BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY (BE) DEFINED

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE

• To promote economic growth, transformation and sustainability in both the wildlife and bioprospecting sectors.

SOUTH AFRICA, THE THIRD (3RD) MOST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSE COUNTRY 

South Africa is rich with natural resources and it is the third (3rd) most biological diverse country in the world following Indonesia and Brazil. It covers about 2% of the world's land area but is home to nearly 10% of the world's plant; 7% of reptiles, birds & mammals; 15% of known coastal marine species. In addition, South Africa is endowed with high incidence of endemic species. Therefore, biodiversity is one of South Africa's greatest assets. 

BIODIVERSITY AS CORE BUSINESS

According to the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES), the biodiversity economy of South Africa encompasses the businesses and economic activities that either directly depend on biodiversity for their core business or that contribute to conservation of biodiversity through their activities. The biodiversity economy contains the formal commercial biodiversity markets of South Africa, which recognises but does not include the informal biodiversity markets as these markets are currently largely undetermined and fall outside the bounds of the bioprospecting regulations of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

The biodiversity economy addressed is currently limited to two sub-sectors within the biodiversity economy, namely:

THE BIOPROSPECTING

SUB-SECTOR

The bioprospecting sub-sector encompasses organisations and people that are searching for, collecting, harvesting and extracting living or dead indigenous species, or derivatives and genetic material thereof for commercial or industrial purposes.

THE WILDLIFE ECONOMY

SUB-SECTOR

The wildlife sub-sector is centred on game and wildlife farming / ranching activities that relate to the stocking, trading, breeding, and hunting of game, and all the services and goods required to support this value chain.

THE ECOTOURISM

SUB-SECTOR

The eco-tourism sector encompasses tourism associated activities linked with natural biological resources, either in the wild or in intense managed areas. 

Both the wildlife and bioprospecting sub-sectors of the biodiversity economy have already demonstrated the potential for significant future development and growth. In the study commissioned on the situational analysis of the biodiversity economy, the contribution of the biodiversity economy to the national economy can be measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the wildlife and bioprospecting industries contributing approximately R3 billion to GDP in 2013. Growth in the wildlife and bioprospecting industries can make a significant impact on the national economy, while contributing to national imperatives such as job creation, rural development and conservation of our natural resources. However, for these two sectors to achieve its full potential, we require a strategic partnership between the state, private sector and communities.

To this end, a National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES) is required to guide the sustainable growth of the wildlife and bioprospecting industries and to provide a basis for addressing constraints to growth, ensuring sustainability, identifying clear stakeholder's responsibilities and monitoring progress of the enabling actions.

PROJECT TYPES |

INFRASTRUCTURE AND NON-INFRASTRUCTURE

a. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT TYPES

These projects are accompanied by services infrastructure such as roads, power provision, water and sewerage facilities

Bioprospecting and biotrade industry

• Development of commercial assets for communities to engage in biotrade and bioprospecting.
• Construction of processing plants for biotrade and bioprospecting.
• Development of ancillary services for bioprospecting or biotrade products such as packaging, distribution and selling.
• Support and promote the establishment biodiversity related entrepreneurs.
• Development of traditional medicine plant nurseries.

Wildlife industry

• Erection of game fence.
• Game ranching and game breeding facilities.
• Hunting outfitters.
• Game meat facilities (abattoirs and processing).
• Staff accommodation.
• Game farm implements (equipment).

Eco-Tourism – (flows from Wildlife Economy)

• Tourism accommodation (lodges).
• Hunting camps.

b. NON-INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT TYPES

These projects are accompanied by services infrastructure such as roads, power provision, water and sewerage facilities

Environmental Monitors Programme

The programme is a public private partnership, where the host institution takes up the operational cost, such as uniform and tools of trade (equipment) of the programme and the department is responsible to wages component for the participants who are deployed to assist with the following activities in private and public protected areas:

• Patrolling to curb illegal activities, e.g. poaching.
• Assistance in game ranging activities.
• Monitoring of biodiversity and environmental integrity.
• Community environmental awareness.
• Administration assistance.