Over the past six months, the South African Youth Biodiversity Network (SAYBN), in partnership with the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) embarked on an educative and interactive campaign to bring the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) closer to the hearts and minds of South African youth.
The SAYBN GYBN Fellowship Campaign was born out of a clear need — the KM-GBF, now known as the Biodiversity Plan, was adopted in 2022 to address the global biodiversity crisis. Yet many South African youth, especially those from Indigenous communities and local backgrounds, remained unaware of its significance and relevance to national conservation efforts. The campaign set out to change that by making global biodiversity policy not only accessible, but engaging and actionable.
A Youth-Led Movement of Learning and Leadership
Between September 2024 and March 2025, the Fellowship campaign rolled out an impactful series of four youth-led webinars that demystified key KM-GBF targets:
- Target 2: Ecosystem Restoration
- Target 3: Protected and Conserved Areas
- Target 5: Species Conservation
- Target 8: Climate-Nature Synergies
These sessions were preceded by an introductory webinar unpacking the CBD, the KM-GBF, and South Africa’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). Each webinar was paired with an infographic, explainer blog, and videographic, designed in youth-friendly language to break down the policies and highlight their importance to local biodiversity and community wellbeing.
Each session drew in over 100 participants, many of whom were youth leaders, university students, young professionals, and community-based activists. These dialogues were more than just webinars — they were catalysts for understanding, empowerment, and action.
Empowering Youth Voices in Policy
One of the most powerful elements of the campaign was the emphasis on youth ownership of policy spaces. By simplifying complex policy language and linking global targets to local realities, the campaign empowered youth not just as participants but as custodians of biodiversity. It showed that youth can play a central role in ecosystem restoration, species protection, and climate adaptation — when equipped with the right knowledge and tools.
The campaign also served as a platform to amplify existing youth-led initiatives across South Africa. From restoration work in Limpopo and Mpumalanga to advocacy projects in urban centres, young people were encouraged to see their efforts as part of a global movement.
What’s Next?
As the campaign concludes, its legacy will continue. The materials created — blogs, videos, infographics — will remain available online as learning tools for youth across the country. The relationships built with key partners, including DFFE, SANBI, AWF, and youth networks like K2C, VBR, and WBR, will continue to strengthen.
Most importantly, the campaign has laid a foundation for ongoing capacity-building, community engagement, and policy advocacy. SAYBN remains committed to deepening youth participation in implementing South Africa’s biodiversity commitments, with more initiatives in the pipeline to ensure that youth voices shape the future of conservation.
🙏🏾 A heartfelt thank you to all our partners, policy experts, and most importantly the incredible youth across South Africa who engaged with the campaign content, showed up for the webinars, and brought their voices into biodiversity conversations. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without your passion, energy, and dedication.
📌 To explore the full content of the campaign — including webinar recordings, infographics, presentations, and more — visit our Trello board dashboard here:
👉🏾 https://trello.com/b/9iyhWrEG/saybn-south-african-youth-building-back-biodiversity
Together, we are nature — and we are the future. 🌿💚