South Africa is a special country with exceptional biodiversity, much of which is unique and makes us one of the world's like-minded megadiverse countries. This biodiversity wealth gives people tangible benefits like food, clean water, medicine and materials. It supports agricultural and fisheries production and helps protect us from natural hazards such as droughts and floods; and provides a vibrant tourism industry while offering natural spaces for recreational, spiritual and cultural activities. South Africa's economy is dependent on this biodiversity. As of 2018, the biodiversity sector has been maintaining  over  418 000 sustainable jobs, and compared  favourably with the mining sector at the time. Many of jobs are created in far-flung rural areas, providing an opportunity for contributing to rural economy.

As the world is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and experiencing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity and financial constraints through budget cuts for the biodiversity sector, we are presented with a clarion call and an opportunity to halt biodiversity loss and change the way we live, eat, grow, build and power our lives to achieve a carbon-neutral, "nature-positive" economy by 2030. Business as usual is no longer an option, and we need a fundamental transformation across three socio-economic systems such as nature, food, land and ocean use; infrastructure and the built environment, as well as extractive industries and energy. These systems have an opportunity and a responsibility to reverse biodiversity loss whilst at the same time they also have tremendous upside benefits to gain by embracing a transformative approach now.

The White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use serves as a rallying point for coordinated action for "thriving nature and people". Furthermore, it ushers in not just a whole-of-government, but also a transformative, whole-of-society approach. The white paper envisages a multi-stakeholder engagement process towards the development of a programme of work complemented by a roadmap.

Enhance the conversation on the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy and its contribution to addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality | Promote multi-stakeholder commitment to strengthen the biodiversity economy sector | Promote co-operative governance for effective policy implementation | Showcase market ready biodiversity products and services from across the biodiversity economy value chains through exhibitions for business-to-business trading, networking and sustainable partnerships.

28 March 2024 - BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT INDABA CONCLUDES WITH A PROGRAMME OF ACTION

26 March 2024 - KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT, MR CYRIL RAMAPHOSA 

25 March 2023 - ADDRESS BY DALRRD MINISTER THOKO DIDIZA DURING THE INDABA SESSION CONVENED UNDER THEME: ADVANCING BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE RURAL ECONOMY

25 March 2024 - OPENING ADDRESS BY THE DFFE MINISTER, MS BARBARA CREECY

• White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity [PDF - 2.7 mb]
• Draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES) for South Africa [PDF - 3.1 mb]
• Game Meat Strategy for South Africa, 2023 [PDF - 5.9 mb]
• Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros [PDF - 285 kb]
  
  

• The role and contribution of different stakeholders and how the biodiversity economy can be used as a catalyst to fight wildlife crimes and provide an alternative livelihood | Sharon Haussmann, GKEPF [PDF - 228 kb]
• Value of ecosystem services to South Africa's economy | Dr Sue Snyman, RSWCALU [PDF - 6.2 mb]
• Wildlife economy investment index | Dr Sue Snyman, RSWCALU [PDF - 10.7 mb]
• Session 3 plenary 3: Financing biodiversity to close the biodiversity financial gap | Adri Kitshoff-Botha, CPHCSA [PDF - 265,7 kb]
• Programme of action, 27 March 2024 [PDF - 463,7 kb]

» more presentations

Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre     |     25 - 27 March 2024

Presidential address on the biodiversity sector and investment. | The indaba will broadly discuss the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy which is out for public comments.| Potential bankable projects will be profiled in the investment portal.

Commission 1: Wildlife. Commission 2: Bioprospecting. Commission 3: Ecotourism. Commission 4: Aquaculture fisheries (inland and marine).

1. Financing biodiversity to close the financial gap. | 2. Leveraging biodiversity-based features to scale inclusive ecotourism industry growth in seascapes and in sustainable conservation land-use. | 3. Biodiversity economy – a catalyst for rural development.

Exhibitions of products and services within the biodiversity economy value chains including products from bioprospecting, wildlife, ecotourism, marine, and fisheries. At a venue flexible enough to accommodate all the key tenants of the event, including flexibility towards accommodating food vendors and exhibitors.