K2C Newsletter ~ Summer 2024

~Angi Ellett

At Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C), sustainable development is not just a goal but a commitment to the communities we partner with. Central to our efforts is the support and growth of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) through market access, business training and sustainable business practices. This quarter, we’re excited to highlight our progress in fostering SMME development and expanding our Green Business Training initiatives, aimed at helping local businesses thrive while promoting environmental sustainability.

Supporting SMMEs Through Market Access

K2C understands the vital role that SMMEs play in creating a resilient and inclusive economy. To support local entrepreneurs, we continue to explore platforms for market access, connecting small businesses with customers both locally and regionally.

One of our key initiatives is the monthly Farmers Market, which provides a valuable opportunity for local vendors to showcase their products. This market not only enables entrepreneurs to reach a wider audience but also strengthens community ties by bringing together farmers, crafters, and small businesses from across the region. By creating a space where local goods can be celebrated and purchased, K2C helps stimulate the local economy and supports the growth of these businesses.

In addition to the Farmers Market, K2C is focused on expanding access to broader markets. Through partnerships such as the one with Kulani Collective and the Orpen Hub, qualifying vendors from the Farmers Market are given the opportunity to supply products to the Orpen Gate shop at Kruger National Park. This initiative ensures that locally made products from the surrounding communities, especially Welverdiend, Hluvukani, and Hlavakisa, can reach new customers, creating sustainable income streams for small businesses.

Vendor at the Hoedspruit Farmer’s Market

Expanding Green Business Training

K2C’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond the marketplace. This quarter, we have equipped ourselves to place a focus on including Green Business Training for SMMEs, designed to help integrate environmentally friendly practices into their operations. By supporting businesses in becoming greener, we’re not only reducing their environmental impact but also helping them improve efficiency and profitability.

Our Green Business Training program empowers SMMEs to adopt practices such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and the use of local, sustainable materials where possible. Through workshops and resources, businesses are encouraged to take actionable steps toward sustainability, ensuring their long-term success while contributing to the protection of the environment around them.

As part of our ongoing efforts, K2C is dedicated to working with pro-nature businesses, helping them align their practices with sustainability goals and seeking value chains that contribute to circular economies. This program is part of a broader vision to create a green economy that supports both business growth and environmental stewardship.

A Vision for a Sustainable Future

Looking ahead, K2C remains committed to the continued development of SMMEs and the expansion of our Green Business Training initiatives. By providing market access and helping businesses adopt sustainable practices, we are contributing to a thriving, resilient economy that benefits both local communities and the environment around us.

We believe that a sustainable future is built on collaboration, and K2C is proud to work alongside local entrepreneurs, community members, and partners to create opportunities for growth. Through initiatives like market access, Green Business Training, mentorship, and community engagement, we are fostering a vibrant, sustainable business ecosystem that will help shape the future of our Biosphere Region.

As we move into the next year, we are excited to continue supporting SMMEs and promoting sustainability, working toward a future where both the environment and local businesses flourish.

SMMEs that successfully conducted Green Business Training

~ Romy Antrobus-Wuth, Conservation Science & Data Manager

On the 25^th November, the K2C team, in partnership with SANParks, Sabi Sand Pfunanani Trust, and the Timbavati Foundation, hosted the 3rd Greater Kruger Strategic Development Programme (GKSDP) Network Meeting for the K2C Node at the Radisson Hotel in Hoedspruit.

This inspiring event brought together over 150 people from more than 50 local organizations, green businesses, and government departments to reflect on 2024’s achievements, reconnect, and explore opportunities for future collaboration. The collective impact in this region continues to be truly remarkable.

GKSDP Network Meeting held at the Radisson Hotel

Formal presentations were given to give some history and context for the GKSDP, insight into future landscape scale projects and the environmental policy’s and work done by the Radisson Hotel group. This was followed by a long networking session where representatives from the various organisations could engage actively with each other with the help of standardised posters indicating each organisation’s achievements, challenges, opportunities and area of work.

Networking session

As the year draws to a close, this gathering served as a celebration of our shared progress and a platform to strengthen partnerships across the landscape. We’re excited to build on this momentum and make next year’s event even bigger and better!

