Conservation EMBA – Executive Masters in Business Administration with a focus on Conservation and Doing Business in Africa
Bachelors Degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership (BEL) with a focus on Planetary Health and Sustainability
3-year Diploma in Applied Natural Resource Management (1st two years predominantly online)
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
The competition for land, for commercial agriculture, forestry and mining, and for conservation places people and communities at the centre of sustainable development and natural resource management and emphasises the need for a socio-ecological approach
Advanced Certificate in Nature Conservation: Trans-Frontier Conservation Management
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Need to develop conservation management skills and knowledge required for trans-frontier conservation application.
Shortage of professionals who can work effectively at the interface between conservation and people – ensuring biodiversity protection while supporting community rights, needs, and livelihoods.
The need for professionals who can bridge traditional ecological knowledge with modern technological tools for conservation practice, monitoring, and decision-making.
Lack of basic tracking skills, and inability to navigate in complex terrain.
Field units lack structured patrol planning and adaptive counter-poaching tactics, reducing effectiveness in preventing illegal activities; and
Lack of relevant first aid skills in a remote bush environment
Lack of weapon use skills and formal training under stressful situations, increasing risks of accidents or ineffective responses.
Research and Monitoring
Lack of a solid grounding in plant and animal biology, systematics, ecology, and conservation genetics — key areas for making informed decisions. Many efforts focus only on individual species, rather than considering entire ecosystems and ecological proce
Lack of a strong foundation in bird identification, including key physical traits and behaviours.
Lack of structured leadership training and structured decision-making frameworks in small field ranger teams.
Carbon financing for conservation – 6 week facilitated online course
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Lack of capacity to develop and implement carbon programmes in Africa
Carbon financing for conservation – 6 week facilitated online course
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Lack of capacity to develop and implement carbon programmes in Africa
Understanding catchment areas and the need to protect them as sources for clean water
Coaching Conservation – Grade 5 Rapid Awareness Programme(s) RAP
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Lack of environmental and sustainability education that empowers children and youth with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours to live in a way that is good for their communities, environment, economy, and society, whilst taking cognisan
Coaching Conservation – Grade 7 Leadership Programme (“We Are All Connected)
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Lack of environmental and sustainability education that empowers children and youth with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours to live in a way that is good for their communities, environment, economy, and society, whilst taking cognisa
Administration for Conservation
Lack of a clear framework for balancing resource extraction with sustainability, leading to overexploitation or exclusionary policies.
Inability to effectively integrate local communities into decision-making, leading to conflicts, resistance, and unsustainable practices; and
Lack of listening skills and effective communication including conflict management skills
Administration for Conservation
Lack of data-driven decision-making skills in conservation and environmental management.
Skills Programme CGA
Lack of general maintenance skills for bush infrastructure, workplace safety protocols and infrastructure risk assessment
Lack of investigative, evidence-handling, and interagency collaboration skills for combating environmental crimes.
Lack of investigative, evidence-handling, and interagency collaboration skills for combating environmental crimes.
Lack of cost-effective aerial surveillance and area coverage
Lack of bush-flying skills
Research and Monitoring
Reliance on manual or outdated data collection methods, and often lack of awareness of which tools are best suited for specific conservation challenges.
Without proper training, people may not recognize warning signs of dangerous situations in dangerous game (DG) areas, increasing the risk of encounters or attacks.
Lack of a clear sense of purpose beyond showing animals or plants, such that guides may not fully grasp the broader goals of guiding.
Knowledge and skills gap to manage encounters with wildlife, including safety protocols and emergency procedures. Skills to respond to emergencies and mitigate, such as injuries or wildlife attacks
Knowledge and skills gap to manage encounters with wildlife, including safety protocols and emergency procedures. Skills to respond to emergencies and mitigate, such as injuries or wildlife attacks.
Lack of skills in real-time data interpretation, which limits ability to respond quickly to threats such as poaching, deforestation, or human-wildlife conflict.
Lack of ecological monitoring, species identification, habitat management and new approaches to community engagement, self-survival skills and risk assessment gap is addressed through this programme
People and Conservation
Lack of formal training in investigation procedures, evidence handling, and courtroom procedures, which weakens cases against offenders.
Officials struggle to interpret and apply environmental laws effectively, leading to enforcement challenges and legal loopholes; and
Lack of knowledge in conservation/wildlife related regulations and laws, ant poaching techniques and crime scene security is the major gap addressed by the Programme. Lack of techniques to monitor and protect wildlife including evidence collection to pres
Skills Programme FRLEAU
Lack of skills to identify wildlife and habitat management addressed by the Skills Programme. Limited knowledge and skills to engage communities in wildlife management is enhanced through the Skills Programme.
Financial management for conservation in Africa - hybrid, 10 weeks, targeted towards non-financial senior and middle management
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Need for expertise in financial management and commercial decision making
Further Education and Training Certificate in Professional Hunting
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
The wildlife economy in Africa depends heavily on responsible professional hunting practice as a regulated land-use practice that supports conservation funding, sustainable wildlife management, and rural livelihoods. The industry faces increasing pressur
Governing Heart - Introduction to Governance in Communities
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Lack of effective governance, leadership, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen relationships and support community-led conservation practice.
Human Rights in Environmental Law Enforcement in Conservation
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Many enforcement units lack structured ethical training and mechanisms for ensuring accountability in operations.
