African Parks: An NGO in action saving Africa´s wilderness

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IE code
EC1-127-I
Language
English
Format
PDF
Nr. Of Pages
24
Type of publication
Case Study

Instructor support

A Teaching Note is available for this material.

Description

This case focuses on one of the thorniest problems of the 21st century, which is how to save wilderness and ecosystems at a time when the countries where they are concentrated in are immersed in a rapid development process and resource hunger around the world is stronger than ever. The NGO that is analyzed in the case, a South African-based NGO called African Parks, has developed an innovative approach to preserving natural spaces and species that combines private, charitable finance and efficient private management with local government cooperation. African Parks now spans seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and sees its task as preserving the iconic ecosystems of the continent from destruction. The case poses critical questions about: how to solve the “tragedy of the commons” while promoting local development; how private managers can address social issues, especially through the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) formula; and how the unique traits of NGOs make them ideal partners to tackle problems that the free market does not easily solve, in cooperation with governments and the private sector.