Conservation Is Not the Enemy of Development | Rendani Nenguda

How do you tell someone not to poach when they are poaching to eat? Rendani Nenguda, Senior Research Associate at Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, grappled with that question early in her career. Her answer reframes the whole debate: nature underpins everything, so the choice is not whether Africa grows but whether it grows in a nature-supportive or a nature-erosive way.

This episode opens a series recorded around the 15th Oppenheimer Research Conference in Midrand (7 to 9 October 2026), where African scientists present African research.

Rendani explains why 1.5 degrees globally means far more in Southern Africa, how 747 early-career applicants became three finalists for one USD 150,000 grant, why a new fungus may be named after a schoolchild, and why the cities Africans will live in are not built yet. Share it with anyone who calls conservation a luxury.