieved a clean audit with no material findings – an outcome virtually unheard of in the public conservation sector. It manages more than 700,000 hectares of protected land that remain safe, accessible and ecologically functional.
These results stem from stable leadership, predictable funding and a clear commitment to treating ecosystems as part of the province’s core infrastructure. CapeNature’s model blends conservation with community development, showing that biodiversity protection and social inclusion can reinforce each other. Its annual Access Week initiative brings thousands of residents, particularly young people, into nature reserves for educational programmes, while its environmental compliance teams maintain one of the highest enforcement rates in the country.
At the De Hoop Nature Reserve, CapeNature, in collaboration with BirdLife South Africa and Sanccob, has re-established a breeding colony of the endangered African penguin, marking a major conservation milestone on the mainland. More than 100 hand-reared juvenile penguins have been released since 2021. The site is secured by a predator-proof fence, and in recent years chicks have been observed successfully fledging – the first breeding at the site in more than a decade.
Furthermore, at Stony Point Nature Reserve, CapeNature helped secure court-backed exclusion zones that protect the feeding grounds of penguins from commercial fishing – an example of aligning conservation, tourism and livelihoods in a single model of functional natural infrastructure.
The contrast with the situation elsewhere is stark. While CapeNature builds partnerships, other provinces battle corruption, mismanagement and loss of expertise. The Western Cape’s approach has been to professionalise conservation governance, ensuring that its reserves operate with the same standards of accountability as any other critical public service. The result is an institution trusted by residents, international partners and the scientific community alike.
Nationally, South Africa’s conservation targets – including the commitment to protect 30% of land by 2030 – are at risk. Achieving them will require more than declarations. It will require replicating what works: independent and well-governed conservation agencies, ring-fenced budgets and strong collaboration with surrounding communities. CapeNature offers a practical example of this model in action.
The lesson from the Western Cape is simple. Conservation does not fail because it is impossible. It fails when politics overtakes professionalism and when budgets disappear into bureaucracy instead of reaching the ground. With sound governance, consistent oversight and a vision that places people at the heart of environmental stewardship, South Africa’s provincial parks can once again become engines of ecological and economic renewal.
Our country does not lack natural beauty or biodiversity – it lacks the courage to govern it properly. CapeNature’s success shows that the path forward is still open. It proves that even in difficult conditions, good governance can keep our conservation legacy alive and deliver hope for generations to come. DM