A 30 year journey
Empowering communities and enabling conservation
The name Wild Impact resonates in many ways within the 73 communities that it serves across six countries.
Wild Impact’s evolved methodology has provided a conservation-based community development model that empowers communities by building their capacity to lead and participate in community-led development projects. Over the years, this model of working with communities, has become a beacon of hope for support and development within the regions.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
- African Proverb
KwaZulu-Natal: Phinda Private Game Reserve
Where it all began
The vision of Wild Impact has always been to uplift, up-skill and empower identified rural communities living close to core conservation areas where our partner andBeyond has a footprint. This started at Phinda Private Game Reserve to assist the neighbouring communities of Mduku, Nibela and Mnqobokazi in addressing some of their developmental needs.
One of the success stories from the early days was the 2007 pioneering land claim settlement between Phinda and two local communities, Makhasa and Mnqobokazi 9,085 hectares (22,460 acres) of wilderness land was returned to these ancestral owners. Both communities requested that the use of this land continue to be kept for wildlife and conservation rather than farming – living proof of the perfect synergy between empowering communities and enabling conservation. Yet another pioneering step and true testament of the success of community-conservation model. The restoration of the communities’ dignity and the possibilities for financial empowerment brought a level of excitement and hope for the future as seen akin to South Africa’s 1994 first general elections.
What is in a name
The organisation went through various name changes over the years. Originally the Rural Investment Fund, and then CC Wild Impact (mirroring andBeyond’s former name of CC Africa), the ‘CC’ was later dropped and Wild Impact settled on. Throughout this name evolution, Wild Impact continued to fulfil its mandate of empowering the community and enabling the conservation of wildlife areas.
The Wild Impact board also needed a symbol that would best describe the model and the methodology of inclusive growth through empowerment. The distinctive spiral logo was adopted: simple in design, yet powerful in meaning, the spiral denotes “perpetual learning, growing and impacting”.
Crossing borders
The shared vision of “Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife and Care of the People” has always connected Wild Impact to andBeyond. andBeyond expanded across South Africa, and then Africa, so Wild Impact naturally as the custodians of the “Care of the People” tenet.
Donor funding influenced the pace of Wild Impact’s extended footprint. Fortunately , through generous funding and the collaborative support of andBeyond, Wild Impact was able to implement community projects within both KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and later, throughout the continent.
Wild Impact’s low-key methodology, coupled with the strategy of recruiting locals, facilitated its acceptance by other countries, and a relationship of trust built in the years following.
Going above and beyond
In addition to Wild Impact’s methodology and long-standing partnership with andBeyond, it is the core of dedicated staff that define the organisation: passionate and skilled individuals who understand the plight of the communities they serve, and the methodology which recognises the centrality of human dignity in its engagement with communities.
This provides a powerful platform for shareholders, donors and guests to continue their critical role in the growth and sustainable development of Wild Impact for decades to come.
You might also be interested in...
Wild Impact is a Public Benefit Organisation registered in South Africa. Reg. No.: 930002115