- South Africa’s Elephant Population and Conservation Success: With approximately 44,000 African savanna elephants, South Africa’s population is a conservation success, with most elephants residing in protected reserves like Kruger National Park.
- Participation in World Elephant Day and the Southern African Elephant Indaba: South Africa celebrates World Elephant Day alongside the Southern African Elephant Indaba, emphasizing the importance of protecting and managing elephant populations.
- Balancing Elephant Conservation with Community Well-being: The government aims to sustain thriving elephant populations while addressing human-elephant conflicts and improving local community livelihoods through policies guided by the White Paper on Conservation.
South Africa has joined the global community in celebrating World Elephant Day, stating the importance of protecting and managing elephant populations. This year’s event coincides with the Southern African Elephant Indaba, hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in KwaZulu-Natal, home to the country’s second-largest elephant population.
The country is home to around 44,000 African savanna elephants, a conservation success story compared to declining numbers elsewhere. Most live in protected areas such as Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe, and Tembe, with others in smaller reserves and community-managed lands. About 6,000 elephants are in private or community ownership, with local management steadily increasing.
Deputy Minister Narend Singh acknowledged the growth but warned of rising human-elephant conflict, particularly in rural communities near parks. “These incidents can threaten food security and livelihoods. Managing them requires solutions like improved land-use planning, early-warning systems, and benefit-sharing initiatives,” he said.
Guided by the White Paper policy on Conservation and Sustainable Use, the aim is to balance thriving elephant populations with community well-being. Elephants remain important to the ecosystem health, tourism, and heritage, but challenges such as habitat loss, climate change, and conflict demand collaborative solutions.
The two-day Indaba at Bonamanzi brings together policymakers, conservationists, scientists, community leaders, and NGOs to develop strategies for coexistence.
