In the last few decades, conservation in Africa has been framed through a lens of protection. Land is fenced off, people are relocated and wildlife is monitored from a distance. But this was not always the case. For generations, conservation was about coexistence, not exclusion. The rise of protected areas, game reserves and fencing came with colonial conservation models that prioritised preservation for tourism and state control, often at the expense of the very communities that had lived with and cared for these landscapes. Today, many of these practices remain in place, even as their social and ecological consequences become harder to ignore.
While this approach aims to prevent environmental degradation, it also disconnects people from ecosystems they have historically managed. IKSs offer a different vision of conservation - one rooted in relationship, not restriction.
Among the San communities in Southern Africa, the land is not something to be controlled but something to be in relationship with. Hunting, gathering and movement across the landscape are governed by seasonal patterns and a sense of respect. Conservation is not about keeping people out but instead, about moving with care. These traditions preserve biodiversity while allowing human life to continue in harmony with the environment.
In coastal Senegal, fishing communities have long used rotating fishing zones and seasonal bans to prevent overfishing. These practices are not based on formal enforcement but on community consensus and shared responsibility. Everyone understands that the health of the ocean determines the survival of the community. This kind of conservation is not separate from daily life; it is embedded in it.
Reframing conservation in this way challenges dominant narratives. It moves the focus from control to cooperation, from extraction to stewardship. It also highlights the importance of trust. Conservation policies that ignore Indigenous relationships to land are often met with resistance. Those that recognise and build on local systems of care are more likely to succeed.
This shift requires more than policy change. It demands a cultural rethinking of what it means to care for the environment. It means learning from Indigenous worldviews that see humans as part of nature, not outside or above it. Recognising and adopting this perspective will allow conservation efforts in Africa to become more inclusive, effective and respectful.