Staff

WWF South Africa is based in Newlands, Cape Town. We also have a small office in Johannesburg and a few staff members based in the field.

Our staff members are committed to WWF's cause and will often walk the extra mile (in a panda suit if needs be) for the organisation.

Conservation team
Communication & Marketing team
Fundraising team
Finance & Business Support team
/ ©: Cameron Watson
WWF staff cycles against the Penguins from SANCCOB.
© Cameron Watson

Executive Committee

/ ©: WWF SA
Dr Morne du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa
© WWF SA
Dr Morné Du Plessis, Chief Executive
Dr Morné du Plessis was appointed as CEO of WWF South Africa on 1 September 2007. Previously he was the Director of the Percy FitzPatrick Institute (PFIAO) at UCT. He has served as the Assistant Director of Biodiversity Research at the former Natal Parks Board and spent two years as a postdoctoral associate at the University of California at Berkeley.

He holds a BSc Agric (Stellenbosch), BSc Hons (Pretoria), PhD (Cape Town) and an MBA (Cape Town).

Contact us

  • WWF South Africa,
    Newlands

    1s Floor,
    Bridge House Boundary Terraces 1 Mariendahl Street Newlands Western Cape 7700
    South Africa (Republic of)
    +27 21 6576600
    +27 86 5359433

/ ©: WWF
Augustine Morkel
© WWF
Augustine Morkel, Executive Manager: Operations
Augustine Morkel joined WWF South Africa as the executive manager of operations in August 2011. He started his career in conservation at the Kruger National Park in 1997, before moving to SANParks in 1998 to its Working for Water Campaign and later working as an Assistant Section Ranger. In 2001 he joined SANBI as the Estate Manager of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, where he played a key role in integrating Kirstenbosch’s operations into the conservation sector.

He holds a B.Tech degree (Cape Technikon) in nature conservation and an MBA degree (Milpark Business School). Augustine is passionate about the ‘business of biodiversity conservation’ and is currently preparing for a PhD on conservation strategy. 
/ ©: Helen Gordon
Ian Goodwin, Finance Director at WWF South Africa
© Helen Gordon
Ian Goodwin, Chief Financial Officer
Ian Goodwin joined WWF South Africa as Finance Director in 2007. Previously he was the Manager responsible for Finance, Human Resources, IT and Administration across the Pragma Holdings Group. He held various positions in the financial world including Head of Finance at Woolworths Financial Services (Pty) Ltd, Financial Manager at Old Mutual Direct, AGM, Finance and Risk Manager Norwich Investments SA Ltd and Senior Taxation Officer at the Receiver of Revenue.

Ian holds a CA (SA), B Compt. Hons (Unisa) and a Higher Certificate in Financial Markets and Instruments.

/ ©: WWF
Yolande Jacobs
© WWF
Yolande Jacobs, Executive Manager: Human Resources
Yolande Jacobs joined WWF in January 2011 as the Executive Manager of Human Resources.

Yolande started her Human Resource career in Retail with Massmart Holdings where she performed a generalist HR role for six years. Thereafter she joined a Fruit exports company, Capespan as HR Practioner where she managed recruitment and selection for all the Capespan South African offices. She also took responsibility for Career Development and Performance Management within the organisation. After a period of five years with Capespan she was offered a position by Werksmans Attorneys as Human Resource Manager for their Western Cape offices. She remained with Werksmans in this role for a period of five years until she joined WWF.
/ ©: Yasser Booley
Saliem Fakir
© Yasser Booley
Saliem Fakir, Head of the Living Planet Unit
Saliem Fakir joined WWF in February 2009 as Head of the newly formed Living Planet Unit. Prior to this he was a senior lecturer at the Department of Public Administration and Planning at the University of Stellenbosch where he lectured on renewable energy policy and financing.

He held the position of Associate Director for the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (University of Stellenbosch) and also served as Director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN-SA) office for 8 years.

Saliem has a B.Sc. Honours in Molecular Biology from Wits and a Masters’ in Environmental Science from Wye College London. He also completed a senior executive management course at Harvard University in 2000.

/ ©: WWF
Dr Deon Nel
© WWF
Dr Deon Nel, Head of the Biodiversity Unit
Dr Deon Nel re-joined WWF in May 2011 to head up the organisation’s Biodiversity Unit.

Dr Nel previously headed WWF’s Marine Programme and later the Sanlam Living Waters Partnership for the six years that he was initially with WWF. He then left the organisation in 2009 to join the South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) where he managed the council’s Ecosystems and Water Competency Areas.

In his role, Dr Nel will provide strategic guidance to WWF’s five key biodiversity work areas, namely: freshwater, marine, sustainable agriculture, land and stewardship and the Table Mountain Fund (TMF).

Dr Nel holds an MSc (Conservation Biology), MA (Environmental Law), and a PhD. He is also in the final stages of completing an MBA.
/ ©: WWF
Dr Andrew Baxter, Head of Business Development
© WWF
Dr Andrew Baxter, Head of Business Development
Dr Andrew Baxter joined WWF in October 2011 to head up business development and fundraising. Andrew has spent the past 16 years in the manufacturing and retail sector, first as founder and MD of Capestorm Outdoor Apparel (PTY) LTD and later as an executive at Cape Union Mart International.

In his new role Andrew will work alongside a dedicated fundraising team to provide both strategic and entrepreneurial direction in support of sustainable business development and innovative fundraising strategies for WWF South Africa.

Andrew holds a BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and a PhD in Palaeoecology, both from UCT. He is a founding trustee and former Chairman of The Cape Leopard Trust. 

Building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

Photos and graphics © WWF or used with permission. Text available under a Creative Commons licence.