The Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier VSZ, launched in October 2020, includes significant vulture breeding habitat along the Limpopo River, linking vulture-rich sites in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This is Africa’s first transboundary VSZ. We have identified key implementing parties in each country, including BirdLife Botswana and BirdLife Zimbabwe, who will join the EWT and Raptors Botswana to build this VSZ.

Our initial funding through the Bio-Bridge Initiative allowed us to launch landowner engagements, site assessments, and undertake wildlife poisoning response training within Botswana’s Tuli Block landscape. These activities spanned the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and Limpopo Lipadi Private Game and Wilderness Reserve, covering approximately 72,000 ha. In South Africa, 90,000 ha of properties running 180 km west of Mapungubwe National Park have also pledged to support the VSZ. They will manage their properties in a vulture-friendly manner and work with the team to remove key threats to vultures over the next two years. The EWT has also initiated Wildlife Poisoning Response Training within critical sites within this VSZ.

We aim to initiate work in the Zimbabwe node in 2023.