Final Days to Enter $100,000 Wilderness Impact Challenge Targeting Africa’s Conservation Economy
Final Days to Enter $100,000 Wilderness Impact Challenge Targeting Africa’s Conservation Economy. Entries for the 2026 Wilderness Impact Challenge are entering their final phase, with just 10 days remaining before the official deadline on 30 April. The global competition offers a $100,000 prize and calls on innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, system builders and community leaders to submit solutions aimed at strengthening Africa’s conservation economy.
The initiative is led by Wilderness Trust and focuses on encouraging practical and scalable ideas that support sustainable coexistence between people and nature. Organisers say the challenge is designed to prioritise real world impact, particularly in regions where conservation efforts intersect with economic development.
According to Vincent Shacks, conservation efforts tend to be more effective when they are economically meaningful for local communities. He said this year’s edition places emphasis on empowerment driven approaches that help local businesses grow, improve livelihoods and integrate conservation into broader economic systems.
The 2026 challenge is aligned with Wilderness’ three impact pillars: educate, empower and protect. This edition will specifically prioritise the “empower” pillar, focusing on solutions that address underlying economic barriers linked to conservation. The approach favours durable, locally grounded models rather than short term interventions.
Within this framework, the conservation economy is defined as a network of people, enterprises, skills and systems that enable the protection of natural environments while supporting secure and dignified livelihoods. This includes value chains, services, technologies, financial mechanisms and governance structures that allow communities to benefit directly from conservation aligned activities.
The competition is open to individuals, teams and organisations worldwide. Submissions must demonstrate relevance to conservation landscapes where Wilderness operates, while also showing potential for local implementation and scalability across Africa.
Charles Douglas said the challenge reflects the need for conservation models to evolve alongside changing economic realities. He noted that by promoting empowerment and economic participation, the initiative aims to surface ideas that are both innovative and practical.
Entries will undergo a review process conducted by Wilderness’ Impact team, followed by evaluation from an expert judging panel that includes members of the Wilderness Trust board.
Applicants interested in participating can find more information or submit their entries by visiting https://www.wildernesstrust.com/impact-challenge or contacting info@wildernesstrust.com.
