OUR VISION
Our mission at the Zululand Conservation Trust is a commitment to the conservation of endangered species whilst maintaining and supporting partnerships with neighbouring communities. The Trust was established in 2011 to achieve a common dream between a group of devoted wildlife enthusiasts. Based in northern Zululand, we recognise the fundamental need to involve, empower, educate and support local communities, in order to achieve effective and lasting conservation.
We aim to target regional conservation and community projects, in order to facilitate a far-reaching impact throughout the greater Zululand region. We fund our wide variety of projects through generous donations from individuals, businesses and organisations, as well as our own fundraising events. All of our funding is focussed towards our two main types of projects:
Community upliftment, with a keen focus on the betterment and empowerment of previously disadvantaged black communities, in adherence with the B-BBEE initiative.
Conservation of endangered species, specifically wild dog, black rhino and white rhino. Our conservation projects include our newly-established Zululand Rhino Orphanage.
Donations are allocated according to sponsors’ wishes, and we can issue a Section 18A tax exemption certificate to donors. 10% of all donations to the Zululand Conservation Trust is assigned towards our admin fees, enabling us to function efficiently and run our projects effectively on the ground.
Manyoni Private Game Reserve
Over the years, we have partnered closely with the Manyoni Private Game Reserve, a 23,000 hectare private game reserve, which was established under the Protected Areas Act (Act No. 57 of 2003).
Many of the communities that the Zululand Conservation Trust work with boarder the Manyoni reserve boundary and a high proportion of our conservation funding goes towards the conservation of the wild dogs, pangolins, black rhino and white rhino populations on the reserve.
MEET THE TEAM
Simoné Marshall-Smith
Zululand Rhino Orphanage Manager
Simoné grew up exploring farms and visiting reserves around South Africa and so her love for nature and the outdoors started at a very young age. She completed her FGASA through Bhejane Nature Training and then went on to complete her BTech Nature Conservation through Nelson Mandela University which sparked a passion to preserve and protect the natural environment. She has worked in conservation and with wildlife vets in a number of different parts of the country but loves being back in Zululand where her journey started. Simoné loves the small creatures just as much as the big ones; she is a bird nerd and has recently developed a keen interest in amphibians and reptiles too.
Nokwanda Mabuyakhulu
Rehabilitated Animal Carer
Nokwanda has always had an incredible nurturing attitude and has a history of au pairing inside the game reserve, she later moved to housekeeping and thrived in the cleanliness and hard work that was required by guest’s standards. Nokwandas husband is a field ranger who monitors wild white rhinos and his skill and passion for them rubbed off on her. When we needed an extra pair of hands at our facility during our expansion she was the natural choice. With tiny Khula needing round the clock care, Nokwanda’s caring nature, motherly love and affectionate manner added to our team perfectly.
Sitembiso Makhanyela
Maintenance Guru
Sitembiso has a background in the building industry. His handy work and creative mind have paired perfectly with the needs of the ZCT. He is our ‘go to guy’ no task is too difficult, if its installing cupboards, building bomas or chairing community meetings, he is an all-star that we’re not sure how we did so long without! Sitembiso joined our team in early 2019 when a building contract finished up, we were impressed by his interest in the animal’s welfare and his extremely useful skills. Sitembiso works closely with the communities, making sure that he minutes all meetings and resolves any conflicts.
David Attenborough
Chairman and Trustee
David Attenborough’s passion for ‘things wild’ started at an early age where most afternoons were spent in Pigeon Valley ( a local city park inhabited by red and blue duiker and wonderful birds), and was further kindled with family trips to Kruger National Park, Etosha and the Zululand Game reserves as well as regular trips down the wild coast.
This love of nature and awareness of conservation received a massive nudge when David undertook a Wilderness Leadership Trail through Umfolozi, under the guidance of Jim Feely of the Wilderness Leadership School – the trail consisted of international participants (Americans, Israeli, German and another South African), David comments 'that experienced really opened my eyes to the Wilderness and the need to conserve it'.
It was always David’s dream to have a ‘place in the bush’ and when David became a shareholder in the Zululand Rhino Reserve, the dream became a reality.
This passion for wildlife combined with an impulsive drive to preserve and conserve has resulted in David getting involved in the Zululand Rhino Reserve Foundation with the aim of contributing to community and wildlife
Don Airton
Chairman and Trustee
Don’s interest in conservation spans a life time, his love for nature began in the woodlands and fields of England. His emigration to South Africa as a young man gave him the opportunity to expand his interests further, initially into Game Bird research. The purchase of a property on Manyoni Private Game Reserve in the Northern Zululand in 2005 led to close involvement with true conservation and conservationists for the first time and his subsequent position as Chairman for the past fifteen years coupled with the development of the Reserve and the Foundation has given him the opportunity to 'really make a difference'.
Todani Moyo
Trustee
Todani Moyo is the Chairman and CEO of Yokoyo Investments (Pty) Ltd. He is a professional accountant, with experience as an investment banker in the United States of America and was Chairman and CEO of Msinsi Holdings (Pty) Ltd in South Africa. He sits on a number of Boards in South Africa, bringing expertise in corporate governance and enterprise risk management.
King Nkosi Zulu
Patron
Mr.E.B Zulu is the traditional leader of the Mandlakazi area in the Zululand region and has 107 ndunas (traditional leaders) under his authority which oversee thousands of people in the surrounding communities on the borders of the Manyoni Private Game Reserve. King Nkosi Zulu joined as a patron to the Zululand Conservation Trust in 2017 as ZCT, over the years, have shown great support to the communities through educational programmes, employment opportunities, sporting functions and food relief. To be affiliated with the ZCT and Manyoni Private Game Reserve means that we can work together to protect nature and its people.
Adam Riley
Trustee
Adam Riley has had a lifelong interest in wildlife, which evolved into a particular fascination with the birds and mammals of the world. He studied accountancy and qualified as a CA but decided to pursue his passions and has since founded several ecotourism companies, including Rockjumper Birding Tours and ORYX Photographic Expeditions. Adam has been involved with the Manyoni Game Reserve since 2014 when he bought a share in Zebra Hills Safari Lodge.
Adam has travelled extensively and is one of Africa’s most experienced birders, having seen over 2,000 species on the continent and over 8,000 worldwide, many of which he has photographed. He is the author of “Birds of South Africa” (Helm Wildlife Guides).
He is particularly proud of the conservation initiatives he has been able to support through his work and businesses. Adam serves on BirdLife International’s Advisory Group and as a trustee on the Middelpunt Wetlands Trust, as well as having been recently appointed as a trustee to the Zululand Conservation Trust.
