Trophy hunting may soon return to Madikwe Game Reserve and Pilanesberg National Park* – targeting elephant, buffalo and black rhino in Madikwe, and elephant and buffalo in Pilanesberg. This, according to the bid proposal document for a tender invitation released by the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB) in May.
In the original tender documentation, NWPTB invited proposals from professional hunters, outfitters, and culling teams to hunt wildlife in 14 provincial reserves during the 2025/2026 financial year. The tender proposal guidelines suggested that all hunting activities must be completed by 30 September 2025. In addition to Madikwe and Pilanesberg, other North West provincial reserves such as S.A. Lombard Nature Reserve and Molopo Nature Reserve were also included in the document. Three categories of game removal – including trophy hunting, biltong hunting and culling were cited for different reserves. Various species were included in different categories, including Cape buffalo, wildebeest, blesbok and zebra.
Among the most controversial allocations that were published in the tender documents for trophy hunting are:
- 25 elephant, 2 black rhino, and 10 buffalo in Madikwe
- 10 elephant and 5 buffalo in Pilanesberg
The inclusion of black rhino, a critically endangered species, has especially shocked onlookers. With over 30 photographic tourism lodges in Madikwe alone, there is growing anxiety that the latest developments could inflict reputational damage and jeopardise conservation and tourism investment.
Stakeholder meetings are ongoing this week in Madikwe and Pilanesberg to discuss the tenders. The NWPTB has committed to improved communication, but the clock is ticking, with the original tender submission process deadline set for 10 June. There are also whisperings of the tender being altered or pulled since the outcry, but this could not be confirmed.**
Some stakeholders – including lodge owners, tourism investors and conservationists – claim they were not informed of the tender invitation before it was issued. Many are concerned about a lack of transparency in the initiation of the hunting tender, suggesting that the rushed nature of the process is likely motivated by a desperate need for rapid fundraising.
“It’s deeply concerning that tourism partners have been excluded from decision-making, especially given their long-standing investment in anti-poaching and wildlife management,” said one tourism stakeholder who asked to remain anonymous.
Government’s position
Despite the backlash, the North West provincial government insists the move is both necessary and legally sound. According to Member of the Executive Council, Bitsa Lenkopane, the decision reflects a broader strategy to balance ecological realities, economic needs, and community interests. Lenkopane heads up the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT).
“We are in the space of bringing balance,” Lenkopane told Africa Geographic. “Balance in this case is about those in business, landowners, and those who are managing the land.”
Lenkopane emphasised that communities around Madikwe and Pilanesberg – such as the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela and other traditional authorities – have increasing say over land use, and the government’s role is to facilitate their needs and guide conservation efforts.
The inclusion of rhino and elephant in the tender
Lenkopane would not comment on the tender specifically, but when asked about the possible hunting of black rhino, she suggested, “We have the legislation as a province. We also understand the position of CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora] and some measures that are in place regarding the quota of rhinos. I am satisfied about the application of the law in the whole space.”
South African legislation allows for the hunting of rhino under strict conditions. South Africa’s allowable annual export quota for black rhino established by CITES is 0.5% of the black rhino population. Some researchers even argue that selective removal of specific males from rhino populations may enhance population demography and genetic diversity.
Lenkopane also cited the province’s burgeoning populations of elephant as a central concern, especially in Madikwe. “The management of [elephants’] ratio to the land which they are occupying must not result in extinction and endangering of other species,” she said.
The hunting tender document explicitly refers to the proposed hunting activities as a form of “game reduction”.
Both Madikwe and Pilanesberg are fenced reserves, with Madikwe encompassing 75,000 hectares and Pilanesberg 50,000 hectares.
Population management in Madikwe
Madikwe does face a conundrum, with its reported 1,600 elephants far exceeding the optimal population size of 500 elephants cited in Madikwe’s 2022/2023 Elephant Management Plan. The plan notes the upper carrying capacity limit for elephants in Madikwe is 1,000. But the report clearly states that “culling is not a preferred option… and is considered a last resort.” Furthermore, selective hunting in Madikwe of adult bulls is only permitted under “exceptional circumstances”. The report goes on to claim that “trophy hunting is not efficient at population control – it is more tied to economics and problem animal control.”
In December last year, media coverage decried an increasingly dire situation in Madikwe, where elephants were allegedly dying of starvation due to overgrazing and drought. At the time, the NSPCA entered the reserve to investigate and humanely euthanise suffering elephants. Reports estimated 80 of Madikwe’s elephants had died from starvation due to drought and overgrazing since August 2024. NWPTB ecologist Pieter Nel noted that the drought and uncontrolled growth of the elephant population were the main drivers of deaths in Madikwe. “Having too many elephants in a reserve harms the entire ecosystem,” Nel told The Mail and Guardian at the time. “I think Madikwe has shown what can happen if you pass that threshold.”
