Prince William attends annual Tusk Awards

The Prince of Wales attended the Tusk Awards celebrating leading conservationists working on the frontline across Africa in one of his longest-standing patronages. 

“Africa has been a big part of my life since I was a young boy. Since I first came to Africa, I really feel connected to the place…” Prince William said at the 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards. He is well known for referring to the continent as his “second home”, which explains his strong dedication to the region.

Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Since the awards’ inception, 61 winners have received over £2 million in grants for their organisations, enabling them to scale their work and collectively improve protection for over 60 species in 23 countries. Through collaboration, innovation and shared expertise, the winners are helping to advance conservation efforts across Africa, addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing wildlife and communities, from the illegal wildlife trade to climate change.

The Prince of Wales presented three awards on Wednesday night: the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa to Dr Colleen Begg, the Tusk Award for Conservation to Raabia Hawa, and the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award to Daniel Yiankere. Each winner will receive significant grant funding to continue their ambitious work. All finalists will receive grants and the international recognition they have earned, which will further support their projects.

Following the awards presentation, the Prince gave a short address in which he spoke of the “extraordinary bravery, sacrifice and resilience” all winners have shown in their work. As Royal Patron of Tusk, Prince William has long championed the charity’s conservation efforts across Africa. 

“We know conservation works. In Africa, the Mountain Gorilla population is on an upward trend. Black rhino numbers are increasing in Kenya, and in southern Africa, elephant populations are also recovering. 

Turnarounds on this scale take years of dedication, patience and persistent effort. It also requires extraordinary bravery, sacrifice and resilience, which all our winners tonight have shown in their work. 

As Patron of Tusk, I am incredibly proud that the charity has given over 150 million pounds to enable organisations to drive this tangible progress, and improve protection for 60 species across 25 countries. 

But we know that conservation is hard and often dangerous. While significant strides are being made, organised crime continues to exploit and traffic protected wildlife. We must be on continual guard to ensure our endangered species are protected, and that hard-won progress is not reversed.

The Roll of Honour is also a sobering reminder that too many rangers pay the ultimate price on the frontline of conservation, and I want to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of this mission.

I would also like to pay tribute to Jafet Mzimba, who is following in his father Anton’s footsteps to become a ranger. While we continue to seek justice for Anton, we know how proud he would be of Jafet.

I am delighted with the significant investment Tusk has made in supporting and protecting rangers. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge has raised over 21 million pounds for better resources and training. And the joint venture between Tusk and the Game Rangers Association of Africa, which I announced in 2024 in Cape Town, now provides access to affordable insurance for 7000 rangers, demonstrating that society greatly values their work.

It is critical that we continue to support the vital work being spotlighted here this evening. We cannot forget that those who are among the most impacted by our changing climate are also at the forefront of protecting it.” —Prince William, Tusk Awards 2026

Tusk’s vision is an Africa where people and wildlife co-exist and thrive. To achieve this, the charity supports an impressive conservation portfolio, investing circa £15m a year in Africa’s most impactful locally-led organisations. Since inception, Tusk has raised and deployed over £170m, and its model allows donors’ funds to be put to work immediately with local partners who are already identified, contracted, financially vetted, and reporting regularly. Since 1990, Tusk has supported 230 local partner organisations and ranger teams across 30+ African countries, empowering the continent’s conservation movement.