South Africa Launches Rhino Renaissance Campaign to Revive White Rhino Population
South Africa has launched the Rhino Renaissance Campaign, a G20 Legacy Project aimed at reversing the dramatic decline in the white rhino population. Unveiled by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George at Kruger National Park on 15 July 2025, the initiative targets a ten-year recovery plan to rebuild numbers from just over 2,000 to 12,000 rhinos in the park. The campaign combines surveillance technology, community-led monitoring, targeted conservation methods like dehorning, and international collaboration to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking.
Led by SANParks, with support from the Tracker Academy, the Good Work Foundation, and other civil society partners, the project will train and deploy 90 Rhino Monitors annually—largely drawn from communities surrounding Kruger. The initiative also aligns with South Africa’s National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking and promotes green job creation. Minister George emphasised that success depends on multi-sector cooperation, including law enforcement, environmental stewardship, and global investment from G20 nations to tackle the roots of wildlife crime.
Source: South African Government
