Wildlife ACT
Wildlife ACT is a South African non-profit founded in 2008 that monitors and protects endangered wildlife across KwaZulu-Natal and Seychelles using GPS/VHF tracking technology, supporting nine priority species and serving conservation volunteers, reserve management authorities, and surrounding rural communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wildlife ACT does
Wildlife ACT is a South African non-profit conservation organization founded in 2008 by three individuals — two conservationists from KwaZulu-Natal and one advertising professional from Cape Town. Headquartered in Melkbosstrand (Cape Town) with primary field operations across KwaZulu-Natal reserves (including Somkhanda, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, uMkhuze), it runs professional monitoring and protection programs for nine priority species: African Wild Dog, Black and White Rhino, Cheetah, African Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Hawksbill Turtle, Southern Ground Hornbill, and select vulture species. The organization has completed 209,508 monitoring and field hours, deployed 815 tracking devices, fitted 410+ African Wild Dog collars and 158 vulture tracking units, and physically relocated over 800 animals. A 2021 joint venture with AWE Telemetry Systems created Wildlife ACT Innovations Pty Ltd to commercialize tracking hardware, including LoRa WAN and VHF collars, solar-powered GPS units, and rhino horn pods.
The organization's revenue model blends paid participation (volunteer programs with minimum two-week stays priced on a duration-discounted basis; conservation safaris; structured training courses), donations (including monthly recurring giving), and operational grants/partnerships. Volunteers (over 3,500 cumulative since 2008) and protected-area management authorities are the primary revenue-driving segments, while rural communities surrounding protected areas form a non-paying but mission-critical stakeholder group served via school bush camps, environmental education, and outreach. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the wildlifeact.com website and contact centers in South Africa and the Seychelles; reach extends into the Indian Ocean island operations through North Island, Seychelles.
Wildlife ACT's competitive position is anchored by deep institutional partnerships (WWF South Africa, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Panthera, WildTrust, TRAFFIC, Project Rhino KZN), intangibles including IUCN membership and Fair Trade Tourism certification, and recognized industry credibility (first-place finishes at the WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards and African Responsible Tourism Awards). The organization deliberately monetizes its conservation work through nature-positive tourism and productized training, distinguishing itself from advocacy-only peers.
Wildlife ACT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wildlife ACT
- Legal name
- Wildlife ACT
- Website
- https://wildlifeact.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wildlife ACT is a South African non-profit founded in 2008 that monitors and protects endangered wildlife across KwaZulu-Natal and Seychelles using GPS/VHF tracking technology, supporting nine priority species and serving conservation volunteers, reserve management authorities, and surrounding rural communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wildlife ACT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)
Keywords
Where Wildlife ACT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Wildlife ACT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Volunteer Program Fees: Conservation volunteers pay to participate in wildlife monitoring programs. Pricing varies by length of stay with discounts for longer commitments. Minimum two-week stay required.
- Conservation Safaris: Paid safari experiences allowing participants to engage with conservation work while supporting the organization financially.
- Donations: Direct donations to support conservation programs, species monitoring, tracking equipment, and community outreach initiatives.
- Conservation Training Courses: African Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management Course offering educational programs for participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Volunteer programs with minimum 2-week commitment |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Conservation Safari experiences |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Wildlife ACT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wildlife ACT is a non-profit conservation organization that monitors and protects endangered wildlife species (African Wild Dog, Rhino, Vultures, Cheetah, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Hyena) across Southern Africa and the Seychelles using GPS tracking technology (LoRa WAN, VHF, camera traps). It runs paid volunteer programs in which individuals participate directly in field conservation work, alongside conservation training courses, conservation safaris, and community outreach and environmental education programs. Its subsidiary Wildlife ACT Innovations develops and sells wildlife telemetry products (GPS collars, horn pods, tracking units) for conservation organizations and researchers.
