JOHANNESBURG, 22 August 2025 — South Africa has entered a fifth consecutive year without legally established hunting quotas for elephant, leopard and black rhino. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has not published the required annual quotas under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) and South Africa’s CITES commitments. The Minister confirmed publicly on 30 July 2025 that no quotas were issued for 2024 or 2025.
Administrative failings and legal developments
The 22 November 2024 consultation (Government Gazette 51644) did not include basic details such as proposed quota figures or supporting science and allowed an unreasonably short comment window, prompting legal challenges.
Conservation funding at risk
Independent reporting estimates cumulative sector losses up to about US$126 million (circa €115 million) since quotas and export permits stalled, undermining funding for anti‑poaching, habitat management and community programmes across the wildlife economy.
A separate industry analysis estimates direct lost revenue between R1.75–R2.25 billion over five years, equivalent to roughly €90–€115 million. These figures do not include indirect losses across hospitality, logistics and guiding.
International reputation and rural stability
Without quotas, provincial authorities cannot issue CITES export permits. This regulatory vacuum damages South Africa’s reputation as a science‑based conservation leader and weakens the financial incentive to maintain land for wildlife, increasing pressure on biodiversity and heightening human‑wildlife conflict.
CIC perspective
The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) underscores that science‑based, regulated use is one of the tools that can finance conservation, help deliver the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and sustain Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
CIC will continue to work with African partners and the international community to restore regulatory clarity and ensure conservation frameworks remain grounded in evidence, legality and sustainability.
Media Contact
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: tristan.breijer@cic-wildlife.org
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: www.cic-wildlife.org
References
- Ministerial statement confirming no quotas for 2024/2025:
https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/minister-dion-george-wildlife-ranching-south-africa-202425-hunting-quotas-30 - Industry legal filing and press release describing administrative deficiencies in Gazette 51644 and the court application:
https://www.wrsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024.12.05-WRSA-Quota-Setting-Press-Release-1.pdf - Bloomberg coverage of halted safaris and sector‑wide losses (≈ US$126 million ≈ €115 million):
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-06/rhino-elephant-hunt-impasse-halts-350-000-south-africa-safaris - CIC 2030 Strategic Plan and related materials:
https://api.membership.cic-wildlife.org/storage/application/h1cyJ5iylUWCPrJaihdwKiFJlC88JV0qpvO8ehsl.pdf
https://cic-wildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CIC-Brochure-May-2025.pdf
