Babanango Game Reserve

Babanango Game Reserve, located in northern Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, is the most recently developed Big 5 game reserve in the province. The 20 000ha reserve includes a combination of mostly communally land and privately-owned land, set amongst the breathtaking landscape of the upper White iMfolozi River Valley.

The reserve is an anchor site for the Umfolozi Biodiversity Economy Node, which is a flagship project of the Department of Environmental Affairs Biodiversity Economy strategy and is closely aligned with the strategic objectives of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform for land reform sites.

Conservation Outcomes recognised the ecological importance of the land and worked with the Emcakwini Community Trust to attain their vision of setting aside a portion of restituted land for the development of a nature reserve. However, knowing it would take significant investment to achieve, Conservation Outcomes looked to secure a private project partner. This partner was African Habitat Conservancy who invested in purchasing additional private land making up 20% of the reserve area and all the reserve development costs. Subsequently, two other neighbouring communities (the Esibongweni and Kwangono Community Trusts), also contributed portions of restituted land, bringing the total community landownership of Babanango Game Reserve to 75%.

Conservation Outcomes provides development and management support to the reserve, with particular focus on wildlife and conservation. It took five years to transform the land from livestock farming to being rewilded with the introduction of over 2400 animals (23 mammal species), including a number of endangered species. The reserve boasts spectacular scenery and is a new conservation and tourism gem in South Africa, which is creating employment and ancillary economic opportunities for the beneficiary and surrounding communities, whilst conserving valuable habitats, species, heritage and cultural sites. For more information on Babanango Game Reserve see https://babanango.com/.