Need to build integrated, community-partnered capacity to anticipate and manage escalating human–wildlife encounters—combining practical skills (behaviour cues, early warning, safe response, non-lethal deterrents) with co-design, reporting, and governance
In development - for launch in Q3 2026, 12 month hybrid program
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Masters in “The Business of Conservation and Sustainability in Africa”
Conservation efforts often leading to land use disputes, benefit-sharing conflicts, or resistance from local communities.
Failure to meaningfully involve communities, leading to resistance, distrust, or unsustainable management practices; and
Wildlife Area Management
Insufficient K9 handling capacity
Leadership for Conservation in Africa - CPD accredited, hybrid, ten weeks, targeted towards senior and middle management
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Lack of leadership capacity within the African conservation sector
Leadership for Strategic Management in Africa - hybrid, ten weeks, targeted towards senior and middle management
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Need for expertise in strategic planning and implementation, and expertise in systems thinking and problem management
Leadership for marine conservation in Africa – 12 weeks, facilitated with 5 days in-person
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Lack of leadership capacity within the marine conservation sector of Africa
Describe decision-making practices.
Measuring management effectiveness – self assessment against criteria
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Understanding Park readiness to be assessed against greenlisting criteria. Improving management effectiveness
Limited leadership and applied skills, combined with lack of technical knowledge, to understand the complex relationships between human and natural systems. (e.g., sustainable land-use planning, ecosystem restoration, fire and invasive species management
Limited skill to maximize guest interaction and provide excellent customer service is covered through this programme. Communication gap and several other skills gaps e.g. in room management, housekeeping, and maintenance, front of house operations
Lack of skills to navigate and survive in the natural environment. Knowledge to manage encounters with wildlife including safety protocols and emergency procedures is filled by the Qualification
Separate treatments of social and ecological systems, leading to ineffective interventions; and
Inability to apply concepts to real-world management challenges, such as balancing conservation with local livelihoods.
Developed leaders and advocates in the conservation field to work across multiple sectors, with stakeholders and levels of government, to create sustainable, long-term conservation initiatives.
Lack of business acumen and entrepreneurial skills. Limited business management skills for small businesses is covered by the programme
Insufficient trained personnel on operational security coordination and real-time intelligence management.
Insufficient trained personnel on operational security coordination and real-time intelligence management.
Lack of structured, competency-based training programmes for park staff in conservation management.
“Mini MBA” for senior protected area managers
· Can be adapted for different contexts, needs · Modules include: o Capstone project focused on strategic and business planning for protected areas o Communications for Conservation o Community engagement and sustainable development
Lack of technical expertise in communication networks and cybersecurity for protected areas.
Lack of specialized skills in wildfire management, risk assessment, and emergency coordination in protected areas
Lack of structured leadership training and structured decision-making frameworks in small field ranger teams.
Inability to manage emotions and understand how they affect performance; and
Lack of skills and knowledge in people working with land and animals to fully grasp ecological principles, leading to poor land management and degradation; and
Ineffective land restoration practices, because without knowledge of using herds for land healing, individuals may miss opportunities to regenerate ecosystems through managed grazing.
Lack of leadership skills in the professional herding field, it is vital in guiding herding practices that balance livestock production, ecosystem health, and wildlife conservation. Yet, many lack structured training in leadership, adaptive grazing manage
Inability to make rational decisions during stressful situations.
Inability to handle negative emotions under stress; and
Lack of ability to define or recognize resources in personal or professional contexts, leading to inefficient or unsustainable use; and
Restoring our landscapes (community-led landscape restoration)
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Minimal knowledge and skills to effectively restore local ecosystems through holistic landscape management.
Lack of familiarity with SMART’s full capabilities, leading to underutilization; and
Inability to collect, input, and analyze data effectively, leading to gaps in monitoring and reporting.
Difficulty in recognizing personal strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth; and
Industry-led Training Need/Gap
Need to professionalize and equip community practitioners to lead social safeguards (FPIC, risk/impact screening, grievance redress, benefit-sharing, participatory monitoring), turning box-ticking into genuine co-design with communities—closing capability
Need to build integrated social-governance capability to navigate corridor complexity—contested tenure, livelihood trade-offs, FPIC, safeguards, and multi-actor coordination—accelerating approvals, reducing conflict, and securing legitimate, durable, and
Practice stakeholder engagement as a phased approach based on principles of accountability and good practice methodology.
Sustainable Tourism Destination Management for Africa - online course, delivered with eCornell In person course - hybrid, 5 weeks
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Need for expertise in sustainable tourism destination management
To be CPD accredited – 80 teaching days with regular assessments and follow up mentorship programme
Public
Southern African Wildlife College
Park Manager training program – in development for African Parks, in collaboration with SAWC
Many enforcement units lack structured ethical training and mechanisms for ensuring accountability in operations.
Understanding environmental policy in conservation, advocating and communicating for impact
Public
ALU School of Wildlife Conservation
Conservation practitioners often fail to understand the policy and regulatory environment within which they operate, and how they may advocate for change
Poor training in proper arrest procedures leading to excessive force, wrongful detentions, or legal liability.
Lack of a clear understanding of human rights laws, leading to potential violations and legal challenges; and
Many university students from abroad lack an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in African conservation, including local cultures, ecosystems, and conservation strategies.