Southern African Wildlife Management Association - SAWMA

20/10/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Dr Mike Peel – SAWMA Wildlife Excellence Award 2026!

SAWMA is proud to recognise Dr Michael Peel as the recipient of the 2026 Wildlife Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to wildlife research, ecological monitoring and sustainable wildlife management in southern Africa.

As a Specialist Scientist at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Dr Peel has dedicated much of his career to understanding savanna ecosystems and improving the management of wildlife and rangelands.

In 1989, he initiated the Savanna Ecosystem Dynamics research programme, establishing one of southern Africa’s longest-running formal ecological monitoring programmes. His work includes long-term monitoring across more than 600 plots, providing invaluable insights into savanna resilience, rangeland condition and the effects of land use, drought and other environmental pressures.

Beyond his research contributions, Dr Peel has played an important role in bridging the gap between science and practical wildlife management, supporting evidence-based decision-making and the sustainable use of wildlife on private land.

His dedication exemplifies the importance of long-term research, collaboration and applied science in securing the future of southern Africa’s wildlife and natural resources.

👏 Congratulations, Dr Peel, on this well-deserved recognition! Thank you for your significant contribution to wildlife management and conservation in southern Africa.

🔗 Read more about Dr Peel and previous SAWMA Wildlife Excellence Award recipients:

https://sawma.co.za/award-winners-current-and-historical/

15/10/2026

We are proud to celebrate Nkabeng Mzileni, SAWMA Council Member and author of Where the Wild Heart Roams: Family, Passion, and the Courage to Choose.

Set against the landscapes of southern Africa, this memoir shares her journey pursuing a career in wildlife conservation and science. Through stories of fieldwork, academic achievement, leadership, love and motherhood, Nkabeng reflects on the courage and resilience required to follow one’s passion while navigating the complexities of life.

Her story is a powerful reminder that conservation is about more than wildlife — it is also about the people, experiences and determination that shape the future of the field.

Congratulations, Nkabeng, on this wonderful achievement! We celebrate your contribution to the conservation community and your inspiring journey.

📖 Discover Where the Wild Heart Roams: Family, Passion, and the Courage to Choose:
https://rockhopperbooks.co.za/products/where-the-wild-heart-roams-family-passion-and-the-courage-to-choose

What does it take to choose a life in the wilderness when the path before you has rarely been walked by someone who looks like you?This is the story of an interwoven journey shaped by courage, resilience and purpose. Set against the breathtaking landscapes of southern Africa, it follows a young Blac...

23/09/2026

🦏 SAWMA Research Spotlight | Theme 3: Rhino Research 🦏

In celebration of World Rhino Day, our SAWMA Research Spotlight turns its attention to one of Africa’s most iconic and threatened groups of mammals. 🌍

This collection brings together research by SAWMA members exploring a range of topics related to rhino conservation and management.

From ecology and population management to conservation challenges and human interactions, these publications highlight the important research contributing to our understanding and management of rhinos across southern Africa.

📚 Explore the research by downloading the publication collection from the LinkedIn post: https://lnkd.in/p/dusEHDHw

Happy reading!

SAWMA Research Spotlight | Theme 3 🦏 🦏 🦏 In light of World Rhino Day, our SAWMA Research Spotlight continues with a collection of publications by SAWMA members focusing on various topics related to one of the world's most recognisable large mammals. Explore the publications featured in this...

11/09/2026

🏆 Celebrating the 2026 SAWMA Fairall Award Winner!

The Fairall Award recognises outstanding research by an emerging wildlife scientist and is awarded annually by SAWMA for the best paper by a student author published in the African Journal of Wildlife Research.

The award honours the legacy of Dr Neil Fairall, a founding member and former president of SAWMA who made an enduring contribution to wildlife research, conservation and the development of future wildlife professionals. Through the Fairall Award, SAWMA continues to recognise and encourage the next generation of researchers making meaningful contributions to wildlife management.

🎉 Congratulations to Rigardt Hoffman who has been selected as the 2026 Fairall Award-winner for his PhD research at the UNIVERSITY OF MPUMALANGA
"The Status of Giraffe in South Africa: The Importance of Private Land for Conservation”
https://doi.org/10.3957/056.055.0285

The study provides an important assessment of the status and distribution of giraffe across South Africa, while highlighting the crucial role that private land plays in giraffe conservation.

The research draws together extensive data from across the country to provide valuable insights into South Africa’s giraffe population and the landscapes on which the species depends. Importantly, it demonstrates how conservation on private land can make a substantial contribution to national wildlife conservation efforts.

🦒 This research is a valuable contribution to understanding and conserving one of Africa’s most iconic species — and a fitting example of the impactful research the Fairall Award seeks to recognise.

