SAVING LEMVELO
We have an opportunity to protect something extraordinary 🌿 LeMvelo (meaning ‘nature’ in isiZulu), is up for sale. This extraordinary 300-acre property will protect some of Africa’s rarest and most endangered habitats, including the critically endangered Dry Sand Forest. Home to leopard, suni antelope, white-backed vulture, and southern-banded snake eagle, LeMvelo borders the UNESCO World Heritage-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park and will become a critical part of our expanding wildlife corridor on South Africa’s Elephant Coast.
A PERMANENT CONSERVATION IMPACT
Once purchased, LeMvelo will be incorporated into the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve and protected forever through South Africa’s Biodiversity Stewardship Program as a legally declared protected area. The property safeguards one of South Africa’s most endangered forests, Dry Sand Forest, of which more than 70% has already been lost. LeMvelo contains both mature and naturally regenerating forest, helping protect biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth while restoring connectivity between fragmented habitats.
LeMvelo offers a natural buffer between industrial agriculture and UNESCO World Heritage iSimagaliso Wetland Park
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Protecting LeMvelo will also create local opportunities for people to care for and restore the land. Ranger positions will help safeguard the reserve, while our Green Mambas restoration team will lead habitat restoration efforts. In our rural community, each job supports an average of 8–12 family members, creating lasting benefits for both people and nature.
Some of Wild Tomorrow’s Green Mambas Restoration Team
FUNDS NEEDED
LeMvelo’s total purchase price is R17.2 million (USD $1.04 million). Thanks to the incredible generosity of our major donors and supporters, including our friends at World Land Trust, 95% of the funding needed to acquire LeMvelo has already been secured. We need your support to raise the final R812,700 ($50,000) to fully fund this acquisition which is scheduled to close in December 2026.
Saving LeMvelo will have incredible benefits for the region’s biodiversity.
