While he may be best known for his success on the rugby field, it is his deep love for the wild and dedication to conservation that truly drives former Western Province rugby player Joe Pietersen.
Not many things make Joe happier than sitting around a camp fire at night, beer in hand, reflecting on the conservation work achieved that day. The only thing that lights him up more, it seems, is having his 10-year-old son, Joey, in the bush alongside him.
Having recently closed the chapter on his rugby career – which saw him playing nationally and internationally for more than 18 years – Joe, his lovely wife Corné and little Joey have finally put down their roots and settled on the North Coast for good.
Joe founded his non-profit organisation, Nkombe Rhino, 10 years ago and has been actively involved in on-the-ground conservation work aimed at protecting not only rhino, but other endangered and threatened species since.
Through Nkombe Rhino, he works hand-in-hand with conservation organisations and anti-poaching units, pooling resources and effecting real change, most notably through rhino dehorning projects.
A true KZN boy, Joe was born in Zululand and spent most of his childhood on the South Coast. He studied at Stellenbosch University (where he met his Free State-born wife who was studying marketing and event planning).
He started playing professional rugby in his second year out of school and played for the SA Sevens and the WP Stormers teams. He and Corné also lived in various countries, where he played for clubs in France, Japan and the USA.
Although he loves rugby, Joe says it was always important to him to have something else in his life other than the game. “When you are a professional rugby player in South Africa, people often think that’s all you can be and all you can do. I wanted more and, to be honest, I really hope that I have become, or will become, better known for my conservation work than for my rugby career,” he says.
He admits that rugby opened many doors for him, exposing him to incredible people and conservation projects, which ultimately sparked his passion for wildlife conservation.
“I also had a very ‘outdoorsy’ childhood, always surfing and spending time in the ocean, and going bush camping in places such as Botswana, Namibia and Kruger.”
I wanted Nkombe Rhino to become a vehicle for doing really cool, impactful stuff in the bush
When he chose to pursue conservation, Joe decided to start his own foundation. “It’s not easy registering a Public Benefit Organisation, but I wanted to make sure that I could do things my way and not get caught up in too much ‘red tape’. I didn’t want the money we raised to go to salaries. I have never taken a salary from Nkombe Rhino, and aimed to ensure that all funds went to properties I had personally chosen. I wanted Nkombe Rhino to become a vehicle for doing really cool, impactful stuff in the bush,” he laughs. And it certainly has done just that.
In fact, the organisation which is registered as an NPO in the USA as well, giving Joe the ability to hold fundraising initiatives there, has been involved in the successful dehorning of more than 400 rhino in the past 24 months alone.
They work closely with other foundations such as Project Rhino and, although dehorning is one of their main focuses, the work they do umbrellas other species as well – such as wild dogs, cheetah, lion and elephant.
On the topic of dehorning, Joe says, “It is without a doubt an incredibly invasive measure we have to take to protect them against our own species. But it remains the most effective and impactful tool for managing rhino poaching.”
Although he handles most of the fundraising himself, Joe says he thoroughly enjoys being actively involved in all of the conservation activities – and he loves ending his day off around a fire. “I love bringing people from varied industries and backgrounds into the bush. They often see things differently and offer solutions we might not have considered.”
They also collaborate with like-minded companies and brands whose vision aligns with theirs.
“We recently partenred with Ballito-based Karoa Cara gin, who have committed to donating a portion of the sales from every bottle of their new Zulularni gin to Nkombe Rhino.”
While he is driven by his passion for wildlife, it is his own little family that Joe bases almost every decision he makes around.
Diagnosed with autism at the age of two, Joey is at the heart of Joe and Corné’s every move – including their decision to live in Ballito.
“The life we are able to give him here is incomparable to anywhere else in the world,” says Corné who, Joe says, has dedicated every day of the past 10 years to raising their son. “We’ve never felt more settled and at home than we do here.”
Joey attends Bloom Centre for children with special needs, and the family enjoys a wonderful outdoor lifestyle with the beach and the bush on their doorstep.
Details: Nkombe Rhino, www.nkomberhino.org, @nkombe_rhino
Text: Leah Shone
Rhino photograph: @martinmeyer_wild
Family photographs: @douda_bis (Into My Wild Africa)