Product overview
Wildlife ACT is a conservation organisation operating since 2008 that offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes centred on endangered wildlife monitoring, community outreach, and conservation education. Its core products are Volunteer Programs and Endangered Species Monitoring, through which participants join daily field operations across multiple South African reserves and the Seychelles. These are complemented by the African Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management Course (structured training), Endangered Wildlife Safari (nature-positive tourism), and Wildlife Virtual Tours (remote engagement). A separate subsidiary, Wildlife ACT Innovations, develops and sells telemetry products including GPS collars, horn implants, and LoRa WAN tracking units for use by conservation organisations. The suite is held together by a Community Conservation and Coexistence Programme that links field operations to local community engagement and education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Volunteer Programs Award-winning wildlife volunteering placements enabling participants to join real conservation field work alongside professional monitors, supporting endangered species monitoring and protection across South African and Seychelles reserves. Minimum two-week stay; international and local South African participants.
- Endangered Species Monitoring Daily field-based monitoring and protection of endangered and priority wildlife species using GPS tracking, camera traps, and rapid emergency response to poaching, poisoning, and human-wildlife conflict incidents. Delivered for protected area authorities and conservation partners.
- Community Conservation and Coexistence Programme Education, capacity-building, and outreach initiatives that engage local communities surrounding protected areas to promote human-wildlife coexistence, including school bush camps, environmental lessons, ambassador programmes, and community game drives.
- African Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management Course A structured training course providing participants with knowledge of African wildlife conservation and habitat management, offered as a formal educational complement to field volunteering.
- Endangered Wildlife Safari Conservation-focused safari experience offering participants immersive exposure to endangered wildlife and conservation operations in Zululand nature reserves, available through a dedicated application process.
- Wildlife Virtual Tours Remote digital access to wildlife reserves through curated virtual tours and photo galleries, extending engagement with conservation work beyond physical visits.
- Wildlife ACT Innovations Telemetry Products A separate subsidiary entity designing and selling wildlife tracking collars, GPS units, horn implants, and LoRa WAN telemetry solutions for conservation organisations and researchers, combining 32+ years of field-proven technology from Wildlife ACT and AWE Telemetry Systems.
- Rhino Tracking and Monitoring Post-release monitoring service for translocated rhinos using VHF and LoRa WAN tracking technologies, including GPS ankle bracelets and horn pods fitted at the back horn base after dehorning for real-time location data accessible to monitoring and management teams.
Quantifiable outcome
- 410+ African Wild Dog collars deployed since 2008
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Wildlife ACT
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wildlife ACT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Wildlife ACT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WWF South AfricacoreWildlife ACT is the only African wildlife volunteer organization supported by WWF. Partnership includes collaboration on Black Rhino Range Expansion Project and broader conservation initiatives.
- Ezemvelo KZN WildlifecoreGovernment wildlife conservation authority in KwaZulu-Natal. Wildlife ACT works in partnership on leopard monitoring, vulture conservation, rhino protection, and species translocation programs across provincial reserves.
- PantheracoreGlobal wild cat conservation organization. Partnership on KwaZulu-Natal Leopard Monitoring Project established in 2013, implementing standardized camera trap surveys for population estimation.
- Project Rhino KZNcoreWildlife ACT is a founding member of Project Rhino KZN, an association facilitating rhino conservation interventions aimed at eliminating poaching and securing rhino populations in KwaZulu-Natal.
- TRAFFICminorWildlife ACT works with TRAFFIC on demand reduction policies and initiatives to stop wildlife exploitation, including rhino horn-related campaigns.
- AWE Telemetry SystemscoreWildlife ACT Innovations is a joint venture between Wildlife ACT and AWE Telemetry Systems (founded 2003). Combined 32+ years of field-proven technology for wildlife tracking collars, harnesses, and monitoring equipment.
- Raptor Rescue Rehabilitation CentrecoreKwaZulu-Natal raptor rehabilitation center providing professional treatment for poisoned, injured, or compromised vultures until ready for release back to the wild.
- WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion ProjectcorePartnership between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and WWF. Wildlife ACT provides post-release monitoring, tracking equipment fitting, and training support for black rhino conservation.
- WildTrustminorConservation organization partner supporting community conservation and coexistence programs.
- People Nature ConnectminorPartner in WWF Nedbank Green Trust Project in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park for conservation initiatives.
- Wild dog Advisory Group of South AfricaminorAdvisory group membership for African Wild Dog conservation strategy and coordination.
- KZN Vulture GroupminorProvincial advisory group for vulture conservation in KwaZulu-Natal.
- SA Lion Management ForumminorAdvisory group for lion conservation and management strategy in South Africa.
