It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dr. Andrew Baxter as the Chief Operating Officer of African Habitat Conservancy PTY Ltd (‘AHC’) with effect from 01 June 2022. Andrew Baxter will take up an executive position with African Habitat Conservancy (AHC) and its subsidiary, Babanango Game Reserve, a ground-breaking re-wilding, and conservation project that directly benefits local communities in one of the most spectacular regions of rural Kwazulu-Natal.
Andrew will join the company from WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), where he currently holds the position of CEO. Andrew is no stranger to African Habitat Conservancy and, its subsidiary project, Babanango Game Reserve, having served as a non-executive board member of AHC for the past two years. He is passionate about conservation and the environment and is a firm advocate of the benefits created by sustainable ecotoursim, particularly in relation to the upliftment of rural communities.
Andrew currently sits as a part-time board member with the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency and has been appointed to the board of WESSA as a non-executive director with effect from 01 June 2022.
Andrew’s career in conservation spans 30 years. He is a co-founder of the Cape Leopard Trust (2004) where he served as chairman for 10 years. He currently continues to sit as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of this Trust. In 2011 he joined the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), as the Head of Business Development, and since 2017 has been advising non-profits and businesses on strategy, governance and financial sustainability.
Andrew has also proven himself as an astute businessman, having founded CAPESTORM in 1996, a highly successful outdoor clothing company which he also managed and directed.
Andrew’s blended experience in conservation and business is warmly welcomed by the management of Babanango Game Reserve.
Sincerley Hellmuth Wiesser
Chief Executive Officer
