Skip to main content
Play Video
An executive summary

Laying the foundation for impact

The year 2022 marked an important milestone for Conserve Global. After many discussions, consultations, and in-depth planning sessions, we officially began our operations in 2021 with the goal of securing Africa’s natural heritage and conservation estate in the critically important landscapes beyond national parks.

At the start of 2022, we could clearly see both the immense opportunities and the challenges that laid ahead. We knew that success would require building strong foundations – including the right partnerships, projects, people, legal and governance structures – and enough funding to execute effectively and help ensure impact in perpetuity. With these in place, we are poised to tackle the challenges of operating in the mosaic of connected protected areas that surround, connect and buffer national parks. Healthy and enduring landscapes create greater resiliency, in perpetuity.

A group of African elephants drinking water in the grass field
Giraffe and maasai man walking in dry grass field

We are excited to have finished 2022 as a more mature and established organisation, with a growing number of allies and partners, all reinforcing our stubborn determination to operate in these vulnerable concessions and community conservation areas that make up the bulk of Africa’s natural heritage and conservation estate.

Over the last couple of years, our ideas have been refined, our team has grown, and we have established a portfolio of projects across the continent. Perhaps most importantly, Conserve has deepened collaborative partnerships with communities, government authorities, and donors – incorporating learnings and feedback.

We have prepared this
interactive report to
share the highlights of
2022 with you

We are sharing in this format to reflect the dynamic and interconnected nature of our work and integrated model. It doesn’t matter where you start, you will ultimately connect to all other aspects of our work. We cannot contribute to the effective management of a landscape without investing in the human talent essential for management. We cannot meaningfully engage and deploy that talent without having solid and appropriate local management entities in place. We cannot unlock benefits for communities without having well-managed landscapes as a result of good management. And, we need sustainable, predictable funding to fuel the engine and allow us to innovate as we strive for financial sustainability.

Conserve recognises that our success depends on the mutually reinforcing nature of each of our goals. By achieving both immediate results and durable impact, we can help catalyse new approaches to protecting Africa's natural heritage for generations to come.

Matt Rice
Co-founder, Director of Operations

Andrew Parker
Co-founder, Director of Strategy

Our goals

In order to create a comprehensive and lasting impact, achieving financial stability in the long run through our interconnected goals is crucial.

Next
Aerial view of beautiful flowing river in the forest

Our

interconnected

goals

There is a lot to look forward to in 2023 and beyond. Thank you for being part of this effort and helping to create real impact on the ground and a model that can be replicated at a meaningful scale. The world is changing – we can be part of making sure it is for the better.

Mud house with mabati roofs written Love

Financial
projections

Long term financial stability is essential for effective governance, proactive planning and to unlock the full potential of the wildlife economy. Our model focuses on using philanthropic funding in the initial stages to generate recurring revenue from ecosystem services in the longer term.

Next
Smith's Bush Squirrel on a tree

Financial

projections

Unlocking financial value in landscapes

Conserve footprint

Management costs

Operational revenue (carbon + other)

Donor funding

Organisational governance

Our legal and governance framework has enabled us to work collaboratively with communities and our team, to build strong local management institutions.

Next
A group of hippos walking towards the water

Organisational
governance

Conserve global staff listening keenly to a Game warden holding two pages of paper

The success of any conservation project hinges on effective governance structures and a solid legal framework, and Conserve prioritises these elements as we work towards our vision of connected natural landscapes for resilient societies by focusing on areas beyond national parks. We recognise that to achieve this goal, we must build strong local institutions with robust governance, capacity, and financial resilience, and our legal and governance framework supports this objective.

Our model focuses on being a long-term conservation management service provider to community conservancies and governments in order to secure Africa’s conservation connective tissue. The legal status and levels of protection vary across different concessions and community-conserved areas, but they are all intended to protect wildlife and habitat. In many cases, multi-purpose land use is required or encouraged to simultaneously meet the legitimate needs of people whilst securing landscape integrity but in all the areas where we work, the protection of nature and wildlife is a legislated priority.

Acting as a
service provider
for communities

Portfolio
management

As a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom with full charitable status and 501(c)3 equivalency, Conserve acts as an overarching “parent” organisation to oversee and administer the implementation of our projects across Africa. Conserve Management Limited, is our wholly-owned operating subsidiary through which we corporately engage in projects directly.

Africa

By incorporating dedicated legal entities for each landscape, we ensure that governance and control will be held locally, and we can adapt our partnerships with local communities over time. Conserve may play an intensive management and oversight role in the initial phases of a new project, but our aim is to transition into a peer advisor and ally as the local community assumes full management and operational responsibility over time.