- African Lion Working GroupminorContinental advisory group for African lion conservation coordination.
- Conservation OutcomesminorPartner in black rhino translocation and conservation initiatives.
- Babanango Game ReserveminorPrivate game reserve (20,056 hectares) recipient of orphaned black rhinos, part of black rhino range expansion efforts.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wildlife ACT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wilderness Foundation: South African non-profit focused on wilderness conservation, species protection (including rhino and vulture), and environmental education. Direct peer: same geography, similar species portfolio, similar non-profit + volunteer/donor model, comparable scale.
- Save the Elephants: Kenya-based non-profit using GPS tracking collars, ecological research, and community programs to protect elephants across Africa. Strong direct comparable on the technology-driven wildlife monitoring model and the link between telemetry data and ranger response.
- Panthera: Global wild cat conservation NGO running the KZN Leopard Monitoring Project jointly with Wildlife ACT. Direct comparable on camera-trap surveys, monitoring methodology, and partnership-based field operations, but specialized to wild cats rather than multi-species.
- Conservation Lower Zambezi: A Zambia-based non-profit running volunteer programs for wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching, and community engagement. Direct comparable: same volunteer-pay-to-conserve model, same conservation mandate, similar scale and operational structure to Wildlife ACT.
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation: Africa-wide non-profit coordinating giraffe conservation, including translocations, monitoring, and community engagement across multiple range states. Comparable on the multi-country NGO model, species-focused monitoring, and partnership-based fieldwork.
Broad incumbents
- Peace Parks Foundation: Transfrontier conservation NGO coordinating cross-border protected areas in Southern Africa, with a strong focus on wildlife monitoring, ranger support, and community programs. Comparable mission in Southern African wildlife conservation but operates at a regional scale beyond Wildlife ACT's reserve-level work.
- &Beyond: Luxury safari and conservation tourism operator running high-end wildlife experiences in Southern Africa with strong conservation and community programs. Comparable on responsible tourism and conservation-linked guest experiences, but operates as a commercial hospitality brand rather than a non-profit.
- African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation NGO with a much larger footprint, focusing on species protection, habitat conservation, and enterprise development across multiple countries. Comparable mission and species focus, but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than Wildlife ACT.
- African Parks: Large non-profit that manages national parks across Africa under long-term public-private partnerships, employing rangers, anti-poaching units, and ecological monitoring teams. Comparable on protected area management and species monitoring, but at a much larger park-level scale.
Others
- Wildlife ACT competitor via telemetry: VECTRONIC Aerospace (now part of Teledyne FLIR): Global manufacturer of GPS and VHF wildlife tracking collars used in African conservation projects, including those managed by Wildlife ACT. Relevant as a peer to Wildlife ACT Innovations on the technology side, not on the field-services side.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wildlife ACT social profiles
Digital presenceWildlife ACT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wildlife ACT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Wildlife ACT subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Wildlife ACT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wildlife ACT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wildlife ACT
What does Wildlife ACT do?
Wildlife ACT is a non-profit conservation organization that monitors and protects endangered wildlife species (African Wild Dog, Rhino, Vultures, Cheetah, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Hyena) across Southern Africa and the Seychelles using GPS tracking technology (LoRa WAN, VHF, camera traps). It runs paid volunteer programs in which individuals participate directly in field conservation work, alongside conservation training courses, conservation safaris, and community outreach and environmental education programs. Its subsidiary Wildlife ACT Innovations develops and sells wildlife telemetry products (GPS collars, horn pods, tracking units) for conservation organizations and researchers.
Is Wildlife ACT a public or private company?
Wildlife ACT is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wildlife ACT founded?
Wildlife ACT was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wildlife ACT based?
Wildlife ACT is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Wildlife ACT make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Volunteer Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are conservation Safaris, donations and conservation Training Courses.
Who are Wildlife ACT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wilderness Foundation, Save the Elephants, Panthera, Conservation Lower Zambezi and Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Broad incumbents are Peace Parks Foundation, &Beyond, African Wildlife Foundation and African Parks. Wildlife ACT competitor via telemetry: VECTRONIC Aerospace (now part of Teledyne FLIR) is listed as an others.
Does Wildlife ACT have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wildlife ACT.
What industry is Wildlife ACT in?
Wildlife ACT's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAI, Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.