In Transition

The listing of 45 popular wildlife species in the regulations of the Animal Improvement Act (AIA) in May 2019, was met with shock and indignation by conservation NGOs and hunting organisations in South Africa. For most game ranchers, however, this step offers the only practical and sustainable solution to ensure the future of these game species and their continuing contribution to South Africa’s wildlife conservation success story.

The inclusion of wildlife under the AIA, which falls under jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), practically places wildlife breeding on par with livestock farming or, at least, within the same parameters.

: In , the first antelope species were listed as land race animals in terms of the AIA. The AIA’s regulations allow for the breeding of listed species and breeds (in the case of domestic stock only) and make provision for the establishment