Game Meat Strategy for South Africa, 2023.

This Game Meat Strategy for South Africa is a nationwide sectoral document aiming to enhance the game meat industry while ensuring sustainable practices that align with the country's biodiversity conservation goals. It has been developed to unite all stakeholders in a collaborative effort to ensure the industry provides a product that (i) is produced naturally, sustainably, and ethically, with minimal or no impact on the environment and biodiversity; (ii) contributes to conservation efforts and supports rural livelihoods; (iii) meets high standards of quality, safety, and traceability, adhering to the regulatory framework governing wildlife management and food safety protocols. To this end, a voluntary, market-driven sustainability certification scheme for the wildlife sector has been introduced. This initiative aims to encourage and incentivize industry participants to adopt practices that promote conservation, sustainable biodiversity use, mitigate environmental and biodiversity risks, and support rural livelihoods.
This Strategy aims to achieve the following strategic goals by 2030 (i) increase by almost double game meat production; (ii) raise compliance of game meat (fit for human consumption) from the current 10% to 85%; (iii) expand the number of thriving Previously Disadvantaged Individual (POIs), women, and youth wildlife managers, along with other Game Meat Value Chain Actors; (iv) increase job opportunities in the game meat sector by 10% annually; (v) transition the industry from an informal byproduct of hunting to a commercial game meat production, processing, and marketing industry; (vi) bring 1 million hectares of community-owned land into natural game meat production, with associated localized value chains; (vii) develop a consumer-driven demand for game meat; (viii) reduce environmental and biodiversity risks associated with game meat production throughout the value chain; (ix) ensure that game meat producers actively contribute to biodiversity conservation. The Strategy also tackles barriers to entry, market intelligence, and the need for strategic interventions to boost skills, knowledge, and sector awareness. Additionally, it emphasizes the game meat industry's vital role in supporting food security and economic development. The strategic objectives are also designed to create a favorable environment for the industry, strengthen governance, and promote sustainable practices.