SA’s Rhino Guardians Taking on the ‘Rhino World Cup’

Photo Credit: Pexels by J Costa

A new generation of rhino guardians is stepping up to protect our giants, and they’ve locked eyes on the ‘Rhino World Cup’.

Kruger National Park, South Africa (14 August 2025) – The white rhino has been one of South Africa’s most iconic animals. Sadly, they are at risk. Thankfully, the right people are rallying to change that.

In the Kruger National Park, white rhino numbers have dropped significantly. A little over a decade ago, there were 12,000 in the park. Now, just over 2,000 remain; a worrying figure for the species.

That’s why SANParks, the private sector, non-profits and local communities are all joining forces for the Rhino Renaissance Campaign, a push to turn things around.

“This is about changing a narrative of loss into one of renewal,” said Dr Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, at the launch in Skukuza.

The plan is to rebuild rhino populations, strengthen their protection, create jobs, and reassert SA’s leadership in rhino conservation.

Dave Varty, Rhino Renaissance director and Londolozi co-founder, says progress is already being made in safe havens where rhino numbers are growing. But Kruger’s herds need focused protection.

“It’s changing the rhino conservation narrative from death and despair to one of a rhino renaissance,” he said. “It marks a new chapter in South Africa’s conservation story – one that understands we belong together, and that we as South Africans will bring South African solutions to South African problems.”

The campaign will see 90 specially trained rhino monitors from the Tracker Academy deployed in the park each year.

These ‘rhino guardians’ will work alongside SANParks security, staying close to herds in virtual bomas and using drones, GPS collars and digital reporting systems to track movements in real time and keep them safe.

The project will help people, too. Local communities surrounding Kruger will play an important role.

Many of the monitors will be drawn from nearby villages, creating jobs in the wildlife economy.

“Through the Rhino Renaissance project, thousands of young people who are invested in the area will be capacitated,” said Varty. “This will conscientise them to the benefits of conserving wildlife – and the vital importance of looking after the rhinos.”

The Good Work Foundation will help make that happen, using its digital campuses to bring conservation to life for the next generation. Their Open Learning Academy reaches 12,000 learners weekly with coding, robotics and gamified conservation lessons.

Coaching Conservation uses sport and storytelling to teach ecosystem dynamics, while Kids in Parks takes learners into Kruger to experience conservation in action. The Conservation Academy provides vocational training for young adults in guiding, technology and digital storytelling.

Together, they have a chance to make a real difference.

Varty believes these efforts will produce future leaders of SANParks and Kruger itself. And he’s thinking big.

“When South Africans come together, we win World Cups. We’ve won the rugby, we’ve won the cricket – now we’re going to win the ‘Rhino World Cup’! We are confident that by 2040, rhino populations in Kruger will have returned to their former numbers, and South Africans will once again be recognised as the keepers of this iconic species.”