On November 26th and 27th, we were filled with joy and pride as we celebrated the Future Rangers Awards Ceremonies at Mahlale, Dayimani, and Sokisi High Schools.

Throughout the year, Future Rangers students underwent assessments, challenging assignments, eye-opening field trips, and exposure to career pathways. The Awards Ceremonies recognized their hard work and commitment to completing the 2024 Program. Along with the students, parents and teachers were invited to the events, where speeches, special prizes, and lunch was shared amongst the community.

And while this event marks the completion of 2024, their journey doesn’t end here. Many of these students will be rejoining us in 2025 as they continue their educational journeys. For top achieving students entering grade 12 (the final year of high school), learners will be exposed to mentorship opportunities and career coaching in various conservation or tourism pathways during their school holidays. And as they complete high school, the highest achieving students will receive opportunities and funding to further their studies, creating career pathways for the most passionate and dedicated graduates.

We always assumed that Mbhoni’s first trip out of Africa would be to the United States. Turns out we were wrong – apologies to all of Mbhoni’s fans in the USA!

Recently, GCC was invited by the Elephant Foundation to present our work at the prestigious Elephant Week in Hong Kong. With exceptional public speaking abilities and trademarked charisma, Mbhoni was the obvious choice! After a 6 hour drive from the Kruger, Mbhoni flew the 13 hour trip from Johannesburg to Hong Kong, met Colin Dawson and his team on arrival, and straight away got to work…

During the course of the week, Mbhoni addressed approximately 2,000 students from 16 different international and public schools. He presented our Future Rangers Program, and the critical importance of youth advocating for nature and wildlife.

Hong Kong learners couldn’t believe that four out of five youth living next to Kruger had never seen wildlife!

Everyone assumed that people and wildlife were completely integrated in South Africa; a myth which Mbhoni quickly shattered. Mbhoni also drew upon his previous experiences as a field ranger, educating the youth on the impacts of the illegal wildlife trade to both local communities and wildlife.

While in Hong Kong, Mbhoni and Colin Dawson from the Elephant Foundation presented to Cathay Pacific Airways, the Royal Geographical Society, and business leaders from transnational corporations.

The week culminated in Mbhoni attending the RHINO MAN Asia Premiere, where he presented on a panel afterwards to an engaged and emotional audience.

To add to this eye-opening visit, Mbhoni was exposed to a “wet market” in downtown Hong Kong, where live animals had been trafficked into the marketplace.

This emotional encounter gave Mbhoni first-hand experience into the inner workings of consumer markets; invaluable knowledge which he will incorporate to the 2025 Future Rangers Program. This exposure, no matter how hard it was to witness, will be transformed into educating our learners about the damaging effects of the illegal wildlife trade, and how important local communities are in halting the supply of wildlife contraband.

A sincere thank you to the Elephant Foundation, Colin Dawson, and his team for hosting Mbhoni for 9 days, providing a platform to share stories and messages from the front-lines of the greater Kruger region.

Mbhoni, congratulations on your first overseas expedition, and thank you for bringing warmth, education, inspiration, and passion to a new corner of the world.

This #GivingTuesday, join us in elevating the next generation of wildlife champions. Your generosity today will create a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow.

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