Keynote address by Dr Dion George, MP Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and The Environment at the Rhino Renaissance campaign launch in Skukuza Boma
Honourable delegates from fellow G20 nations,
Ms Hapiloe Sello, CEO of SANParks,
Mr Dave Varty, Trustee of the Rhino Renaissance,
Mr Tshifiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa,
Representatives from the Peace Parks Foundation and Tracker Academy,
Leaders from the Good Work Foundation,
Representatives of conservation agencies, civil society, and the private sector,
Community leaders and custodians of our natural heritage,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests and Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment colleagues
It is an honour to welcome you to the official launch of the Rhino Renaissance Campaign.
Today, we mark a defining moment in South Africa’s G20 Presidency as we officially launch this legacy project: a focused, coordinated national response to one of the most urgent threats facing our biodiversity, and a firm commitment to our continued leadership in global environmental stewardship.
South Africa’s responsibility is clear: we are custodians of more than 80% of the continent’s white rhino population. This is a legacy we inherited through deliberate, dedicated conservation action over decades. But it is also a legacy at risk.
This campaign is one of South Africa’s G20 Legacy Projects. And as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, I am honoured to launch it here today—on behalf of the people of South Africa and in full recognition of those who have worked for years on the frontlines to protect our rhinos.
Kruger National Park is not simply a protected area. It is a living ecosystem, and a frontline in the global effort to conserve wildlife. It is here that our commitment to conservation and environmental stewardship is most visible.
The story of the white rhino is both a symbol of South Africa’s pride and its pain.
Once nearly extinct, the white rhino population stood at fewer than 100 individuals in the early 20th century. But South Africa acted. Through protected areas, community partnerships, and the hard work of rangers and conservationists, the species was brought back from the brink. By 2010, there were more than 20,000 white rhinos.
Kruger National Park became their stronghold, home to over 12,000 rhino—an unmatched feat in global conservation.
But since then, the tide has turned.
As of 2024, the population has dropped to 14,389 nationwide. In Kruger, just over 2,000 remain.
Yes, part of that story is environmental—droughts and climate impacts. And yes, part of it is the improvement in how we track and count populations.
But a large part of the story is about poaching and the trafficking of rhino horn — driven by organised crime, international trafficking, and profit.
Poaching is not only a conservation issue. It threatens our economy, our national security, and the rule of law. The illegal rhino horn trade is linked to money laundering, corruption, and other serious crimes.
We will not turn a blind eye.
The Rhino Renaissance Campaign, launched today, is a direct answer to this crisis.
Led by SANParks this campaign turns a narrative of loss into one of renewal.
Let me be clear: this is not a government initiative alone. It is a partnership.
It brings together SANParks’ conservation authority with the Tracker Academy, part of the Peace Parks Foundation, whose work in training local trackers in ancestral skills is redefining what it means to protect wildlife.
It brings in the Good Work Foundation, a non-profit transforming education for thousands of learners in the villages around Kruger through digital learning, conservation coding, and storytelling.
It includes rangers, researchers, reserve managers, donors, tourism operators, international NGOs, and—most importantly—the communities who live with wildlife every day.
What makes this campaign different is this: people are at the centre.
Starting this year, 90 Rhino Monitors will be trained and deployed annually across Kruger National Park.
These are young South Africans, many from communities that border the park. They bring with them not only local knowledge and ancestral tracking skills—but also a stake in the future.
They will monitor rhino herds daily. They will use drones, GPS collars, and digital reporting systems to provide real-time data to enforcement teams.
They are not just protecting rhino. They are protecting livelihoods, family legacies, and the possibility of green jobs for a generation to come.
This is what a Renaissance means: not just survival, but revival. Not just protection, but rebirth.
We know that for conservation to succeed, communities must not only be included. They must lead.
Through these partnerships we are creating career pathways into green jobs. This is how we build the next generation of rangers, scientists, and conservationists.
