Twenty small-scale fishers and 25 local entrepreneurs from Saldanha Bay are now better equipped to make a living from the sea and the tourism economy, thanks to a skills and enterprise development drive by South African National Parks (SANParks) at the West Coast National Park.
The park celebrated the graduation of 20 members from three small-scale fishing cooperatives who completed skipper’s competency training, alongside 25 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from surrounding communities who completed training in business planning and enterprise development.
The initiative, held on Saturday, forms part of SANParks’ broader push to ensure that conservation benefits the people who live next to its parks.
“The training forms part of SANParks’ commitment to equipping neighbouring communities with practical skills, strengthening local enterprises and expanding access to sustainable economic opportunities,” SANParks said in a statement.
According to the conservation agency, it is not just about training. SANParks has also handed over fishing equipment to the three cooperatives to help them operate safely and profitably within the fishing value chain, while the MSMEs are being linked to procurement opportunities within SANParks and broader markets outside the park.
The move is being welcomed as a lifeline for fishing communities that have for years struggled to access permits, skills certification and markets. In the West Coast, where small-scale fishing is both a cultural identity and an economic mainstay, skipper certification is critical – without it, fishers cannot legally operate boats, access fishing grounds, or comply with maritime safety regulations.
By funding skipper competency, SANParks is removing one of the biggest barriers that has locked young fishers out of the industry.
For local entrepreneurs, the business planning training comes at a time when many small businesses in Saldanha Bay, Langebaan, Vredenburg and surrounding towns battle to formalise, access finance or secure contracts with large entities like SANParks.
The programme is aligned with SANParks Vision 2040, the organisation’s long-term strategy that reimagines national parks not just as protected biodiversity areas, but as engines for inclusive growth and community upliftment.
“Aligned with SANParks Vision 2040, these initiatives demonstrate that effective conservation and thriving communities are interconnected. By investing in people and partnerships, SANParks is helping to build sustainable livelihoods while ensuring that communities surrounding protected areas participate meaningfully in and benefit from conservation,” the agency said.
SANParks Head of Communications and Spokesperson JP Louw said the initiative proves that conservation cannot succeed in isolation from community development.
Conservation experts have long argued that parks surrounded by poverty are vulnerable to poaching, illegal fishing and community conflict. By investing in skills, equipment and enterprise development, SANParks is shifting from a fences-and-fines approach to a shared-benefits model.
West Coast National Park, one of the country’s most biodiverse coastal parks and a key Ramsar wetland site, attracts thousands of visitors each year during flower season and supports a delicate lagoon ecosystem where fishing communities have co-existed with conservation for generations.
For the 45 beneficiaries, the graduation marks more than just a certificate – it is a pathway to ownership, compliance and sustainability. Fishers can now skipper their own vessels, reduce reliance on outsiders, and increase their share of the catch value. For MSMEs, formal business plans open doors to funding, municipal contracts and SANParks procurement spend.
SANParks said it will continue to support the cooperatives and entrepreneurs beyond training, linking them to markets, mentoring and future procurement opportunities.
“Local MSMEs are being assisted to build business capacity and access procurement and broader market opportunities,” SANParks said.
The agency says similar programmes are being rolled out at other parks across the country as part of its commitment to ensure that communities living on the edge of protected areas are not left behind, but become partners and beneficiaries of conservation.