At Conserve, we believe that effective conservation requires a long-term perspective and a commitment to building strong local management institutions. Our legal and governance framework supports this vision, enabling us to work collaboratively with communities and partners.
Chief signing document in a community meeting

Our
team

A strong core team supports project based teams in our growing portfolio. We seek to develop diverse and complementary teams, investing in leadership at all levels.

Next

Our team

Executive Committee

2022 saw significant growth in our capacity. Co-founders Andrew and Matt welcomed Stephanie Sluka as Director of Fundraising and Communications, Stuart Slabbert as Director of Innovative Finance, and Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert as Director of Impact. They have added invaluable expertise and experience. The realisation of this Executive Committee reflects a key milestone in building the institutional capacity to anchor strategic planning and execute our business plan, ensuring excellence and adaptability. Collectively, they provide technical support and oversight to the growing portfolio of projects across the continent.

Read more about our Directors here

Conserve Global staff educating game wardens in an office

Project-based management

In addition to bolstering our core team, we have also made substantial progress in building the leadership of our individual projects. Mark Ghaui has been serving as Project Manager for Tondwa in northern Zambia, while Simon Mayes and Lotus Khosa have taken on Project Manager and Project Lead roles for the Orupupa Conservancy Project in the Kunene Highlands of Namibia and the Muwai Community Project in the Futi Corridor of Mozambique, respectively.

Advisory board

Thought leaders from across the conservation sector serve on our technical advisory board. They help connect our efforts with that of other key actors. We are grateful for the insights they provide to help guide our strategic planning and realisation of our goals.

Ademola Ajagbe Regional Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Africa program

Ademola Ajagbe
Regional Managing Director, The Nature Conservancy

John Kasaona , Executive Director Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC)

John Kasaona
Executive Director, Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC)

Tom Lalampaa CEO, Northern Rangelands Trust

Tom Lalampaa
CEO, Northern Rangelands Trust

Thandiwe Mweetwa Wildlife biologist, Zambia Carnivore Program

Thandiwe Mweetwa
Wildlife Biologist, Zambia Carnivore Programme

Dr Nyambe Nyambe, Executive Director, KAZA TFCA Secretariat

Dr Nyambe Nyambe
Executive Director, KAZA TFCA Secretariat

Alice Ruhweza, Regional director WWF

Alice Ruhweza
Regional Director for Africa, WWF

Sue Snyman Research Director School of Wildlife Conservation African Leadership University Rwanda

Dr Sue Snyman
Research Director, African Leadership University, School of Wildlife Conservation

Building strong
partnerships

We develop ambitious business plans for each project with key stakeholders. By consolidating our portfolio and deepening our relationships with local communities and partners, we are confident that we can continue to make meaningful progress toward our vision of connected natural landscapes for resilient societies.

Partnerships

Partners are critical to help Conserve Global realise our vision of connected natural landscapes for resilient societies.   

Next
Two African men seated next to each other one holding twigs on one hand and a calabash on the other

Partnerships are essential to our delivery

The support of our partners has helped bring the vision of Conserve into reality.
This tapestry of essential players includes:

Administration/government icon

Government

5 people working collaboratively icon

Community partners

Document with magnifying glass icon

Research partners

plant icon

Carbon and biodiversity partners

travelling bag location icon

Tourism partners

Hand holding a small plant with a dollar sign

Funders and investors

In this start-up phase, we acknowledge the incredible anchor funders who share our concern and determination to disrupt the status quo across Africa. In supporting our efforts with core funding, they are responding to the urgency of the situation and the importance of investing in long-term solutions, knowing these aren’t simple quick-fix solutions. Alongside the investment and determination of governments and communities, Conserve is positioned to scale rapidly in the years ahead.

Play Video
Play Video
“Conserve has quickly become one of the world’s indispensable conservation organizations. I’ve been very impressed with its team and its science and values-based approach to land management, which I think will enable the emergence of thriving local economies. I’m also excited to work with Conserve to develop nature-based solutions and connect its diverse portfolio with like-minded investors around the world.”
– Jon Mellberg, Energy Investor and Conservationist
Maasai woman walking in the rural on a murram road during the day

There is much in motion
and on the horizon

– our teams are growing as new sites come on board, new partnerships and donors, and greater capacity to monitor and share the stories and learnings as projects get underway. We are particularly excited to create more opportunities for professional growth and development for the next generation of conservationists across the continent – as well as use our network to facilitate learning exchanges and dynamic networking.

Our partners

Wood tiger logo
The wildcat foundation logo
Wildlife Conservation Network logo
Lion Recovery Fund logo
IAPF logo
Paw logo
Great Spine of Africa logo
William & Mary Institute for Integrative Conservation logo

Explore

our goals

Conserving natural landscapes Investing in African skills and leadership Building strong local governance Unlocking value for people