Africa’s first investigative environmental journalism unit

Combining traditional investigative reporting with data analysis and geo-mapping to expose eco-offences and track organised criminal syndicates in southern Africa

You can help us to investigate

LATEST INVESTIGATIONS

The Zimbabwean abattoir that never opened, but has killed at least 105 donkeys
Licensing of the country’s first commercial donkey abattoir was ruled out last October, but at Battlefront Investments business carries on as usual. Oscar Nkala investigates
Oxpeckers Reporters
15 May, 2018

Is Mabola open for mining?
Indian company Atha-Africa Ventures is going ahead with an application to change land use at the Mabola protected area to open it to mining. Julia Thomas investigates Opponents of
Tholakele Nene
18 May, 2018

Is Mabola open for mining?
Indian company Atha-Africa Ventures is going ahead with an application to change land use at the Mabola protected area to open it to mining. Julia Thomas investigates Opponents of
Tholakele Nene
18 May, 2018

The Zimbabwean abattoir that never opened, but has killed at least 105 donkeys
Licensing of the country’s first commercial donkey abattoir was ruled out last October, but at Battlefront Investments business carries on as usual. Oscar Nkala investigates
Oxpeckers Reporters
15 May, 2018

Kruger’s contested borderlands

Game reserves are being developed along the Mozambique border to create a buffer zone against poaching. But displaced communities say it’s a land grab...
06 April, 2018
Christo Wiese’s Namibian rhino deal under scrutiny

How did 13 rhino bulls from the Kruger National Park end up on a hunting farm owned by a reclusive Russian billionaire in Namibia?...
21 February, 2018
Time for Africa to head CITES

Most of the work of the international wildlife trade body focuses on endangered species in Africa, say pro-sustainable use groups...
13 February, 2018
Faces behind Namibia’s donkey abattoirs

Who are the people driving Namibia’s plans to open commercial abattoirs for donkey meat and skins for Asia? Oscar Nkala tracks them down...
01 December, 2017
Will your city survive climate change?

Preparing for the worst: A multimedia data investigation into how South African cities are dealing with the risks of climate change...
11 October, 2017
Border bandits turn to donkey smuggling

Donkey smugglers are taking advantage of cross-border criminal networks to meet the growing demand for hides. Oscar Nkala investigates...
05 October, 2017
Furore over Namibia’s donkey slaughter plans

Namibia has given the go-ahead to two donkey abattoirs that plan to export meat to Vietnam and skins to China. They have met stiff opposition from locals, reports Oscar Nkala...
28 August, 2017
Fire factories

Adapt, or die: technology helps to put out wildfires that are costing South Africa billions in damages and lost livelihoods. A multimedia investigation by Tricia Govindasamy...
25 August, 2017
Inside Botswana’s illegal donkey trade

Chinese traders are driving the cruel slaughter of donkeys across Southern Africa, for traditional potions that use gelatin in the hide. Investigation by Oscar Nkala...
24 August, 2017
From Mozambique to China, money talks

More than 90% of Mozambican timber is exported to China at less than its true value. Estacio Valoi uncovers collusion between shipping agents, customs officials and port managers...
22 August, 2017
State forest capture

Ancient hardwood trees in the Caprivi State Forest are being looted by a Chinese syndicate exploiting legal loopholes and de-bushing tenders for farming. John Grobler investigates...
09 August, 2017
Science and ‘social learning’ key to reduce climate disaster risks

Disrupting the Future: How communities and experts work together to reduce flood disaster risks in Limpopo. A multimedia #ClimaTracker investigation by Anina Mumm...
25 July, 2017
No mining at Mabola for ‘the foreseeable future’

Mining at the Mabola protected water zone is on hold – for now. The status of the mining right is unclear after court action by civil society groups this week, reports Mark Olalde...
30 June, 2017
Why rhinos shiver and shake

Understanding and dealing with tremors during veterinary treatment is essential to securing the species, reports Louise de Bruin...
27 June, 2017
Watership down: the reality of mining Mabola

Mabola is a strategic water source that feeds four of South Africa's major rivers, but the government has approved a licence to mine coal there. Oxpeckers broke the story in 2015, and recently paid a site visit to the Mabola headwaters...
16 June, 2017
How SA’s abalone ends up on China’s plates

Crystal Chow investigates how the race over the most sought-after delicacy in Asia embodies the developmental dilemma in post-apartheid South Africa...
09 June, 2017