Evaluating private game reserves' contribution to community development : a case-study of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of the community development-model adopted by Kwandwe Private Game Reserve (KPGR), in the Eastern Cape, towards sustainable development of communities near the location of the game reserve. Community development is one of the important areas that the government of South Africa is targeting to reduce poverty and inequalities. Many initiatives have been proposed through local authorities to enhance local economic development. KPGR provides work opportunities for the local people to enable them to earn household income. The study draws from a mixed method approach wherein elements of quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to obtain relevant information from 300 respondents. These include employees of KPGR, the management of KPGR, Ubunye Foundation and the community members of Branderstone and Kransdrift. Findings of the study revealed that many factors adversely affect KPGR from exercising some of its corporate social responsibility. These include limited interaction of KPGR with the surrounding community, low literacy among community members and inadequate infrastructure. These factors adversely affect the community developmental model in the Branderstone and Kransdrift communities. To mitigate these concerns, the study advocates a thoughtful and strategic involvement of the surroundings, harnessing the potential of local communities and investing in infrastructural projects which are crucial for community development.