South Africa
Hailing from the Makuya-Tshetshe and Thengwe-Fundudzi tribes, Esther is an Indigenous leader from Africa with extensive experience in conservation and community development. Esther holds multiple degrees in Commerce and International Finance and has worked in academia, public sector, and mining before dedicating her career to community conservation. Esther is a traditional chief and an IP&LC environmental activist with over 30 years of experience in international conservation. Esther chairs and participates in various panels and working groups focused on biodiversity, conservation, and community empowerment. These include the Community Advisory Panel of the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA), BCA and World Economic Forum – Demand Integrity Working Group, International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity (IAPB) – Governance and Stewardship Working Groups, Southern African Development Community (SADC) – Global River Protection Coalition, Limpopo People and Parks in South Africa and the Community Associations of South Africans in Natural Resources for the IPs & LCs. Esther is also the Founder and Co-founder of two organizations, the Community Guardianship Initiative (CGI) and African Community Conservationists (ACC) which operates in African nature markets.