The birth of 12 rhino calves from rhino orphans is a testament to CfW's positive impact on the preservation of rhino. CfW also actively engages with neighbouring communities through initiatives such as farming projects, the installation of solar power and rain tanks, and youth development training. The community recognises the value of rhino conservation and the benefit to both rhino and the community living in the area. A key aspect of our partnership is the significant contribution of the YES interns.
The impact of Investec Rhino Lifeline since 2012
24 calves have been born; 125 rhinos have been rescued, and 51 rhinos have been released
Every rhino counts. When rhino mothers are poached, young calves are left orphaned, injured, and at risk from predator attack. We support rhino rescue by partnering with experts who can rehabilitate and eventually release them into well-protected areas of the wild. "You do not give up on them, ever." Petronel Niewoudt, Care for Wild.
53,600 children benefit from conservation and education enrichment programmes
Through partnerships to bolster rural education with Coaching Conservation, GWF and the SA Wildlife College.
“Investec has walked a long journey with GWF and we are so proud of what we've achieved together, to make the most amazing impact in young people's lives.” Kate Groch, Good Work Foundation
trained 1333 rangers through EWT
“The value of vultures as scavengers is essential to a healthy ecosystem. If we lose vultures we lose a vital, natural sanitary service that could lead to increased spread of diseases affecting both animals and people.” Andre Botha, EWT.
830 internships through YES and our conservation partners
Since the inception of the Youth Employment Service in 2018, Investec has supported internships with our conservation partners, Sabi Sands Pfunanani Trust, Care for Wild and GWF.
Episode 2: Conservation, communities and the rhino crisis
Listen now
The crux of the matter is that when your physiological needs are not being met, there is no incentive to conserve anything, let alone a rhino. Care for Wild, the largest rhino sanctuary in the world understands this and has from its start over 11 years ago put communities at the centre of its conservation model. We hear from the founders and some of their employees. Read more.
More than just rhino
Investec has been a strong supporter of rhino conservation through our partnership with Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary (CfW).
Episode 4: Reimaging education in rural SA
Listen now
For decades, rural children in South Africa have suffered a debilitating condition: an estrangement from learning that causes a lifetime of struggle. One NPO, Good Work Foundation, is providing an antidote. Hear from GWF's founder, teachers and those who have gone through GWF programmes and are now gainfully employed. Read more.
Vultures are vital to our ecosystems
...and we must protect the alarming population decline
Investec Rhino Lifeline recognises the critical role that vultures and other birds of prey play in our ecosystems. That's why we're proud to partner with the Hawk Conservancy Trust (HCT) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to help preserve these critically endangered and highly threatened species.
EWT and Hawk Conservancy Trust parter with a range of NPOs through Vultures for Africa. In the past year, they have trained 984 rangers in 51 poisoning response workshops in seven countries in southern and east Africa. At the same time, they tagged over 80 vultures for monitoring and more rapid detection of wildlife poisoning incidents.
Over 60% of vulture deaths are due to poisoning although they are vulnerable to many other factors. Vultures not only prevent the spread of disease, they also, according to an article, prevent huge amounts of carbon emissions.
In the UK, through our partnership with Hawk Conservancy, we also support the rehabilitation of birds of prey and their release back into the wild, as well as a conservation education project to protect these apex predators. Last year they rehabilitated and released 34 birds of prey back into their natural habitat.
Fighting for the future of the African Wild Dog
...and seeing EWT help the growth of the population in Kruger by 122% in ten years
Investec has supported wild dog through EWT's Carnivore Conservation programme since 2012.
In that time, the work of the EWT team in preserving, protecting, rescuing and community interventions has seen wild dogs in Kruger National Park grow from 180 dogs to over 400 dogs in 40 packs - a remarkable impact! This accounts for almost all the growth in the SA wild dog population in these ten years.
One of the most endangered species, wild dog are vulnerable to human-wildlife conflict and tend to get caught in snares set to protect livestock, are shot by farmers who don't want them preying on their livestock, or poisoned by scavenging on carcasses designed to distract law enforcement and other predators from poaching sites.
Protecting the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal
In 2020, Investec Rhino Lifeline contributed funding to support the opening of Africa’s first dedicated pangolin veterinary ward at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH) — a specialised facility designed to improve the care and recovery of pangolins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
Between 2017 and 2021, JWVH treated over 155 Temminck’s pangolins, including 17 in 2021 alone. These shy, nocturnal animals often arrive severely dehydrated, injured, and traumatised. Thanks to this dedicated facility and expert care, survival and release rates improved from 50% to 80%.
Each pangolin undergoes a long and delicate rehabilitation process before being released back into the wild, fitted with tracking devices to monitor their progress. Remarkably, two rehabilitated pangolins were recently confirmed to have reproduced in the wild — a powerful sign of hope for the species.
Pangolins remain the world’s most trafficked non-human mammal. In 2019 alone, an estimated 97 tonnes of scales, equivalent to more than 160,000 pangolins, were trafficked from Africa.
Investec’s past support for this work reflects our broader commitment to fighting illegal wildlife trade and protecting endangered species. By backing initiatives like this, we continue to contribute to a more sustainable future for some of the world’s most vulnerable wildlife.
“Each animal is important. Each one we save is a victory.”– Dr Karin Lourens, JWVH Co-founder
Learn more about our work with rhino
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