In close cooperation with interested and affected parties, including national and provincial government departments, other conservation agencies and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Southern African Wildlife College was conceptualized in 1993 and established in 1997 by the World Wide Fund For Nature, South Africa (WWF South Africa).

A grant made by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation (BMZ) via the German Development Bank (KfW) and WWF South Africa made the construction of the College possible. Built on land that was donated by Mr Hans Hoheisen to WWF South Africa, the impressive College campus was completed in record time thanks to cooperation between WWF South Africa, the international donor community, local companies and individual supporters. As association called the Bushbuckridge Builders’ Association, comprising several small contractors from local communities surrounding the College, helped build the facility.

With its vision to become the most sought after Centre of Excellence in conservation education and wildlife management training in the southern African sub-region, the College has since its inception, and with the support of the Peace Parks Foundation, trained over 5,000 people from 26 countries in Africa, but mostly from countries in the SADC region, in natural resource management. By expanding its reach and becoming involved in training ventures and projects off-site, the College has also capacity-built over 2000 previously disadvantaged South Africans.

Through conservation education, training and skills development, the Southern African Wildlife College seeks to give protected area managers the motivation and skills they need to become partners in saving our continent's natural heritage. All training comprises theory as well as practical skills and has been developed in close collaboration with conservation agencies and, where relevant, community participation. The College also works closely with various qualification authorities and other training institutions to ensure that the students have maximum flexibility of career path. As an accredited training institute, the College has aligned its curricula with the standards of the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and the National Qualifications Framework to ensure both national and international recognition.

Unlike other training institutions the College does not employ a large permanent staff, but contracts in practicing professionals with the relevant experience to ensure that the training is as practical, relevant and as current as possible.In doing so, it empowers people to manage and conserve some of the world’s most biologically diverse areas.   

The training programmes offered by the College cover the full spectrum of skills needed by field staff and managers of protected areas. The course methodology focuses on highly participatory, outcomes-based instruction, which ensures improved performance when learners implement these skills in the workplace. The College also aims to provide courses that will open up career opportunities for people who do not have the formal qualifications to pursue or to develop careers in protected area management.  

The ultimate vision of the College is to play a pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.   

pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.”  

Through conservation education, training and skills development, the Southern African Wildlife College seeks to given protected area managers the motivation and skills they need to become partners in saving our continent's natural heritage. All training comprises theory as well as practical skills and has been developed in close collaboration with conservation agencies and, where relevant, community participation. The College also works closely with various qualification authorities and other training institutions to ensure that the students have maximum flexibility of career path. As an accredited training institute, the College has aligned its curricula with the standards of the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and the National Qualifications Framework to ensure both national and international recognition.

Unlike other training institutions the College does not employ a large permanent staff, but contracts in practicing professionals with the relevant experience to ensure that the training is as practical, relevant and as current as possible.In doing so, it empowers people to manage and conserve some of the world’s most biologically diverse areas.   

The training programmes offered by the College cover the full spectrum of skills needed by field staff and managers of protected areas. The course methodology focuses on highly participatory, outcomes-based instruction, which ensures improved performance when learners implement these skills in the workplace. The College also aims to provide courses that will open up career opportunities for people who do not have the formal qualifications to pursue or to develop careers in protected area management.  

The ultimate vision of the College is to play a pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.   

pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.”  

Through conservation education, training and skills development, the Southern African Wildlife College seeks to given protected area managers the motivation and skills they need to become partners in saving our continent's natural heritage. All training comprises theory as well as practical skills and has been developed in close collaboration with conservation agencies and, where relevant, community participation. The College also works closely with various qualification authorities and other training institutions to ensure that the students have maximum flexibility of career path. As an accredited training institute, the College has aligned its curricula with the standards of the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and the National Qualifications Framework to ensure both national and international recognition.

Unlike other training institutions the College does not employ a large permanent staff, but contracts in practicing professionals with the relevant experience to ensure that the training is as practical, relevant and as current as possible.In doing so, it empowers people to manage and conserve some of the world’s most biologically diverse areas.   

The training programmes offered by the College cover the full spectrum of skills needed by field staff and managers of protected areas. The course methodology focuses on highly participatory, outcomes-based instruction, which ensures improved performance when learners implement these skills in the workplace. The College also aims to provide courses that will open up career opportunities for people who do not have the formal qualifications to pursue or to develop careers in protected area management.  

The ultimate vision of the College is to play a pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.   

pivotal role in equipping a new generation of conservation managers with the necessary skills to deal with key challenges facing conservation today. Closely linked to this is the role that nature-based tourism is set to play in the socio-economic development of southern Africa and which in turn allows the College to expand its relevance and reach across borders, greatly impacting on the training of conservationists in Africa.”  

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