02/06/2026
MEDIA STATEMENT
MINISTER WILLIE AUCAMP PUBLISHES THE NATIONAL ELEPHANT HERITAGE STRATEGY
02 JUNE 2026
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr Willie Aucamp, is pleased to announce the publication of the National Elephant Heritage Strategy in the Government Gazette for implementation.
The Strategy provides a coherent and evidence-based approach to the conservation and management of the African Elephant, or Loxodonta Africana, within South Africa, aligned with national biodiversity targets and policy mandates. The African Elephant is currently listed nationally, as Least Concern, meaning that in South Africa, they have a widespread, stable population and are at a low risk of extinction.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and South African National Parks (SANParks), initiated the development of a National Elephant Heritage Strategy to provide a coherent and evidence-based approach to conservation and management of elephants aligned with national biodiversity targets and policy mandates.
Aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the development of the Strategy adopted a whole-of-society approach including inputs from key stakeholders across the country. Part of this process was the hosting of a National Elephant Indaba, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the complexities around human-elephant conflict and a shape a unified national response rooted in science.
The Strategy is intended to guide development, revision and implementation of mechanisms and tools, such as the Elephant Norms and Standards, the National Elephant Research Strategy, the Non-Detrimental Finding for Elephants, the Elephant Red-list Assessment, reserve-level Elephant Management Plans, and the National Elephant Meta-Population Plan. Through an integrated socio-ecological framework, the strategy aims to enhance adaptive management, improve stakeholder engagement, and optimize sustainable benefit-sharing mechanisms derived from elephants and their habitats.
The Strategy serves as South Africa’s National Elephant Action Plan in terms of implementing the African Elephant Action Plan (AEAP). It aligns with the country's international obligations and provides a framework for engagement with elephant range states, demonstrating how South Africa is contributing to and achieving the objectives of the AEAP.
Electronic copies of the Government Notice for the National Elephant Heritage Strategy can be downloaded from the following link: https://www.dffe.gov.za/legislation/gazetted_notices or www.gpwonline.gov.za
Gazette Link:https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/legislations/nemba_nationalelephantheritagestrategy2026.2036_g7545gon54764.pdf
