• A conservation economy is one in which economic wealth is harvested from a bioregion’s local natural resources in a way that meets local communities' needs yet restores rather than depletes natural and social capital.
• It is founded on respect for the landscape, culture and societal and economic expectations. 
• It is an economy that builds on existing resources, to ensure long term sustainability and access for future generations.
• It encompasses the fundamental principle that the word “eco’ derives from the Greek word ”home” and that the wild spaces and the wildlife within the core reserve, are valuable as a part of the whole, and that in order to maintain their relevance and integrity, they are valued not purely for the basic provision of food and water, but as a key component to the very survival of the fragile planet.
• A conservation economy therefore does not focus solely on monetary value, but seeks to establish value in other more subtle ways, and defines currency in an equally inclusive manner.
• Most importantly, a conservation economy does not look at a core wildlife reserve in isolation but builds the entire economy as a collective, co-created, participatory economy.
• African Conservancies therefore look to the broader landscape to identify income opportunities for the community, as an economic driver, a risk mitigation strategy and a long term stabiliser for the benefit of the core reserve.
• The more diverse and higher the average household income in communities adjacent to the reserve, the lower the risk to the core reserve itself.
• This is not just a statement of intent, but a core value of  African Conservancies and its partners. This means that income streams facilitated by African Conservancies, could include cattle and goat sales, red meat value chain processing, crop production and value adding, other tourism external to the reserve, crafts, firewood production, and the development of core infrastructure and facilities such as schools, clinics, training institutions, and water infrastructure.
• African Conservancies will co-create, design, facilitate and implement projects that build this conservation economy, sourcing funding and investment from a range of sources.
• African Conservancies draws fees as an implementing and facilitation agency, based on income flowing into the company, thereby contributing to the long term viability and sustainability of the Community Conservancies that the company develops

Context 

The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot (MPA) is a biodiversity hotspot, a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity. It is situated near the south-eastern coast of Africa, occupying an area between the Great Escarpment and the Indian Ocean covering parts of South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique. Ecologically, the area is characterised by a broad range of habitats; forest covered dunes, river and wetland systems, lakes, shoreline, savannah grassland, mountains and mistbelts. It is home to the Southern White Rhino, brought back from extinction by Dr Ian Player, and his colleagues during the 1960’s during Operation Rhino; as well as elephant and the critically endangered Black Rhino. 

High poverty, unemployment and state neglect of deep rural communities means that land under/earmarked for conservation is threatened by marginal agriculture, cattle and goat farming. These activities encroach on habitat and degrade soil and land (overgrazing). 

Another real threat is poaching, which is heightened in a period of economic contraction. 

Loziba CWC (Pty) ltd has targeted a key strategic conservation region in the Zululand and Umkhanyakude Districts of Northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa. In total, the region is 2,7 Million hectares in extent, and comprises a diversity of landscapes. This area has been identified as a Biodiversity Economy Node, centred around a concentration of game and wildlife reserves, including Africa’s oldest park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (HIP), and Isimangaliso Wetland Park, I(WP) World Heritage Site. 

Both HIP and IWP are state managed protected areas, home to iconic African wildlife and notably, the critically endangered black rhino, threatened white rhino and elephant, all under direct threat of poaching. 

Within this area are 34 reserves that are members of the Project Rhino collaborative. The reserves are essentially wildlife enclaves surrounded by rural communities experiencing high unemployment and socio-economic stress.

The Loziba Wildlife Reserve is an extremely viable project situated in the heart of the Thaka Valley CWC, as a strategic national imperative for saving the endangered Black and Southern White rhino, and other iconic species. 

The project aims to establish a 30 000-40 000 hectare Big 5, malaria free game reserve in the heart of Zululand, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. 

The land is located south of the Black Imfolozi River and the reserve will generate meaningful benefits to landowners and surrounding communities whilst conserving valuable cultural and natural heritage. 

The phase 1 land acquisition, planning and infrastructure cost to establish the Loziba Wildlife Reserve will be in the region of R100m, a significant investment into wilderness conservation and tourism for the region. 

Phase 2 will be the development of approximately 10 lodges within the reserve. These will be made available to investors and operators on a lease or sale basis. 

By having farm ownership, Loziba (Pty) Ltd will increase its legitimacy in engaging and partnering with the communities whilst providing suitable long term security of tenure for investors who wish to invest in the project or develop a lodge.