About Us - Who we are
The Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy is a conservation area situated in the Western Cape Province in South Africa.
The conservancy is nestled between the towns of Worcester and Robertson, including the majestic Langeberg and Rooiberg Mountains, and the life-giving Breede River in the south.
The importance of our natural world was recognised decades ago – with the conservancy established and registered on 30 November 2006, and registered as a Non-Profit Organisation in July 2013. And yet, our origins date back even further, and are steeped in the incredible role our landowners have played in protecting this region over many years.
Key members
Our history
Well-known winery, Graham Beck, played a leading role in bringing the conservancy to life.
Graham Beck’s well-known conservationist, Mossie Basson, teamed up with neighbouring farms when he realised the area needed some form of organised protection. At that time, Graham Beck had already become one of WWF South Africa’s first Conservation Champions – a status reserved for producers who devote their land to conservation. They worked together with CapeNature to commit their lands to conservation through the establishment of the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy.
They weren’t alone: The Doornkloof Private Nature Reserve is also one of our key members, and was first recognised as a biodiversity hotspot in the early 1980s. That’s when work first started to protect the region, resulting in the declaration of the private nature reserve in 2000.
The Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy continued to grow over the years – and today we consist of 33 members (all landowners), covering almost 52,000 hectares.
We work according to this mission
To support the sustainable use of resources, the conservation of fauna and flora and natural ecosystems in the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy for the benefit of present and future generations through active participation, communication and information sharing to rural communities.
Our objectives are
To generate interest and active participation by landowners in the conservation activities of the conservancy.
To encourage landowners to protect and manage the environment.
To support landowners in understanding and adhering to regulations.
To raise environmental awareness through educational initiatives and knowledge exchange events.
To establish a database of fauna and flora in the conservancy to improve management.
To promote better general security for conservation and livelihoods.
To encourage the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, which includes water and soil.
To monitor proposed physical development in the area and, registering as an interested and affected party where necessary.
OUR TEAM
The work is undertaken by our conservation team.
Jacques Smit
Conservancy Manager
Jacques joined the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy in June 2023. He has a BSc in conservation ecology and is currently doing his Master’s in environmental management, specialising in conservancy governance and management.
Yolanda van Biljon
Administrative Assistant
Yolanda joined the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy in April 2021, bringing extensive experience in education and administration.
Thalia Joubert
Intern Conservation Assistant
The newest member of our team, Thalia joined the conservancy in March 2025. She holds a BSc Conservation Ecology and is studying part time for an Advanced Diploma in Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Her key responsibilities include extension support to members and implementing the conservancy’s environmental education programme for local rural schools.
The conservation team reports to a Management Committee, made up of elected members.
Our current (2025-2026) committee is:
Adrian Robinson (Chair)
Bruce Gilson (Vice-Chair and Membership Portfolio)
Philip (Flip) Botha (Mountain Bike Trails)
Terence and Eva Winberg (shared portfolio: Education)
Cecil Mitileni (Responsible Game Management and Human-Wildlife Conflict)
Christiaan Rabie (Treasurer)
Alison Gilson (Tourism)
Eric van der Laan (Security)
Gareth Boothway (Co-opted, advisory: WWF South Africa Land Programme)
CONSERVATION AND OTHER NEWS
Waitrose Nursery Project progress
Chairman’s end-of-year message
Workshop in collaboration with the Cape Leopard Trust
You don’t have to live in the conservancy to understand just how important this natural world is. If we lose it, we lose entire ecosystems – forever. There are many ways to get involved; and many reasons to do so.