Mpumalanga province is rich in biodiversity, mineral deposits and cultural heritage. Beyond the country’s largest protected area, the Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga has many protected areas. These include nature reserves such as Blyde River Canyon in the north and Barberton in the south, plus KwaMandlangampisi as the first “protected environment” declared in 2010.  
 
The stewardship forum supports the 20-year Mpumalanga Protected Areas Expansion Strategy: 2009-2028. The strategy focuses on the conservation of the important but under-protected grassland biome. Grasslands are vital for water security and are home to unique biodiversity. Yet only 50% of the grasslands in Mpumalanga are still in a natural state. Hence, it is vital to prioritise the protection of remaining intact areas – for the benefit of people and nature.  
 
The provincial conservation authority, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) works with partners – like WWF – to fund and implement the strategy to achieve conservation targets. 
 
South Africa’s current protected area network covers less than 10% of the country. While the Kruger National Park is about 2 million hectares, most of Mpumalanga’s protected areas are small. They are also scattered and disconnected from one another.  
 
“With unsustainable development advancing in Mpumalanga, coordinated action around biodiversity stewardship and protection of key ecosystems is critical. Landscape connectivity can create biodiversity corridors that benefit nature and people,” says Angus Burns, WWF’s lead for Area Based Conservation.
 
Since its inception a decade ago, the multistakeholder stewardship forum had been dormant. WWF and MTPA convened a revived gathering in May 2023, with 29 attendees. The theme was “Reflecting on a decade of biodiversity stewardship in the province”. The 2024 forum, with 42 attendees, was focused on the future around "Mega Living Landscapes”. 
 
Thembanani Nsibande, one of WWF’s Landscape Managers reflects, “It feels like yesterday when I was promoted to oversee WWF’s protected area expansion work in the grasslands. A key task was to revitalise the Mpumalanga Stewardship Forum. This opportunity enabled me to connect with many people in a short time. I’m proud of how this forum has united us.” 
 
Forum attendees included MTPA, landowners and NGOs including BirdLife South Africa, Care for Wild, Conservation Outcomes, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, We Wild Africa and WWF. For the first time, in 2024, national stakeholders attended the Mpumalanga Stewardship Forum: the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and SANParks.  
 
Said Brian Morris, Stewardship Manager of MTPA: “This latest forum provided momentum towards our targets to ensure we protect the biodiversity assets of this beautiful province. As we review our strategy in 2025, we must be ambitious and create innovative funding models to expand our conservation footprint faster.”
 
SANParks has a specific focus on the Barberton Makhonjwa area. It is designated as one of three pilot sites to initiate the Mega Living Landscapes concept. As a way of “re-imagining national parks”, this inclusive landscape approach aims to demonstrate how a mix of compatible land uses, such as sustainable agriculture and wildlife ranching, alongside conservation-focused protected areas, can accelerate our biodiversity investment towards slowing down nature loss. 
 
First put on the map for the discovery of gold in 1883, Barberton boasts among the highest levels of endemism in South Africa. This means it has a very large number of plants and unique biodiversity found nowhere else in the world. Thus making it a worthy site to fast-track as a Mega Living Landscape. 
 
Biodiversity loss needs urgent attention. In the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – a 2022 agreement signed by South Africa – Target 3 aims to secure 30% of land and seas by 2030.  
 
According to the GBF ambitions, Mpumalanga must protect 2 294 838 ha by 2030. Yet the current protected area estate is 1 615 739 ha, including Kruger declared close to a century ago. Since 2009, only 155 579 ha of protected areas have been secured. This amounts to about 9 000 ha per year. At this rate, it would take 68 years to reach the GBF target. 
 
Said Morris, “We need to accelerate our stewardship actions to prevent nature loss and avoid the fast-imploding biodiversity crisis. We need ten times the scale of our current levels.”
 
WWF has funded and implemented stewardship work in Mpumalanga since 2009. This includes landowner engagements towards protected area declarations, development of protected area management plans, baseline data gathering and monitoring, and implementation of community natural resources management projects including capacity building and skills development. 
 
A few of WWF’s 2023-2024 shared landscape wins in Mpumalanga: 

• Biodiversity site assessments on communal properties in the Donkerhoek area and three commercial farmers’ properties in Wakkerstroom.
• Review of a management plan for the expanded KwaMandlangampisi Protected Environment, now securing approximately 30 061 ha, south of Pilgrim’s Rest and Graskop.
• Declaration notice for protected environment status for two communal properties, Bambanani and Ukuthanda ukukhanya, totalling 1 680 ha near Amarsfoort and Volkrust.
• Notice of intention to declare the 1 185-ha Santa Nature Reserve near Dullstroom.