Recent media reports have suggested that South Africa intends to break ranks with the international consensus on the ivory and rhino horn trade ahead of the upcoming CITES COP20. This is incorrect. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) reaffirms that South Africa remains fully committed to the international ban on commercial trade of ivory and rhino horn. Our policy is guided by science, ethics, and global cooperation, not by commercial interest.

MEDIA STATEMENT SOUTH AFRICA REAFFIRMS OPPOSITION TO IVORY AND RHINO HORN TRADE