MGUNDENI COMMUNITY’S JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

The Mgundeni community in northern KwaZulu-Natal became the first land reform community in South Africa to sign a voluntary biodiversity stewardship agreement in 2009. In partnership with WWF and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the community has implemented sustainable livestock and vegetable projects, restored 124 ha of land, and adopted rotational grazing and fire management practices. These initiatives led to a significant increase in cattle herd size and a reduction in winter mortality rates, resulting in the community receiving the 2022 WWF Living Planet Award.

• In October 2009, the Mgundeni community became the first land reform community in South Africa to sign a biodiversity stewardship agreement on communally owned land, a process facilitated by WWF and signed with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
• The community has secured and restored 124 ha of conservation-worthy land and water sources through their stewardship agreement and has decided to upgrade this area to a formal protected environment status.
• Sustainable cattle farming initiatives, including the implementation of a camp system and a vaccination programme supported by a 2013 government grant, reduced cattle mortality from 30 to 40 deaths between 2013 and early 2014 to zero in 2015.
• Improved land and herd management led to an increase in the community's collective cattle ownership from 520 in 2013 to over 700 by 2017, and enabled the first-time sale of 150 cattle at auction to increase income.
• The community has diversified its sustainable resource use through a women-managed vegetable project focused on agroecology and has received training in fire management and the clearing of invasive alien plants.

APA

WWF South Africa (2023). MGUNDENI COMMUNITY’S JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/mgundeni-case-study-2023.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. MGUNDENI COMMUNITY’S JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT. 2023. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/mgundeni-case-study-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=MGUNDENI COMMUNITY’S JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT |date=2023 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/mgundeni-case-study-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2023mgundeni, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{MGUNDENI COMMUNITY’S JOURNEY OF CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND MANAGEMENT}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2023}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/mgundeni-case-study-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }