SANF 25 no 12 by Clarkson Mambo
Over the past 25 years, transboundary cooperation has played a pivotal role in safeguarding southern Africa’s rich biodiversity.
Through collaborative efforts, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has strengthened conservation frameworks that transcend national borders, ensuring that ecosystems remain resilient while supporting livelihoods.
Regional leaders and stakeholders convened in Harare, Zimbabwe from 19-23 May for the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) Conference and Summit to celebrate 25 years since the first TFCA in the region was established.
TFCAs are conservation initiatives that straddle national boundaries, thus falling under joint administration and re-establishing the ecological integrity that has been separated by artificial, though legal boundaries.
SADC formally recognised TFCAs in 1999 by adopting the Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, which established a unified approach to conservation and sustainable wildlife management.
A core goal of the protocol is to conserve shared wildlife resources by establishing TFCAs, ecological regions spanning two or more countries, incorporating protected areas and multiple resource-use zones.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, shared by Botswana and South Africa, was established in the same year the protocol was adopted, making it SADC’s and Africa’s first TFCA.
Following the adoption of the protocol, SADC established more TFCAs prompting the creation of a dedicated TFCA Programme in 2013. At its peak, 18 TFCAs were recognized across the region, but the number has since been revised to 13 through the TFCA Programme 2023-2033, which redefined their legal status.
The SADC TFCA Programme aims to establish a world-class network of sustainably managed transboundary landscapes and seascapes benefitting the region. This vision aligns with the high-level political commitment to transboundary cooperation as outlined in the SADC Treaty’s goal of “A common future for all countries and peoples of Southern Africa”.
Among the prominent TFCAs in the region are the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, established in 2002 and straddling Mozambique, South Africa to Zimbabwe, and the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Park– the largest TFCA in the region, stretching across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Other notable transfrontier parks in the region include Lubombo TFCA, established in 2000 and shared by Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa, and the Maloti-Drakensberg TFCA, set up in 2001 and covering parts of Lesotho and South Africa.
Over the past 25 years, land covered by TFCAs across SADC has significantly expanded from around 35,500 km2 in 1999 to more than 914,000 km2 in 2024, reflecting the region’s strong commitment to biodiversity conservation.
The TFCAs host diverse natural and cultural attractions such as South Africa’s Drankensburg Mountains and Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and unique flora and fauna across the region.
Beyond the SADC TFCA Programme, the region has developed protocols and instruments on environment, forestry, tourism and wildlife, all aimed at strengthening natural resource management.
Officials from SADC member states and other stakeholders used the SADC TFCA’s conference to review progress on the 25-year journey, examining successes, challenges and future strategies to strengthen cooperation for community and economic impact across the region.
Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Ambassador Tadeous Chifamba described the journey as a testament to regional “collaboration, resilience and a shared commitment to preserving our shared natural heritage.”
“Our TFCAs will serve no purpose if they do not prioritise the well-being and livelihoods of local communities,” he said.
Strengthening governance, fostering multi-sector partnerships and advancing regional integration was key to achieving this objective, he said.
According to Domingos Gove, SADC’s Director for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, one of the major successes of the TFCA initiative has been the growth of the elephant population in the KAZA TFCA to over 220,000 – more than half of Africa’s remaining savanna elephants.
“This population has remained stable for quite a number of years, while in the other areas of the continent, the numbers have decreased significantly,” Gove said.
The number of the black rhinos rebounded from a low of 2,400 in 1995 to over 6,400 in 2025, showing the effectiveness of the conservation efforts.
He revealed that the wildlife economy (flora and fauna) of SADC was valued at more than US$31.5 billion in 2019 or about 4.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of the region at the time.
“These wildlife resources not only underpin biodiversity but also support community livelihoods and tourism revenues,” he said.
The TFCAs have created thousands of jobs across the region, employing rangers in national parks, eco-tourism, recreation and hospitality industry, among others.
Poaching and climate change remain key challenges facing TFCAs, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
World Wildlife Fund Zimbabwe Country Director, Itai Chibaya described TFCAs as “regional integration in action – not only in conference halls, but in the savannahs and forests where real people live, herd, farm and thrive.”
Securing long-term funding is essential to achieving SADC TFCA Programme goals, with Germany and the European Union serving as key partners in this regard.
Germany has been a steadfast partner in SADC’s 25-year TFCA journey, committing over 270 million Euros to the programme, according to its ambassador to Zimbabwe, Udo Volz.
“The progress made in the SADC region in establishing and developing TFCAs is a prime example to the rest of the world,” he said.
The SADC TFCA Conference preceded meetings of the SADC Council of Ministers, and the TFCA Summit of Heads of State and Government.
The meetings are being held under the theme, “SADC TFCAS: 25 years of cooperation for regional integration and sustainable development.”
sardc.net