Game farm

Tourism is viewed as key strategy that can eventually lead to economic prosperity which in turn would promote development in the local communities. The South African government has capitalized on this through utilizing their wildlife to promote ecotourism.[7] Post-apartheid, significant developments have been made to achieve success in this area. Today, an abundance of tourists and travelers flock to South Africa with their main goal being to see its natural environment. Game Farms are said to deliver a unique experience because they provide the opportunity for visitors to observe and experience wildlife at close range. The South African government has made efforts to utilize these game farms as developed sustainable ecotourism attractions. Wildlife hunters are extremely attracted to private games farms which can produce higher income compared some of South Africa’s most successful nature reserves. The commercial success of these game farms has forced many agricultural farms to adapt and be converted into game farms.[8]

Game farming in the Eastern Cape has been cited as land-use practice issue which has left many feeling disenfranchised This stems from the context of wealth, class, and race which are said have created a diverse range of problems for local communities. People who do not have the financial structure to enter a game farm are said to appropriate bushmeat through illegal hunting where poachers are the primary actors. Structural inequalities between various stakeholders are at the epicenter of the issue.[9] Game farms create network that is internationally proactive and interconnected but fractured at the local level due to racial inequalities that have plagued South Africa. This dichotomy of the two networks have created spaces for international clients and local elites to congregate and engage in trophy hunting due to private ownership which in turn ignores the advancement of rural employment.[10]