Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre is situated at The Crags, a little rural suburb outside Plettenberg Bay.  Tourism and a Brick-making factory are the main source of employment for the residents of Kurland Village, the neighbouring disadvantaged community.

As such, Tenikwa  recognizes the importance of sourcing local suppliers and where possible, employing people from the local area.  This not only ensures job opportunities, community upliftment but also forms part of the whole conservation awareness program that Tenikwa has evolved.

Skills such as builders, bricklayers, fencers, carpenters are available and have been used to build Tenikwa reception, the meerkat meander, ZweLakhe’s enclosure and recently the penguin splash pool.

The majority of Tenikwa’s employees live in or around The Crags.

It is a well known fact that for each person who holds a job, they directly or indirectly support 80 people!  This is particularly applicable in the rural areas, like The Crags, where unemployment is exceptionally high at around 70%.

Apart from providing employment, and allowing a sense of self-respect and responsibility, Tenikwa employees and people in the community who are given sub-contracting work to do on Tenikwa projects, experience self-growth and an upgrading of their skills which is so imperative in the evolving new South Africa.