State governments that allow, engage, and consider the landowner perspective in decision-making processes over wildlife, have achieved some level of sustainable wildlife conservation, generated revenue from conservation, and supported an alternative way to rural development. In South Africa, for example, a report released in 2021 by Snyman et al., states that supportive policy and legislation in South Africa facilitated landowners in choosing what is best for their land. This is clearly seen in changing the agricultural land with no production potential (arid and semi-arid areas) into game ranch farms. This strategy for land use has become a successful economic sector. For example, a study conducted by Kitshoff-Botha Adris in 2020, shows that, in 2018, the direct economic value from game processing in South Africa was estimated at USD 340 million. Today, game farmers operate various wildlife economies including ecotourism and game meat among other activities which contribute to wildlife conservation, sustainable wildlife use, and national economic growth.

Sport hunting is another economic activity that strengthens sustainable wildlife use and promotes wildlife conservation while contributing to poverty alleviation, job creation, and stewardship of wildlife. Nevertheless, the largest market for sport hunting in Africa is in jeopardy. In the past years, a number of European countries including the United Kingdom and the Republic of France have developed policies banning the shipment of trophies from Africa (The Guardian, 2022; 2021; 2015a; 2015b). Despite European condemnation of sport hunting's role in the conservation of wildlife and development, many scholarly articles show that “sport hunting is an effective conservation tool” contributing to wildlife conservation in sub-Saharan Africa (Deborah., 2022; Lindsey et al., 2006; Brian., 2006). Conversely, the testimonial by Catherine Semcer to the U.S House of Natural Resources Committee on the CECIL ACT in 2019 shows that 15 out of 40 African countries that ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, agreed to use sport hunting as a conservation tool. Programmes such as the CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe; CBNRM in Namibia; ADMADE in Zambia; PDZCV in Central Africa; ZICGC in Cameroon; GEPRE-NAF use in West Africa; and many others generate revenue largely from sport hunting. The above programmes are likely to be affected by the trophy ban policies emerging in Europe as users of sport hunting services are partly from Europe. In the CAMPFIRE programme of Zimbabwe, in particular, between 2010 and 2015, sport hunting was accountable for 90% of the incentive programme (Catherine, 2019). A study conducted by Lindsey et al., in 2006, reveals that sub-Saharan Africa generates USD 201 million in gross revenues from 18,500 sport hunters annually. The above community-based conservation programmes have one thing in common, (they put indigenous people and local communities at the center of the decision-making process and ensure they provide economic incentives). Although it could be argued that decentralized systems are effective in the management of protected areas, there are still some governance challenges being reported by beneficiaries, for example, transparency in the revenue allocation and lack of proper management of community conservation areas.

Based on the IUCN definition of governance, it is clear that imposing a governance system over the right-holder (indigenous people and local community) of wildlife resources is not a path to adequately conserving wildlife and/or facilitating wildlife economies. Using the Namibian CBNRM programme as an example, the engagement and participation of indigenous people and local communities in the management of wildlife resources led to a positive conservation outcome.