Thank you to everyone who joined us—together, we’re driving meaningful change in our region.  

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: SANParks, Sabi Sand Pfunanani Trust & Timbavati Foundation

The Upper Letaba Restoration Project, launched in March 2024, has achieved significant progress in restoring the Upper Letaba Catchment. Over the course of the year, nearly 900 hectares of invasive alien plants (IAPs) were cleared, contributing to the recovery of more than 200 million litres of water annually. While the project’s primary objectives focus on water restoration and environmental rehabilitation, it has also strengthened community engagement.

The project has sparked meaningful conversations about conservation, fostering interest in sustainable grassland management, stewardship and the ecological importance of native species. Clearing efforts have also uncovered indigenous trees previously overshadowed by dense IAP growth, which has inspired efforts to establish a local indigenous tree nursery, further promoting ecological restoration and community involvement.

Clearing team in the Upper Letaba Catchment

In addition, the project has created avenues for research, particularly in evaluating grassland health under different management practices. In 2025, planned assessments will explore pollinator activity as a measure of ecosystem health. These studies, carried out in collaboration with Mountain Environmental Watch (MEW) and the University of Limpopo, are expected to inform strategies for preserving grassland ecosystems.

The project owes its success to funders Coca-Cola, partner The Nature Conservancy, local landowners, and collaborators such as MEW, the University of Limpopo and Friends of the Haenertsburg Grasslands (FroHG). Looking to the future, the K2C team and their contractor, Hlole Development Projects, are committed to building on the achievements of 2024, driving further conservation efforts in the Upper Letaba catchment throughout 2025.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: Coca-Cola & TNC

~Dumisa Khoza, Site coordinator

In response to the growing challenges of climate change, our eco-credit savings group initiative was launched to provide resilience and relief to community members. This innovative approach has yielded remarkable results, with 13 savings groups being established and reaping impressive rewards. Five of these groups were sharing out for the very first time!

This year’s share-out was a resounding success, with a total of R410,077 distributed across five of our 13 savings groups. One group stood out, achieving an impressive 65% interest in their savings through diligent credit loans and repayments. Members were overjoyed, with one individual receiving a staggering R9,240 share out from an initial savings of R5,600 over a 12-month period!

Savings Group Meeting

These festive rewards come at a critical time, enabling members to bridge livelihood gaps and farmers prepare for the upcoming planting season. For many, this injection of capital will be a lifeline during the drought season, allowing them to purchase essential feed for their livestock and invest in their crop farms.

The eco-credit savings group initiative has proven to be a shining example of sustainable development in action. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to empowering our members and fostering a more resilient, climate-smart community.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: Conservation South Africa, Hoedspruit Hub, Flanders,

~ Marie-Tinka Uys

TASC and the TASC FOUNDATION have been trusted partners of the K2C Biosphere over the past five years. Four hundred and fifty thousand (450 000) fuel efficient cook stoves have been distributed to households in the Biosphere Region and the use of these stoves is monitored to the highest international standards. The monitoring activities is creating further employment for people on top of what has been created through the distribution of the stoves.

The TASC Group of companies has made a strategic decision to distribute a percentage of the carbon revenue generated from its cookstove projects to benefit local communities in the region by launching the Community Beneficiation Small Grants (CBSG) initiative.

An open call  was launched to identify worthy projects to be funded in its endeavour to benefit communities that are participating in the TASC Cookstove Project.

Twenty-three projects from the K2C Region applied for funding and are being evaluated. Eight of these projects have been recommended by the Steering Committee to the TASC Foundation for further approval. The remaining applicants will receive support in 2025 to become “funding ready” for future calls for funding.

