Founded in 2016 by Tersia Jooste, Rhino Connect was created out of a crisis. It started as an awareness campaign and has evolved into a co-ordination network for private rhino conservation, connecting resources, expertise and commitment across a growing network of partners that supports more than 40 private rhino custodians.
In 2016, a single phone call changed the way Tersia Jooste understood rhino conservation.
Her brother had just returned from a weekend at a reserve in Limpopo. He spoke about a poaching incident that had shaken everyone on the property — something Tersia, despite her interest in conservation, hadn’t even known had happened. When she called the property owner to offer help, his response surprised her:
“How do you know? Why are you calling?”
That moment revealed a reality few people outside the sector ever see. Rhino custodians were operating in isolation. Visibility meant vulnerability. Asking for help felt risky. Many chose silence over support.
Over the following months, Tersia travelled across South Africa, visiting private properties and speaking directly with custodians. She met landowners who had shifted “from khaki to camo” — farmers who had become frontline conservationists almost overnight. They were protecting rhinos at great personal risk, without state support, recognition, or any commercial return.
The human cost they carried
What Tersia encountered was not just a conservation challenge, but a human one.
Protecting rhinos meant exposing families, staff and local communities to danger. Guards returned home to areas where poaching syndicates were active. Property owners responded to alarms knowing they might face armed criminals. The emotional and financial strain was constant — and it was carried largely alone.
Custodians were doing extraordinary work, but they were doing it in silos, without a way to share resources, co-ordinate response, or lean on a wider support structure.
Building the bridge, not a spotlight
Rhino Connect grew out of that gap.
It was never intended to be another central authority. Instead, it became a way to connect people who needed support with those who could offer it — quietly, practically, and without increasing risk.
In the early years, the focus was on awareness. Through a weekly radio slot on Pretoria FM, Tersia shared stories the public rarely heard. But it soon became clear that awareness alone was not what custodians needed. The calls that followed were urgent and practical: injured rhinos, orphaned calves, security incidents. Could someone help co-ordinate a response?
Each call added another connection. Over time, Rhino Connect became a trusted point of co-ordination — helping to link custodians with veterinary specialists, aviation support, protection teams, researchers and others willing to contribute where needed.
Ten years later
Today, Rhino Connect supports a growing network of partners and more than 40 private rhino custodians. The organisation helps co-ordinate emergency response, supports cross-sanctuary initiatives like the Rhino Milk Run, facilitates responsible research access, and runs education and training programmes that strengthen conservation capacity.
As part of this broader network, Rhino Connect’s programmes now also include a rehabilitation facility and sanctuary, providing specialised care for orphaned and injured rhinos while supporting the organisation’s wider conservation activities.
But the purpose has remained unchanged — the same purpose that first moved Tersia to pick up the phone in 2016.
Rhino Connect connects people. It bridges gaps. It helps ensure that those protecting rhinos are not forced to do so alone.
The weekend in Limpopo was the spark. What followed has been a decade of showing up — and of proving that when conservation is collaborative, everyone benefits: rhinos, people and the landscapes they share.
Our Approach
Conservation that connects
Meet the Team
Led by passion, guided by expertise
Founder & Executive Director
Tersia Jooste
Tersia Jooste founded Rhino Connect in 2016 in response to the isolation and fragmentation she witnessed among private rhino custodians during the height of the poaching crisis. Her work is rooted in trust, discretion and long-term relationships across South Africa’s private conservation landscape.
Tersia plays a critical role in navigating sensitive situations where conservation, security, land ownership and human risk intersect. She is closely involved in co-ordinating emergency response, facilitating collaboration between custodians and partners, and supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts across the network.
Her leadership is practical rather than public-facing. Tersia’s focus is on ensuring that those protecting rhinos have access to the support, connections and co-ordination they need — without increasing exposure or risk.
Executive Director
Jens Lievens
Jens Lievens has been active in rhino conservation since 2017 and works alongside Tersia Jooste to strengthen Rhino Connect’s operational capacity and international collaboration. His role centres on building the structures, partnerships and processes that allow the network to function effectively under real-world conservation pressures.
Jens is closely involved in operational planning, sanctuary-related activities, and the development of education and training programmes. He also works with international partners and donors to ensure support is aligned with on-the-ground needs rather than abstract targets.
With a background in finance and risk management, complemented by formal training in organisational design and hands-on operational experience, Jens focuses on making Rhino Connect practical, resilient and responsive — supporting conservation work that is grounded, accountable and driven by those closest to the animals.
The team behind the network
Rhino Connect’s strength lies in the people who keep conservation working day to day — on the ground, in communities, and across a trusted network of partners.
At the sanctuary and rehabilitation facility, local team members manage the practical realities of care and maintenance: feeding animals, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring the smooth running of daily operations. Staff are supported by individuals responsible for facilities, logistics and the wellbeing of the team itself, recognizing that conservation depends as much on people as it does on animals.
Where possible, Rhino Connect prioritizes creating employment opportunities within surrounding communities, with a focus on skills development and long-term growth. Team members are encouraged to build experience and develop within their roles, strengthening both conservation outcomes and local resilience.
Rhino Connect works closely with leading wildlife vets and specialists who provide expertise, emergency response and training support. These professionals are not employed by the organization, but contribute through trusted, long-standing relationships built on mutual respect and shared purpose.
The organisation also relies on a wider circle of contributors and volunteers. This includes veterinary professionals who volunteer their time to support student programmes, individuals who support school and community outreach initiatives, fundraising ambassadors, and experienced administrative and accounting support. Each plays a role in keeping the network functional, accountable and responsive.
Tersia Jooste oversees and maintains these relationships, ensuring that collaboration remains practical, discreet and aligned with on-the-ground needs.
Dr Megan Rawlings
Annelien Louw
Melanie & Fritz Wasserfall
Cheyne van Rooyen
Clive van Rooyen
Gillian Kabe