👏 Congratulations to Rigardt Hoffman and the research team on this well-deserved achievement!

11/09/2026

SAWMA 2026 by the numbers! 🌍🦓

What an incredible reflection of the diversity, reach and growing community that came together at this year’s SAWMA Conference. From students and researchers to conservation practitioners and organisations from across the globe, these numbers tell the story of a truly connected wildlife management community.

Here’s a look at SAWMA 2026 in numbers:

Total delegates: 153

Total students: 41

Local Universities represented: 12

Local Training Institutions: 2

African universities: 1

Foreign universities: 5

Reserves and conservation bodies: 25

Nationalities represented:

Australia 🇦🇺
Botswana 🇧🇼
Canada 🇨🇦
France 🇫🇷
Germany 🇩🇪
Ireland 🇮🇪
Lesotho 🇱🇸
Mauritius 🇲🇺
Namibia 🇳🇦
South Africa 🇿🇦
UK 🇬🇧
USA 🇺🇸
Zambia 🇿🇲
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼

Local Universities represented:

Tshwane University of Technology
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
University of the Free State
University of Venda
University of Mpumalanga
University of Johannesburg
University of Pretoria
University of the Witwatersrand
Rhodes University
Stellenbosch University
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Nelson Mandela University

Local Training Institutions:

Southern African Wildlife College
NewBridge Graduate Institute

African Universities:

University Of Botswana (ORI)

Foreign Universities:

University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Alberta
University of Bristol
The University of Queensland
Queen's University Belfast

Thank you to everyone who made SAWMA 2026 such a memorable conference. Here’s to an even bigger and stronger wildlife management community! 🦓🌍

10/09/2026

🏆 Celebrating our SAWMA Conference Student Prize Winners!

A huge congratulations to all the outstanding students recognised for their exceptional presentations at the 2026 SAWMA Conference! 🎓🎉 Their research highlighted the diversity of wildlife management challenges and innovative approaches being explored across South Africa and beyond.

Congratulations to our winners:

PhD – Full Presentation | 1st Place
🥇 Rani Davis The University of Queensland
“Integrating ecological knowledge and practical management strategies to support insectivorous bats in Australian macadamia orchards”

PhD – Speed Presentation | 1st Place
🥇 Rebecca O’Sullivan Queen's University Belfast
“Seasonal space use of female Cape buffalo in the Great Fish River Nature Reserve”

PhD – Speed Presentation | 2nd Place
🥈 Jeanette Fouché Tshwane University of Technology TUT
“Cheetah densities in Kruger National Park: group size matters”

MSc – Full Presentation | 1st Place
🥇 Khoza University of Witwatersrand
“Niche overlap or competitive exclusion? Investigating bushbuck and nyala co-occurrence at Pullen Nature Reserve”

MSc – Full Presentation | 2nd Place
🥈 Fourie Nelson Mandela University Entrepreneurs
“Stable gut microbiome diversity across contrasting land uses in a generalist mesopredator, the Black-backed Jackal (Lupulella mesomelas)”

MSc – Speed Presentation | 1st Place
🥇 Venter University of Pretoria
“Scats vs. sightings: Contrasting methods of diet assessment of the Waterberg wild dogs”

MSc – Speed Presentation | 2nd Place
🥈 Short University of Alberta
“The potential of using road culverts to facilitate safe wildlife crossings along a provincial road in South Africa”

Honours | 1st Place
🥇 Nirvan Goreeba Rhodes University
“Bridging the gap: wildlife movement through a newly opened corridor traversing a major national highway in the Eastern Cape, South Africa”

🌿 Well done to all our winners! Your dedication, passion and contribution to wildlife research are helping shape the future of wildlife management and conservation.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the next generation of wildlife scientists at SAWMA 2026!

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

And just like that, SAWMA Conference 2026 comes to an end! 🦓🌿

What an incredible few days of connecting, sharing knowledge, challenging ideas and celebrating the goals of wildlife management and conservation beyond just looking at numbers.

A huge thank you to Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge for their breathtaking conference venue, our various sponsors for supporting the conference and helping make it possible, to Tshwane University of Technology TUT for being such a wonderful organising host, and to all our presenters and delegates who brought their expertise, enthusiasm and passion to the programme.

And, of course, we can’t forget our conference mascot!🦓 From the conference hall to the field and everywhere in between, our mascot somehow managed to follow us wherever we went. Attending every session and social event, it certainly deserves an honorary SAWMA membership! 😉

Thank you to everyone who made SAWMA 2026 so memorable. Until next time — keep the conversations going, keep sharing knowledge, and keep working together for the future of wildlife management in southern Africa 🌍🦓