~Vusi Tshabalala, Project Manager

As the human population grows, more natural areas are converted to agricultural land, which fragments wildlife habitats and populations. Animals and humans compete for natural resources such as grazing and water, especially in areas that are experiencing drought or warming temperatures caused by climate change. In South Africa, retaliatory killings have been documented for lions, buffalo, leopards, and elephants, where conflict between humans and these species are prevalent. Typically they are targeted out of fear, because they’ve raided crops, preyed on livestock, damaged property, or threatened a human life. Many people living near national parks or reserves consider human-wildlife conflict (HWC) to be a major disadvantage, even though only a small percentage of households have experienced direct losses.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature South Africa’s (WWF South Africa) Khetha Programme supported by USAID, in partnership with Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C BR), has conducted the Safe Systems community engagement methodology at four HWC hotspot communities in the K2C landscape. This engagement focused on understanding conflict through the perceptions of community members that experienced the conflict firsthand and other relevant organizations that have projects that can assist. The discussions during the consultations enable participants to hold space for stakeholders to share different views and understand perspectives among stakeholders that are not always in the same room to co-develop action plans to address conflict.

Elephant Steward patrolling the fence line

Together with our partners we have successfully been implementing action plans for the Finale and Phalaubeni communities. These are proving to be life-changing and long-term solutions. Phalaubeni community was terrorised by elephants weekly and 26 elephants were killed due to HWC in 2023. Through a partnership with Elephants Alive, 4 elephant stewards were employed to patrol the reserve boundaries and crop farms. One demonstration site was chosen which received a bore whole, beehive fencing, flashing lights and unpalatable crops to fence their farms. No elephants have been killed in the year 2024 and no crops were destroyed! Now the farmers are learning how to harvest and process honey and make money for themselves while the bees continue to pollinate their crops in the process. Both Phalaubeni and Finale have beautiful natural sites  with tourism potential. We have supported through the clearing of hiking routes, biking routes and picnic sites with a views ranging from majestic baobab trees to breath taking waterfalls and natural pools.

Tourist attractions within the communities

round community governance, land use plans, wildlife poisoning and community SWOT analysis that we conducted together with organisations such as EWT and SAEON.

In 2025, we plan to do more training in project management, tour guiding & hospitality, game meat strategy and the wildlife economy.

~ Nick Theron, Senior Project Manager

On the 3 December Senior Manager, Nick Theron, was invited to form part of a panel discussion during a special session chaired by UNESCO at the South African Science Forum in Pretoria. The theme of the session was “Leveraging Science to address climate change challenges”. The session highlighted several UNESCO initiatives focused in the sub-region that aim to help mitigate climate change. The K2C Biosphere presented on our work that focusses on water monitors that are actively collecting data along priority rivers in villages across the biosphere. This data provides a picture of the status of these rivers and can help in planning interventions at the local level to improve water quality. This could include river clean-ups and emergency responses to pollution events if timeously identified.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: UNESCO

~ Phomelelo Malatji

As the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Freshwater Monitoring Project under the UNESCO Be-Resilient Program ends, the initiative has left a mark on communities spanning two provinces (Mpumalanga and Limpopo). The project, which aimed to monitor and protect the health of rivers within the biosphere, culminated in a series of stakeholder feedback sessions with youth, traditional and community leaders. These gatherings not only reflected on the project’s achievements but also reinforced a collective commitment to environmental and water stewardship.

Earlier in September, the project marked World Water Monitoring Day along the Olifants and Klaserie Rivers, where stakeholder feedback sessions were held. This special event celebrated the role of Citizen Science Freshwater Monitors and their dedication to protecting local water systems. Stakeholders had the opportunity to engage in interactive presentations, learning about the processes and techniques used to assess river health. To complement the sessions, a field visit was conducted to the closest river. This hands-on demonstration allowed stakeholders to observe and participate in freshwater monitoring techniques such as miniSASS assessments, clarity tube measurements, and velocity plank analysis. The field visit not only enhanced their understanding of the monitoring process but also solidified their understanding of the freshwater monitoring processes and fostered a deeper appreciation for the importance of maintaining river health.

Demonstrations allowed stakeholders to observe and participate in freshwater monitoring techniques such as miniSASS assessments.

Adding to the spirit of environmental stewardship, the K2C Biosphere celebrated Biosphere Day from November 4th to 8th with impactful community-led activities across Namakgale, Phiring, London Landfill, Bushbuckridge, and Islington Sports Ground. Highlights included clean-up campaigns spearheaded by youth to combat pollution and prevent waste from entering local rivers. In Namakgale, participants combined a cleanup with sustainable agriculture education and seedling giveaways. Phiring students explored riverine forests, connecting conservation with tourism opportunities. In Bushbuckridge, youth and community members focused on proper waste disposal practices, while waste reclaimers at London Landfill provided insightful waste management tours. The celebrations culminated in Islington Sports Ground with a cleanup followed by a friendly soccer match, fostering community unity and environmental awareness.

