Innovate a Bright Future
Our Journey
The Ukuma Wildlife Initiative originated in 2017 with the idea to induce new entrants to the industry using cooperative business models and tapping into alternative markets to unlock new revenue streams.
Looking Forward
The true potential of wildlife business and its full impact on rural economies are relatively unexplored and authentic and reliable scientific evidence is fundamental to making informed long term decisions.
Our vision is that wildlife business will rise by 2025 by building a strong core of youthful mid-sized players relying upon the collective intelligence of its business community and cooperation on a meaningful scale.
Our mission is to enable wildlife business to acquire, clarify and apply trade and industry knowledge, improve business skills and develop access to alternative markets. To this end, we are keen to work with all players.
Strategic Thinking & Innovation
As guidelines, we make use of tested and proven strategic planning methodologies and digital experience platforms. Our purpose is to facilitate the engagement process and maximise your contribution.
The scope of our works will cover the economics of conservation, consumptive use, ecotourism, game meat, hunting, intensive breeding and impact on governance and trade and industry.
We invite players interested or involved in the wildlife business to join our initiative. Whether you are a rancher, operator, scientist, academic, visitors, consumer or other, you are most welcome.
Wildlife businesses are dealing with many uncertainties, shortage to capital and doing business under harsh circumstances. Exchange of know-how and economic initiatives are mission-critical.
The worst-case scenario is total collapse due to not having clarity and failing to cooperate. On the other hand, this can potentially turn around through collective insights and sincere collaboration.
The process involves SWOT analyses on various scope based upon the participant inputs. Our main objective is to create a data repository and apply artificial intelligence to predict future trends.
Our objective is to develop viable options using verified insights that are derived from collective inputs. To achieve this, we conduct industry and market research and intend to exchange know-how.
We strongly believe that sincere cooperation is the key to rekindle strategic thinking and fostering a culture of innovation. All-in-all, the future is in your hands. Make the best of it! Bank on it!
African Wildlife Economy Institute
Governance - Economics - Conservation - Development
The African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) aims to become the leading academic institute for research, outreach, and engagement on wildlife economies in Africa.
AWEI's academic mandate is to work across the faculties of Stellenbosch University including AgriSciences, Economic and Management Science, Law, and Science.
AWEI envisions a world in which wildlife management, production, utilisation, and trade supports inclusive, sustainable development in Africa.
If Africa’s wildlife is to be conserved, it must be recognised and governed as the unique and valuable asset that it is, and it must be managed for the benefit of Africa’s people.
The AWEI mission is to strengthen the governance of wildlife economies in Africa in support of biodiversity conservation and inclusive, sustainable development.
Sustainable and inclusive wildlife economies are critical to align wildlife conservation with economic development in Africa.
The AWEI’s programme has three strategic goals:
Deepen knowledge of African wildlife economies.
Disseminate knowledge of wildlife economies across Africa.
Utilise knowledge to strengthen wildlife economy governance.
The research framework addresses three core themes:
The ethical context of the wildlife economy.
The governance of the wildlife economy.
The functioning of the wildlife economy.
Founder Hennie de Villiers
Advanced Executive Programme (UNISA SBL)
+27( 0)82 552 0051 Hennie@ukuma.co.za LinkedIn Profile
Hennie is an Advisor to the African Wildlife Economy Institute at SBU. During 2017, Hennie conducted a comprehensive survey on the Wildlife Ranching industry to gain deeper insights into how both industry players and potential new entrants viewed the industry and its potential. The motivation for this study was that the industry started to show fatigue towards the end of 2016 with growing concern about sustainability. Though economic decline, drought and land uncertainty certainly took its toll, there are underlying trade and industry factors hampering progress that require further investigation.
Of great importance is the potential 10-fold knock-on effect on rural economic development. He intend to further his studies in association with academic institutions that are specialising in various related disciplines.
Hennie is a strategic thinker, precision processor, purpose-driven generalist and, amongst other things, interested in digital transformation, game planning, market and industry research, alternative business models and the economics of wildlife. Not to forget, exploring the roads less travelled and sailing unchartered waters, often enduring harsh conditions. He believes in using scientific evidence to extrapolate trends as the foundation for strategic decision making and navigating direction.
His approach to formulating strategy relies upon progressive methodologies and guided by his dissertation for completing the Advanced Executive Programme at UNISA SBL (1996), titled "From Concept to Reality". A holistic approach to the refinement and implementation of strategies taking into consideration the importance of synchronising organisational subsystems and human behaviour.
His interest in Information Communications Technology resulted in him being an early adopter and owned his 1st email address, cellphone and Gmail account long before these services became commercially available. At the dawn of mobile telecommunications in South Africa, Hennie lead the consortium that provided Vodacom's Value Added Services incorporating the voice mail and SMS platforms and contact centre. In 2011 he became a Google Apps reseller, following a failed venture capital pitch for a digital experience collaboration platform whereby the VC considered Google to be too much of an entry barrier.