Piet Nel’s words foreshadowed the current proposal, saying the reserve drastically needed to reduce its elephant numbers to bring it back to a situation where the system can properly recover. Nel said there had previously been a conscious decision to use non-lethal methods of managing the elephant population, but “we have to admit it didn’t yield the desired results… Now, we will have to look at other ways, including lethal options.”
For now, the MEC insists, the government’s focus remains clear: “We want to develop communities. We want to protect our animals. We want to balance the ecosystem.”
Lenkopane also confirmed that an elephant management task team, composed of ecologists, academic representatives from universities, and government entities, has been established and is feeding into the provincial strategy. “We’ve got universities involved because we want them to guide us on the recent developments,” she said.
But the ecologists and tourism stakeholders consulted by AG also questioned whether the findings of this task team have fed into the tender decision, stating that the research is still ongoing in the reserve and the resolution to hunt is thus premature.
When asked about how age, sex, and tusk size determinations will be made around elephant trophy hunting targets in Madikwe and Pilanesberg, Lenkopane declined to comment on the details of the procurement process, citing tender protocols. Lenkopane said these details will be worked out by “the universities and experts”.
An added challenge for Madikwe is the restrictions on population management of black rhino and buffalo populations, which are non-translocatable due to the presence of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in the reserve. “Consumptive use,” Madikwe’s Elephant Management Plan notes, may be allowed where legislation permits – but only where other options have failed.
Hunting organisations
Regarding stakeholder sentiment around the possibility of trophy hunting taking place in North West reserves, Lenkopane says, “People are excited – I must say – but there’s a lot of consultation and public comments. Some refused to come, but some came. We’ve had about two to three rounds. They were all consulted.”
The province’s long-standing relationships with hunting bodies is no secret. “We have relationships with different organisations like Phasa [Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa],” notes Lenkopane. “We take them seriously and we also view their issues as seriously as we view the issues of communities.”
In January 2025, Lenkopane attended the Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention and Sporting Expo – arguably one of the largest annual gatherings of hunters in the USA. Lenkopane stated her visit aimed to “attract foreign investment in order to revitalise the North West Province’s protected areas network and enhance contribution to South Africa’s biodiversity economy.” The North West government asserted at the time it was working closely with Phasa and the Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation South Africa to resolve “concerns regarding export quota processes”.
Parks with hunting pasts
Big Five hunting in Madikwe and Pilanesberg was phased out in the mid-2000s following resistance from tourism operators and international guests. A former provincial official confirmed that earlier hunting models led to tourist cancellations, reduced wildlife sightings, and long-term reputational damage. “Guests also complained about reduced sightings and all these led to the Board discontinuing hunting in both reserves,” said the former official.
Current developments have stakeholders questioning if zoning and logistical issues were properly evaluated in the tender process, such as the placement of hunting camps, potential conflict between tourists and hunters, and the enforcement of rules and standard operating procedures to manage this overlap.
“With such a density of photographic tourism infrastructure, it’s almost impossible to conduct hunts without impacting guests – whether through gunshots, carcass disposal, or road closures,” added ecologist Roger Collinson, who has worked extensively in Madikwe and Pilanesberg. “Is the potential short-term financial gain from trophy hunting worth the likely long-term loss in tourism income, brand damage, and broader socio-economic benefits?” says Collinson.
Critics warn that the long-term costs of reintroducing trophy hunting may far outweigh short-term financial gains. “If even a few international tour operators or agents pull out over this, the economic fallout for tourism in Madikwe could far exceed any income from a handful of hunts,” said one tourism investor.
The eyes of the world
With reputations, ecosystems, and endangered species on the line, the outcome of this decision could echo far beyond the borders of Madikwe and Pilanesberg.
As the June 10th deadline for tender submissions approaches, the debate over trophy hunting in Madikwe and Pilanesberg has laid bare deep tensions. Whether this initiative serves as a practical response to ecological strain or a short-sighted bid for revenue, its outcomes will have lasting implications – not only for wildlife and the tourism economy in the North West Province, but also for how South Africa is perceived on the global conservation stage.
*Pilanesberg National Park, despite its name, is not an official South African national park, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the North West provincial government. Its status as a reserve in a former independent homeland earned it the name “National Park”, but its management does not fall under SANParks or the National Protected Areas Act.
**Update 5 June: An altered version of the tender bid documents published on the North West Tourism Facebook page did not mention trophy hunting in Madikwe and Pilanesberg.
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