Waste reclaimers at London Landfill provided insightful waste management tours

While the project may have concluded, its impact continues. The initiative has inspired communities to take ownership of their natural resources, working collectively to protect the lifeblood of ecosystems and livelihoods and it has also fostered stronger collaborations between community leaders, local authorities, and environmental organizations. The feedback sessions reinforced a shared responsibility to sustain the rivers’ health, ensuring these lifelines remain vibrant for future generations, while traditional and community leaders, along with youth, emphasized the importance of sustainable practices, pollution reduction, and community-driven monitoring initiatives.

The K2C Biosphere extends its gratitude to all stakeholders, Citizen Science Monitors, and partners who contributed to the project’s success. As communities take the lead, the commitment to protecting and preserving these rivers remains steadfast.

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: K2C, UNESCO Be-Resilient

~Reshoketswe Mafogo

This year, one of the K2C staff members had the opportunity to be part of the 2024 Kinship Fellowship Programme cohort! Reshoketswe Mafogo was one of 18 participants of conservation leaders from around the world, who is now part of long-standing network of fellows in the conservation and sustainable development field.

The Kinship Conservation Fellowship programme uses market-based tools to support conservation practitioners across the globe. Its mission is to develop a community of leaders dedicated to collaborative approaches to environmental issues with an emphasis on market-based principles.

The program is designed to advance careers and equip with new skills, insights, and analytical tools to accelerate conservation projects. Through its innovative tools and inspired community of leaders, Kinship is teaching and training, using these 6 Pillars: Leading Adaptively, Iterating for Scale, Designing for Governing the Commons, Identifying an Economic Engine, Financing Conservation, and Evaluating for Impact.

The program integrates leading-edge lessons from two themes: Cultivating Leadership Tools & Strategies, and Market-based Conservation strategies.

“This opportunity has been instrumental in broadening my horizons and deepening my commitment to our organizational goals, and to my own developmental goals. It has been both an enriching and transformative experience, as I engaged in various learning activities, and connected with professionals dedicated to preserving our natural environment.

~Keneilwe Mmushi

On the 24th of October 2024, the K2C MAB Youth Network and TASC Monitors successfully hosted a community engagement event to raise awareness about climate change mitigation. The event, held in collaboration with RFM and the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality Environmental Unit, aimed to educate youth participants on best practices and climate change mitigation strategies.

The event featured several engaging sessions, including a live radio interview with Herrel, who discussed the TASC Cookstove project. The session covered the distribution figures to date, the pre- and post- sensitization meetings, monitoring surveys, Kitchen Performance Tests and audits. The 5 Sustainable Development Goals which the project contributes towards were also covered, which includes the Climate Action Goal. Food was prepared using the TASC Cookstoves to demonstrate to the attendees that the stoves can cook a full meal (pap, relish, 2 vegetables and meat). David served as the master of ceremonies, while Keneilwe provided an overview of the purpose of the day. The chairperson of indunas, Mr. Mashego, had a thought-provoking dialogue with Hope on air, exploring the role of local leadership in safeguarding natural resources.

Representatives from the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality Environmental Unit, Tlangelane Charity Mkhonto and Buhle Pearl Malatjie, shared insights on the municipality’s climate initiatives, including tree planting programs and waste management systems. This session sparked a resolution to collaborate on waste management strategies, ensuring the effective placement of waste skips in communities.

A meal was prepared using the cookstoves

The event concluded with a prize-giving ceremony, recognizing individuals who concisely explained the day’s presentations.

We extend our gratitude to all partners, speakers, and attendees for making this event a resounding success. Let’s continue to take climate action!

#InternationalClimateActionDay #ZeroEmissionsDay #ClimateAction #Sustainability #K2CMaBYouthNetwork

FUNDERS/PARTNERS: Tasc, BBR LM