OUR HISTORY
SAWC in one of three regional wildlife training colleges in Africa (with Mweka in Tanzania and Garoua in Cameroun) SAWC serves the needs of the SADC region, but is based in South Africa and registered as a not-for-gain institution under Section 21 of the Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973) and is a registered not-for-profit organisation with the Department of Social Development. The SAWC is accredited through the South African Council on Higher Education. SAWC was established in 1997 (led by WWF) as an independent training institution to address the need for skilled conservation managers in southern Africa in close cooperation with national and provincial government departments and conservation agencies from the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It is a SADC-registered training institution.
Since 1997 SAWC has trained over 2,460 conservational field staff in natural resource management, both in one year certificate & diploma courses and short professional courses. e.g.:
- • SADC Higher Education 2012 class: 70 graduates in total from Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland
- • Total student numbers graduated from short courses and skills programmes - 8291 The curriculum is developed in consultation with national, regional and international academic institutions, as well as conservation agencies and organisations, to ensure that the material meets the highest academic standards and is relevant to the specific biodiversity conservation needs in southern Africa.
Staff: 41 permanent staff, 17 fixed staff, total staff: 58. Qualified trainers (15), finances (4) support staff (39)(Maintenance, hospitality, housekeeping, Logistics)
Visit WebsiteBrief description of the institution’s financial situation, including government support/funding, international support/funding, student fees etc.:
Non-profit organisation, audited annually and in position of good standing (see last audited financial statements). The bulk of income for SADC students is sourced from local companies via bursaries, donations and grants. SAWC also offers accredited short courses and skills programmes financed by local companies and government agencies for their own staff. SAWC however does not receive government grants/subsidies and the students are generally not self-funded.