MetroFibre Renews EWT Cheetah Conservation Sponsorship

In Short

• MetroFibre renewed its sponsorship of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Cheetah Conservation Project in South Africa.
• The funding supports cheetah relocations between fenced reserves, plus genetics work and GPS collar tracking.
• The goal is to keep isolated cheetah groups healthy by improving genetic diversity and long-term population stability.

What Happened

MetroFibre said it has renewed its longstanding sponsorship of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s cheetah conservation programme. MetroFibre’s support is aimed at the EWT Cheetah Range Expansion Project, which manages safe cheetah relocations between game reserves.

This matters because most cheetahs in South Africa live on fenced reserves. That fencing limits natural movement, so groups become isolated “islands” and can face inbreeding over time. Inbreeding is when closely related animals reproduce, which can reduce genetic diversity and make a species less resilient.

The EWT programme addresses the problem with three main tools. First is relocation, where specialists move cheetahs between reserves to mimic natural roaming. Second is genetics management, where those moves help mix the gene pool (the shared “library” of inherited traits) across separate populations. Third is tracking, where GPS collars are used to monitor movement and wellbeing after relocation.

The EWT says it has managed hundreds of relocations across thousands of kilometres in recent years with sponsor support. The organisation was founded in 1973 and describes the cheetah as its flagship species.

The current focus is the Greater Kruger region. The programme is running a three-part, three-year effort to assess existing data, build population baselines and threat assessments, and develop standardised monitoring protocols.

Why It Matters

For African telecom and fibre companies, conservation sponsorships are becoming a visible part of ESG, which means environmental, social, and governance commitments. But beyond branding, this specific programme funds fieldwork and data collection that conservationists say is overdue in some areas.

For South Africa’s protected-area economy, cheetah population health supports biodiversity and tourism outcomes. Practically, better monitoring and managed movement can reduce long-term risk in fenced reserve systems, where “natural migration” is no longer possible.