The City of Cape Town celebrated the World Rangers Day on Friday, July 31, 2026 under the theme ‘Rangers: Guardians of a Changing Planet’. The Biodiversity Management Branch (BMB) is rich with passionate and well-educated rangers who protect the nature reserves of the city and have showcased a proven pathway from the skills development programmes to expand employment and careers in the town.
The municipality recognised the essential conservation work which these individuals do and celebrate how they have pursued exciting opportunities in this field by grabbing a hold of the knowledge and experience the skills development programmes that they have to offer.
Considerably, Jessica Fielies, Yanga Mbatana and Sindi Mbala are three women who were not happier with their choice of career.
Deputy Mayor and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Spatial Planning and Environment – Alderman Eddie Andrews said thanked all the nature guardians, the rangers, for doing their best to protect the conservation areas and nature reserves across Cape Town and for the passion they have about their roles.
Work of the rangers spans from wildlife protection, environmental education and community engagement to fire management. This is one of the biggest achievements of the Biodiversity Management Branch (BMB) of the City of Cape Town, which is the transition between job creation (direct employment), skills development and permanent employment opportunities.
The branch prioritises on-the-job training for learners, students and interns and makes every effort to provide opportunities for Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and skills development staff. Each year, many of the vacancies in the BMB, are filled by EPWP and skills development candidates or by promotions of previous programme candidates.
According to Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews each of these jobs or career advancements represents a changed life and new hope for a future in this beautiful city of Capetonians. And those three women whose journey with the City of Cape Town started out in one of the skills development programmes, shared a bit of their story as a ranger, which can be read on official website.