Peace Parks Foundation has supported the development of this transboundary landscape since 1998.
We support the expansion of the landscape through the successful facilitation of collaboration and formalisation of agreements.
The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which is just a portion of the larger transfrontier conservation area, and is home to more than 850 animal and 2000 plant species – was one of the first formally established peace parks in southern Africa. This 35 000 km² park links the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa, and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.
The Great Limpopo transboundary landscape is managed as an integrated unit across the three international borders. An International Coordinator, whose appointment is funded by Peace Parks Foundation, drives the transboundary landscape development process. The conservation area is led by a joint management board and various joint management committees with representatives from all three countries that focus on matters such as harmonisation and integration of policies and joint operations protocols, protection, conservation management, tourism development, community benefits, communication and fundraising.
The larger Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation area (TFCA), measuring almost 100 000 km², includes the Banhine and Zinave National Parks, the Massingir and Corumana areas and interlinking regions in Mozambique, as well as various privately and state-owned conservation areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe bordering on the transfrontier park.
OUR WORK
Conservation at scale
The three Mozambican national parks, Limpopo, Banhine and Zinave, are part of the larger landscape and link various river systems that ensure ecological connectivity between these core conservation areas. Following the signing of the treaty by the Heads of State in 2002, the German Government committed support to help develop the Limpopo National Park on the Mozambique side, with Peace Parks appointed as implementing agent. Since then, Peace Parks has entered into partnership agreements with the Mozambican government to support the management and development of all three national parks, collectively measuring over 2.2 million ha. This is critical in the attainment of conservation goals and targets in Mozambique.
Limpopo National Park
This 1 million ha park borders on Kruger National Park in South Africa and is bounded by rivers.
Ecological linkages
We assist in the planning, development and implementation of ecological corridors or wildlife dispersal areas, specifically between Gonarezhou, Zinave, Banhine and Limpopo national parks.
In 2017 the Greater Lubombos Conservancy in Mozambique on the eastern boundary of Kruger National Park, became the first privately owned area to be included as part of Great Limpopo, adding 2 400 km² to the transboundary area. The Transfrontier Park also links the Sengwe communal land in Zimbabwe and the Makuleke region in South Africa, which lies between the Kruger and Gonarezhou parks. Peace Parks has co-management agreements with the government of Mozambique in three National parks in this landscape
Peace Parks works closely with Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation
Areas (ANAC) and the National Directorate of Land (DNTDT) to develop key linkages and improved ecological connectivity in the area.
Rewilding
Peace Parks facilitates and funds the translocation of animals from Kruger National Park and other protected areas, where effective conservation management has seen wildlife numbers bloom to surplus status, to other parks in Great Limpopo that have been left devoid of wildlife following years of war and hunting. To date, more than 18 167 animals have been moved from South Africa, Mozambique and eSwathini, to Limpopo and Zinave national parks. The reintroduction of wildlife also assists with the revitalisation of historic wildlife corridors and migration routes across man-made borders.
Combatting wildlife crime
For the past ten years, the implementation of our Combatting Wildlife Crime Programme has intensified efforts across the Great Limpopo landscape to bring poaching of specifically rhino and elephant under control. The Rhino Protection Programme also includes a focus on finding solutions to halt the escalation in wildlife poisoning, as well as to address the social dimension of poaching.
In April 2014, Mozambique and South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on biodiversity conservation and management to address the scourge of rhino poaching in Great Limpopo. Ten years on, the success of the joint park management committee for Limpopo and Kruger national parks continues to guide collaboration. Joint operations have been very successful. Two thousand, six hundred and seventeen arrests had been made in the landscape in the ten years leading up to 2024, over 70 000 snares and gin traps removed, saving thousands of animals from injury and death, and 1215 firearms confiscated.
Community development
Sharing the benefits of Great Limpopo with those living in the surrounding area has been an important objective from the outset. In 2015, the Great Limpopo Joint Management Board commissioned the development of an integrated livelihoods diversification strategy.
Our goal is to enable healthy, vibrant communities whilst protecting the ecosystems that sustain them and conserving natural resources for future generations. Through ongoing community programmes, the total number of community beneficiaries increased to around 104 880 persons across the four parks, largely due to the impact of The Hunger Project (THP) in Zinave, the Blue Action Fund project in Maputo National Park and One Limpopo One Health project in Limpopo National Park.
Conservation finance
Funding
We source reliable funding and take care of the financial administration thereof so as to assist the transboundary area in achieving its objectives.
Tourism
We aim to promote and support the development of tourism as a regional socio-economic driver in the landscape through increased land and air access, and the development of cross-border tourism products. In Great Limpopo, a few successful cross-border products have been established, including the Pafuri walking trail and the Shangane Festival. A range of other cross-border adventure experiences such as wilderness routes and self-drive 4×4 trails have also been developed and although wild, Zinave, Mozambique’s first Big 5 national park, is primed and ready for visitors.
Click here to learn more about the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
Through a partnership with Sustainable Agriculture Technologies, EuropeAID supports the combatting of wildlife crime in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Global Exploration and Oceanographic Society (GEOS) provides support to the vital work of Field Rangers and Peace Parks’ Combatting Wildlife Crime Programme.
KfW supports Limpopo National Park, the establishment of wildlife corridors in the Kavango Zambezi TFCA, and the Nyika-North Luangwa component of the Malawi-Zambia TFCA.
ANAC is the conservation authority in Mozambique. We partner closely with them to protect and develop Limpopo, Banhine and Zinave National Parks, and surrounding protected space as part of the Great Limpopo TFCA; as well as the Maputo National Park.
Svenska Postkod Lotteriet, the Swedish Postcode Lottery, has been steadfastly supporting the conservation efforts of Peace Parks Foundation since 2010.
The Van Zyl Family supports hospitality and tracker training at the SA College for Tourism, and provides funding for anti-poaching support in Limpopo National Park. They also supported the Southern African Wildlife College through Peace Parks Foundation.
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