The Rhino Renaissance has a clear target: rebuild the Kruger’s white rhino population from just over 2,000 to 12,000 within the next decade.
This is not hope. It is a strategy grounded in:
- 24/7 rhino tracking
- Biological management such as targeted dehorning
- DNA tagging and genetic research
- Enforcement cooperation across provincial, national, and regional levels
- And, critically, resource mobilisation to sustain operations over the long term.
That is why this campaign has been adopted as a G20 Legacy Project. We are using our Presidency to rally global support, both diplomatic and financial, to scale this work.
This work does not stand alone.
We are fighting wildlife crime on every front.
Our National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking is anchored in the Medium-Term Development Plan, the country's roadmap for the next five years.
This strategy brings together key government departments — including my department, Police, Justice, Border Management, Intelligence, SANParks and the provincial conservation entities — in a united, multidisciplinary response. It also builds strong partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and communities on the ground.
Fighting wildlife crime is one of my Department’s six core priorities. At its heart is a commitment to a fair and sustainable future — one where our iconic wildlife supports livelihoods, uplifts communities, and strengthens our national identity.
The Rhino Renaissance Campaign is a vital part of this effort. It supports our vision of a Fair Industry for Lions, Leopards, Elephants, and Rhinos — a future where these species are not only protected but thrive alongside the people who live among them.
No country or sector can tackle this threat alone.
South Africa is building strong enforcement networks across borders and finalising agreements with rhino horn destination countries. We are engaging partners such as Interpol, CITES, the UNODC, and our SADC neighbours to strengthen intelligence-sharing and cross-border cooperation.
Our response goes beyond law enforcement. It includes financial intelligence, anti-corruption efforts, and international diplomacy — because wildlife crime is deeply embedded in global criminal networks.
The G20 gives us a powerful platform to lead, to innovate, and to rally meaningful support for this work. Through it, we can drive the collective action needed to turn the tide.
Today’s demonstration of rhino dehorning is a powerful reminder: these are the difficult decisions conservation sometimes requires.
Dehorning does not harm the animal. It saves its life. It buys us time—to restore numbers, upgrade security, and disrupt demand.
But ultimately, our goal is not to remove horns. It is to remove the reasons rhinos are being killed in the first place.
That requires global action.
It requires demand reduction. It requires disrupting crime syndicates and their financial networks. It requires investing in safe havens, education, and fair conservation economies.
We are already seeing green shoots:
- African Parks has relocated 2,000 rhinos to safe havens across the country.
- Munyawana Conservancy and others are growing populations through rewilding.
- Cross-border work is underway in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and across the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
- Safe havens have been identified in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana.
- Collaboration between government and private wildlife owners in our Integrated Wildlife Zones has been enhanced.
As of the end of June, 195 rhinos had been poached across South Africa this year — a reduction of 35 compared to the same period in 2024. While any loss is too many, this decrease signals that our intensified enforcement efforts are starting to have an effect.
June recorded the lowest monthly poaching figures so far this year, with 22 rhinos killed nationwide. Here in Kruger, which is still a primary target for poachers, we lost 11 rhinos in both May and June, down from 17 in January and 30 in February.
These numbers are a stark reminder that the threat remains real and unrelenting. But they also show that progress is possible. Our rangers, enforcement teams, and intelligence units continue to work tirelessly on the front lines to protect our wildlife and hold the line.
This is what solidarity looks like.
We urge all G20 members to invest, share expertise, and walk with us.
To the rangers who risk your lives to protect our wildlife. To the scientists, the trackers, the community elders. To SANParks, the Tracker Academy, and every partner in this campaign—thank you.
This is your work. This is your legacy.
As Minister, my job is to give this vision the political weight, financial backing, and international platform it deserves.
I will do so with pride. And with urgency.
Because the world is watching. And our children are counting on us.
The Rhino Renaissance Campaign is not the end. It is the beginning.
Let us rise to meet it—together.
Thank you.
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