Private nature reserves are generating more jobs and more money than any other rural land use in the Eastern Cape, according to a milestone new survey.

The study shows that eco-tourism fares better than traditional stock and crop farming, as well as hunting-based game farming.

Cautiously welcomed by Cosatu and received with some criticism by Agri Eastern Cape, the findings have been hailed by the conservation sector as clear proof that private nature reserves are great news for social upliftment as well as wildlife conservation.

Released yesterday by Indalo, a forum of private nature reserves in the Eastern Cape, the study was commissioned by the Wilderness Foundation and undertaken by the Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit (Teru) at the University of Port Elizabeth.

The main finding was that private reserves are employing “three and a half times more people than the livestock and grain land use practices they replaced, while average wages increased by 5,7 times”.

“Eco-tourism on the reserves generated 10 times more income per hectare than mohair and dairy farming, and 15 times more per hectare than livestock and game farming and overseas hunting, while boer goat farming produced 30 times less per hectare than eco-tourism.”

The study said no farm workers had been laid off as a consequence of the transition from farming to game-based eco-tourism.

“Staff received additional employment benefits not typically available to farm labourers, including extensive skills training.”

Private game reserves in the province generated a gross income of about R1 985 per hectare last year, a total of around R87 million for the 2002/03 financial year.

According to the study, the next-best return for rural land use was dairy farming at R177 per hectare, followed by mohair (R155/ha).

According to research undertaken by Namibia’s environment and tourism ministry, ecotourists spend on average a further 60 to 70 per cent of what they pay to stay in a private reserve on other activities in the area, the study noted.
“A 70 per cent multiplier effect applied to gross incomes of R87,2 million generated by 12 existing private game reserves in 2002/03 would imply that visitors made direct and indirect expenditures amounting to R148,2 million.”

“These returns are, however, only generated by tourism-based game farming. Pure game farming produces a return of R103/ha and overseas hunters R93/ha.”

Agri Eastern Cape president Kerneels Pietersen said mohair had been hit in 2002/03 by the fall-off in the European fashion markets and then dealt another blow by the strengthening rand in 2003/04.

“But it would be interesting to hear what the latest eco-tourism figures are because they have also been hit by the stronger rand. Like agriculture eco-tourism is also cyclical.”

He said that traditional farming was only second to mining nationally as the biggest employer and South Africa was one of only seven countries that still exported agricultural products, earning substantial foreign revenue.

“We think we must strike a balance between farming and eco-tourism. Farming is responsible for supplying food and fibre for this country.

Otherwise we will have to import. Government has a declared policy for food security which recognises this.”

Cosatu national acting spokesman Patrick Craven said the union needed to study the report but welcomed any initiative which created jobs as this was the union’s top priority.