South African Wildlife Management Association Conference (SAWMA) 2026

Beyond Numbers: Clarifying the Goals of Wildlife Management and Conservation

“Beyond Numbers: Clarifying the Goals of Wildlife Management and Conservation” invites a critical re-examination of what success truly means in contemporary conservation. While population counts and growth rates remain important metrics, they provide only a partial lens for understanding wildlife systems embedded in complex ecological, social, cultural, and economic landscapes. This theme highlights the plural values of wildlife, the genetic and demographic processes that underpin resilience in fragmented environments, and the realities of managing species in human-dominated and mixed-use systems. It further recognises that wildlife interventions are not value-neutral, but are shaped by ethical considerations, questions of legitimacy, and competing responsibilities among stakeholders. Ultimately, moving beyond numbers requires integrating scientific rigour with governance, moral reflection, and practical implementation – ensuring that conservation actions are not only ecologically sound, but socially defensible and operationally effective in a rapidly changing world.

Sub-themes:

• Multiple values of wildlife: ecological, social, cultural, and economic
• Conservation genetics, connectivity, and population dynamics in a fragmented world
• Wildlife management in human-dominated and mixed-use systems
• Ethics, responsibility, and legitimacy in wildlife interventions
• Doing the Work: Practical tools, trade-offs, and implementation realities

A full description of the themes can be found here

Register here

The conference will be streamed live for free for participants who cannot attend in person. For in-person attendance, the registration options are as follows:

1. FULL REGISTRATION: attending the full conference from 30 August to 4 September 2026

Early bird Registration (Payment before 16 June 2026)

• SAWMA Member: R 6 200.00
• Non SAWMA Member: R7 200.00
• Full-time Students (Excl Post-Doctorates):  R4 000 (ONLY non-employed full-time students up to PhD level)

Normal Registration (Payment from 16 June 2026)

• SAWMA Member: R 7 200.00
• Non SAWMA Member: R 8 200.00
• Full-time Students (Excl Post-Doctorates): R4 500 (ONLY non-employed full-time students up to PhD level)

2. DAILY REGISTRATION ON SITE ONLY FOR DELEGATES ATTENDING PER DAY.

DAILY REGISTRATION EXCLUDING DINNERS (members and non-members)

• Monday, 31 August: R1 500.00
• Tuesday, 1 September (special rates for managers): R1 100.00
• Wednesday, 2 September: R1 500.00
• Thursday, 3 September: R1 500.00

DAILY REGISTRATION INCLUDING DINNERS (members and non-members)

• Monday, 31 August: R1 850.00
• Tuesday, 1 September: R1 400.00
• Wednesday, 2 September: R1 850.00
• Thursday, 3 September: R2 000.00

DAILY REGISTRATION EXCLUDING DINNERS (student rates)

• Monday, 31 August: R1000.00
• Tuesday, 1 September: R1 000.00
• Wednesday, 2 September: R1 000.00
• Thursday, 3 September: R1 000.00

DAILY REGISTRATION INCLUDING DINNERS (student rates)

• Monday, 31 August: R1 400.00
• Tuesday, 1 September: R1 400.00
• Wednesday, 2 September: R1 400.00
• Thursday, 3 September: R1 600.00

More information here