The Eastern Cape in South Africa was once home to lions, black rhinos, and elephants. Early British settler records describe frequent encounters with these animals, but much of the land was later converted into farmland. Adrian Gardiner sought to reverse this trend, spearheading efforts to rewild the region by founding the Shamwari Private Game Reserve. His son, Paul Gardiner, a conservationist and entrepreneur, is pursuing an even bolder vision: to create a “mega-biosphere” spanning 5 to 6 million hectares, transforming the Eastern Cape into the next Kruger National Park. Speaking to BizNews during a fireside chat in England, Gardiner outlined plans to connect private reserves via natural corridors, allowing wildlife to roam freely. Inspired by the success of similar projects near Kruger, he acknowledged challenges such as roads, railways, community involvement, and costs, noting that his vision could take decades. Gardiner also highlighted the Eastern Cape's potential to become home to the Big Seven—not only lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo but also whales and great white sharks.
Video production by Linda van Tilburg and Asime Nyide
The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events - and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here - [ Ссылка ]
Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - [ Ссылка ].
Join this channel to get access to perks:
[ Ссылка ]
