South Africa to Host Southern African Elephant Indaba in KwaZulu-Natal
Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr Narend Singh, will lead the Southern African Elephant Indaba on 12–13 August 2025 at Bonamanzi Game Reserve in Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal. The event will convene government officials, conservationists, community leaders, and industry stakeholders to discuss the evolving challenges and strategic future of elephant conservation in South Africa and the broader region.
With a growing population of approximately 44,000 African savanna elephants, South Africa stands out as a conservation success story. However, this recovery brings with it complex social, ecological, and development trade-offs. Key topics at the Indaba will include human-elephant coexistence, sustainable management practices, community benefit-sharing, and integrating local knowledge into broader conservation models. The forum aims to promote inclusive, system-wide approaches to conservation that balance biodiversity protection with socio-economic realities.
Source: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
