Africa's $166 million conservation network expands with billionaire backing
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A conservation nonprofit managing some of Africa's largest protected areas is receiving renewed backing from some of the world's wealthiest families as it accelerates efforts to localise operations and expand tourism-driven conservation across the continent. The organisation — African Parks, which operates on an annual budget of about $166 million , is deepening its Africa-focused strategy with continued support from a small group of major billionaire-linked family foundations supporting long-term conservation work across Africa.
Key funders include the Wyss Foundation, Rob and Melani Walton Foundation, and Howard G. Buffett Foundation, all contributing millions to support protected areas. The Wyss Foundation, founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, has committed over $170 million across multiple funding rounds to conservation and protected area management.
The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation, linked to Walmart billionaire heir Rob Walton, pledged $100 million in 2021 to support large-scale conservation initiatives. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, established by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, also funds wildlife protection and sustainable land management projects across Africa.
The organisation additionally receives support from other private donors, conservation partners, and board-level advocates, including Prince Harry, who is involved in its governance and conservation work. The continued backing from billionaire-linked philanthropic families highlights the growing role of private wealth in financing large-scale conservation in Africa.
According to Bloomberg, the group is establishing a conservation training academy in Rwanda to develop a new generation of African conservation professionals as part of its localisation drive. The first cohort of students is expected to begin training next year, marking a shift toward building local expertise rather than relying heavily on expatriate staff.
The initiative aims to strengthen long-term sustainability across protected areas while embedding conservation leadership within local communities and improving management capacity across its operations. African Parks is focusing on localising its operations, including through this new conservation training academy in Rwanda to empower African professionals.
There is an emphasis on increasing domestic tourism, with African visitors already making up 59% of the annual 188,000 visitors to its sites. The organisation is also working to increase the share of African tourists visiting its protected sites, with efforts underway to further boost domestic and regional participation.
Their support is helping to sustain expansive protected landscapes while enabling long-term investment in training, infrastructure, and ecosystem protection. As funding deepens, the conservation network is positioning itself as a model for combining global philanthropy with locally driven conservation outcomes across Africa's biodiversity-rich regions.
