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Addressing humanity’s complex environmental, social and economic challenges will require unparalleled collaboration between all sectors of society. During the strategy period, we capitalised on strategic opportunities to partner with government, the private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs) and communities – either singly or as part of a collective – to collaboratively design and implement solutions relating to our six strategic outcomes.

Partnering with various levels of government on climate action

WWF's One Planet City Challenge enabled us to partner with five metros (Cape Town, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane) and 10 local municipalities to align their climate plans with South Africa’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. In the transport space, we supported the Department of Transport in developing a national roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel, which will guide South Africa in shifting towards more sustainable transport. 

Driving the sustainability agenda in national water policies 

Historical and ongoing engagements with the national departments responsible for agriculture and water have enabled us to introduce and strengthen sustainability concepts such as water-smart agriculture, water stewardship and collective governance through community-public-private partnerships (CPPPs) into the national policy framework. Of particular relevance during the strategy period was the successful inclusion of our inputs in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s 2022 position paper on mechanisms to secure strategic water source areas.

Engaging the private sector on water risk 

WWF’s Water Risk Filter – a global tool that has been localised with granular South African spatial data to enable more accurate site-specific decisions – enables companies and investors to assess water-related risks in their supply chains and investments. Over the past five years, WWF supported 11 South African corporates in using the tool to assess their exposure to water risks, undertaking additional operational water risk assessments at priority sites. A high point was when the Development Bank of Southern Africa used the Water Risk Filter to screen its loan portfolio in 2023, in the process developing a baseline that aligns with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) reporting. 

Turning wine farmers into water stewards 

More than 10 farms joined WWF’s Conservation Champions initiative over the strategy period, bringing the total to more than 60 Conservation Champions with a collective extent of nearly 50 000 hectares (ha) of land, of which more than half has been formally set aside for conservation in the Cape Floral Kingdom and Succulent Karoo. With our guidance, these farms have all undertaken water stewardship responsibilities by financing activities such as conserving wetland habitats and clearing invasive alien plants.

Amplifying the climate message in partnership with other CSOs 

The 2021–2025 Climate Ambition to Accountability Project (CAAP) – a joint project between WWF, the South African Climate Action Network and the Institute for Economic Justice – raised awareness of climate issues with young leaders, labour federations and more than 50 CSOs. CAAP also led the development of the Climate Finance Toolkit, which advances economic justice narratives in climate financing. 

Partnering with communities to expand South Africa’s rhino population 

The 21 000-ha, five-star Babanango Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal is a sterling example of what can be achieved through a multistakeholder partnership approach to conservation. As much as 74% of the reserve consists of communal land that is owned by three communities that have, with our support, partnered with private landowners and local government to establish the game reserve. Thanks to the introduction of rhino to the reserve through our Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP), the game reserve has become a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, creating more than 210 permanent jobs in the process.

The successes above can be attributed to the integrity, respect and inclusivity of our people, who make such partnerships possible by bringing a sense of optimism, courage and collaboration to their work. As we embark on Strategy 2030, we will continue to foster collaboration across all sectors of society.