WWF marks 20 years of Cape wine conservation

Participating properties can be identified by the unique sugarbird and protea logo on the bottle.

The  Conservation Champion programme facilitated by the South Africa office of independent organisation WWF recently celebrated two decades of formal conservation partnership within the local wine industry. The initiative now encompasses over 60 wine farms, collectively placing 23,585 hectares of natural habitat under active conservation across the winelands.

The initiative began in 2004 as the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) to mitigate the impact of expanding vineyards on the highly threatened Cape Floral Kingdom. By 2015, the project achieved industry-wide integration, with over 90% of the South African wine sector certifying through the BWI and Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) partnership.

In 2016, the programme transitioned to WWF Conservation Champions, shifting focus toward supporting producers demonstrating advanced environmental commitments, water and energy innovations, and eco-tourism. Vergelegen was the inaugural member in 2005 while recent additions include Koopmanskloof and Zevenwacht.

The 23,585 hectares currently conserved by member farms sit within the Cape Floristic Region, a global biodiversity hotspot home to over 9,000 plant species. More than 60% of this managed land is classified as endangered or critically endangered.

Operational support for these efforts has been assisted by the Activation Fund, backed by the Table Mountain Fund and the Isdell family. This framework has provided R50,000 per farm in incentive funding to 16 members. The capital is directed toward targeted environmental projects, including the clearing of invasive alien vegetation, river system restoration, and improved agricultural management.

Looking ahead, WWF aims to increase membership in high-biodiversity zones and establish stronger ecological corridors connecting existing champion farms to formal protected areas. Additionally, WWF is exploring the expansion of this conservation model into the broader South African fruit farming sector.