African Wildlife Economy Institute - AWEI

Does the law understand edible insects?
Find out in a fascinating webinar hosted by the University of Venda's Institute for Rural Development (IRD), in partnership with the African Wildlife Economy Institute.

24 & 25 August from 10:30 to 12:00

South Africa’s edible insect market has long sustained rural livelihoods and cultural practices, yet it remains informal, poorly understood, and largely absent from policy. Without reliable market data, progress toward formalisation has been slow.

This webinar will engage policymakers, and academics in policy dialogue to build on fieldwork findings from the project "Mapping South Africa's Edible Insect Markets and Trade Policy Imperatives" and advocate for streamlined regulations.

https://wildlifeeconomy.info/events/2026-08/does-law-understand-edible-insects

What if Africa's wildlife did not depend on foreign aid to survive?

For decades, donors funded much of the continent's conservation work. The closure of USAID in February 2025 showed how quickly that support can disappear, leaving communities, private landowners, and NGOs responsible for wildlife but with far fewer resources.

A new AWEI article looks at another path. Building on the ideas of Ghanaian economist Dr George Ayittey, it asks what conservation might look like if local people were treated as rights-holders and custodians, free to benefit lawfully and sustainably from wildlife. The starting points are secure property rights, voluntary exchange, and the rule of law.

The article’s central point is worth sitting with: wildlife tends to flourish where people have a lasting reason to protect it and a fair share in its benefits.

Could this be a way forward for Africa? Have a read and share your thoughts.

https://wildlifeeconomy.info/articles/conservation-beyond-aid-george-ayitteys-classical-liberalism

When a species is protected under CITES, we tend to assume trade will simply decline. But what actually happens next?

In a new article for AWEI, Ms Lydia Bhebe looks at a fascinating discussion from the CITES Animals Committee (AC34): biological science tells us which species may need protection, but not how a trade rule will play out once it hits real markets and communities.

The same restriction can work in one country and backfire in another. Sometimes demand shifts to another species. Sometimes trade moves into illegal channels. And often, the people closest to the trade (local harvesters, communities, resource users) are barely consulted. In one review, fewer than 2% of proposals involved Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

From rhinos and pangolins to southern Africa's succulents, the lesson is the same: conservation happens in human systems.

Give it a read and let us know what you think. Should conservation decisions weigh economics and community knowledge as much as biology?

https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/wildlife-trade-policy-outcomes-cites

What happens to a community when the mopane worms run out?

In Limpopo, mopane worms are far more than a rural delicacy. The trade helps families build homes, pay school fees, cover medical costs, and feed their children a vital source of protein. A single cup sells for around R50.

But traders and harvesters told our researchers the same story again and again: mopane worms are becoming harder to find. In some villages, they have all but vanished. The reasons range from overharvesting and weak enforcement of harvesting rules to the cutting down of mopane trees, the use of insecticides, and veld fires.

Our latest reflection piece, from a field visit with the University Of Venda Institute for Rural Development, asks what is really at stake: livelihoods, culture, food security, and knowledge built over generations.

Read it here: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/mopane-worms-livelihoods

Who benefits from Africa's wildlife, and how? That was the focus when AWEI's Dr Wiseman Ndlovu chaired two panels at WTM Africa 2026 in Cape Town.

Conservation experts and community practitioners shared hard evidence and lived experience. Among the themes: treating communities as partners rather than labour, the economic power of living wildlife (one living shark near Gansbaai supports around 130 jobs and 2,000 dependants), and a calmer, evidence-based conversation about consumptive and non-consumptive tourism.

The discussion built on the new WTM Africa White Paper on tourism and the wildlife economy in Africa.

Read our full report here: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/tourism-wildlife-economy-wtm-africa-2026

International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) South African National Parks Marine Dynamics Shark Tours Dyer Island Conservation Trust

Few topics in conservation spark as much debate as the commercial use of wild species. It is usually framed as a simple choice: trade threatens wildlife, or trade protects it.

A new global study challenges that binary. Researchers examined 71 million legally traded reptile skins across 46 species and 20 years of trade data. The finding? Most traded species are not among the world's most threatened, and the majority of wild harvests are subject to formal management and monitoring.

The study does not claim that all wildlife trade is safe. It makes a more useful point. Whether wildlife use helps or harms depends on how well it is governed.

That question runs right through Africa's conservation debates, from crocodile ranching to community conservancies. Our latest article explains why evidence, not assumption, should guide the way forward.

Read it here: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/articles/sustainable-wildlife-use-reptile-skin-trade

Roughly 30 to 60 elephants die in Africa every day, from natural causes, conflict, starvation, hunting, and culling. A piece we are republishing from the Daily Friend by AWEI's Dr Francis Vorhies and Robert Kroger from The Origins Foundation asks a blunt question: if dying is inevitable, why not manage that reality through sustainable use rather than emotion?

The argument draws on the Global Biodiversity Framework's targets for the sustainable, safe, and legal use of wild species. It suggests that building genuine economic value chains around elephant products, leather, meat, bone meal, could increase demand for the species and give landowners a direct incentive to bring elephants back onto land where numbers have stagnated.

It is a deliberately provocative argument, and one that sits at the centre of ongoing debate in African conservation circles. We think it is worth reading in full, whether you agree with it or not.

Read the full piece: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/articles/normalising-sustainable-use-wildlife

First published by the Daily Friend, 30 June 2026.

What makes game meat safe to eat? The answer is more complex than most people realise.

AWEI's Lydia Daring Bhebe attended the SafeGameMeat COST Action meeting in Bucharest earlier this month, where researchers from across Europe and beyond examined everything from parasites and zoonotic disease to lead ammunition, PFAS contamination, and hunter behaviour.

One key takeaway: safety isn’t just a question of what happens at the butchery or on the plate. It starts at the source, in the environment, in wildlife health, and in the decisions made throughout the production chain.

Read about Lydia’s experience and what it means for game meat systems in southern Africa. 👇

🔗 https://wildlifeeconomy.info/article/safe-game-meat-begins-long-before-the-plate

And our final spotlight – Chozen Khalushi is examining innovation, entrepreneurship and policy integration for a sustainable edible insect economy as part of the insect markets research project.

By mapping the edible insect value chain and the innovations emerging along it, this research asks how the sector can grow into sustainable businesses. Chozen brings a focus on entrepreneurship and policy – including the regulatory hurdles that currently hold the sector back – and a clear eye on practical recommendations for change.

With three strong research strands, an experienced leadership team, and community partnerships on the ground, this project is one to watch

Find out more: https://wildlifeeconomy.info/projects/mapping-south-africa-edible-insect-markets

Tomorrow is a big day for South Africa’s young food leaders, and for AWEI!

39 high school learners from six provinces will come together at Stellenbosch University on 25 June 2026 for the launch of the South Africa Youth Institute (SAYI), a brand-new World Food Prize Foundation programme placing local youth right at the heart of global food systems conversations.

We’re proud to share that this event has a strong AWEI connection: co-coordinator Francine Barchett is an AWEI student, and the event is hosted by Prof Kennedy Dzama, Dean of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of AgriSciences and an AWEI associate, alongside several other AWEI associates who are part of this landmark initiative.

With 70% of participants being young women and most coming from previously disadvantaged communities, SAYI is about making sure the next generation of agricultural innovators reflects all of South Africa. All graduates will earn Borlaug Scholar status and join a global alumni network, and the top two will head to the US to represent SA at the Global Youth Institute!

Learn more about the event on the AWEI website 👇
https://wildlifeeconomy.info/events/2026-06/South-Africa-Youth-Institute