KwaZulu-Natal

With US$1,903,000 in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the African Nature-Based Tourism Platform will connect funders to the communities and small/medium enterprises (SMEs) most in need of funding support, with a goal of mobilising at least $15 million to support communities and SMEs in Covid-19 emergency relief efforts and to build greater resilience into the nature-based tourism business model into the future. Using a bottom-

up approach, the platform will gather data on impacts to communities and SMEs from the COVID-19 crisis, enhance knowledge sharing between relevant actors, facilitate the development of funding proposals from communities and SMEs, and make these available to relevant donors. Project focal geographies include Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The key goal of the platform is to facilitate matchmaking between donors and beneficiary communities and SMEs, resulting in the growth and well-targeted distribution of COVID-19 emergency relief funds, stimulus packages, and other financial support. With the facilitation of national CBNRM networks and non-governmental organizations, data collected from communities and SMEs will be used to connect communities and SMEs to appropriate donors and assist with proposal development. The platform will also focus on improved integration of nature-based tourism in investment decisions by governments and financial institutions.

KwaZulu-Natala

Conservation Outcomes is a non-profit organisation created to provide support to land that is being developed and managed for biodiversity conservation outside of traditional state protected areas. The focus of the organisation is on securing remnant biodiversity, ecological integrity and

resilience whilst contributing to poverty alleviation and meaningful socio-economic development in rural southern Africa through the development of the conservation and wildlife sector.

KwaZulu-Natal

GGF AFRICA is a boutique investment banking firm offering corporate finance, transaction advisory, strategy and management consultancy services to clients in the private, NGO and public sectors. The firm has particular expertise in the key industries of agriculture; climate, environment and biodiversity; green energy; and tourism. Founded on the basic principles of

“service and value”, GGF Africa is built on five service pillars designed to strengthen our clients’ organisational capacity in the areas of Corporate Finance & Resource Mobilisation; Strategy & Implementation Support; Human Capital & Organisational Design; Internal Systems & Business Processes; and Customer Engagement.

Experience in the biodiversity economy, with a particular interest in crafting business cases for the mobilisation of international investment capital into the Wildlife economy; Bioprospecting; Ecotourism; and investment in their respective value chains; and Ecological infrastructure. We have working knowledge of key institutional investors as well as NGO and public sector partners offering development support to actors in the Biodiversity sector.

KwaZulu-Natal

We provide training, skills and capacity building services that unlock economic opportunity, contribute to wellbeing and poverty alleviation, and build environmental citizenship in rural areas. Our programmes are as follows:

1. We assist youth to find and keep work through career guidance, access to vocational training, facilitating linkages with employees and graduates for work placements and an internship programme that includes at-work training, work readiness and professional development and ongoing mentoring.
2. We support rural informal sector businesses by enhancing business skills, focussing on personal development and providing linkages to opportunities and markets.
3. We build awareness of the value of conservation and environmental protection, with an emphasis on rights to a healthy environment and duty of care.
4. People Nature Connect also works with teams and organisations to craft their socio-economic and community development strategies and help them set up programmes.

Our team has a long history and specialises in the interface between rural development and conservation. We have over 25 years experience in poverty alleviation, environmental management and social justice.

We have worked in University, government and non-government sectors.