In South Africa’s North West Province, biodiversity is as vast as the landscapes themselves. From arid grasslands to rugged ridges, 14 protected areas stretch across nearly 200,000 hectares. Behind their protection is a committed team of rangers facing floods, fires, predators, poachers, and sometimes, inadequate gear. That’s where Jim Green boots step in.
The North West Parks and Tourism Board manages a tapestry of protected areas, each as distinct as the next. Think: Kalahari thornveld at Molopo, rare Magaliesberg wetlands in Kgaswane, the broken topography of Pilanesberg, and camelthorn-studded grasslands at Bloemhofdam. Together, they protect endangered species, fragile ecosystems, and vital ecological processes like predator-prey dynamics and water catchment integrity.
The photos were taken at a function at Vaalkopdam and the rangers are from Pilanesberg, Kgaswane, Madikwe and Vaalkopdam Nature Reserve. Fraser Mokonopi (Parks Administrative Officer) took the photos.
“People think the western grasslands are uniform and boring,” says Senior Manager of Ecological Services, Pieter Nel. “But stand among the camelthorns, watch a raptor overhead, and you’ll realise just how wrong they are.”
Rangers don’t have a typical day. They operate in two biomes—savanna and grassland—and conditions can swing from open plains to thick bush, from steep escarpments to flooded rivers. In some parks, they patrol at night, navigating croc- and hippo-infested waters to prevent illegal fishing. In others, they hike steep ridges or track rhinos in lion territory.
It’s demanding work. Dangerous too. “We lost a ranger to a lion attack a few years ago,” Nel says. “This isn’t an idle risk.”
“As a ranger, having the right equipment is crucial for effective performance,” says Corporal Regina Smith, Base Commander at Pilanesberg. “After mental preparation, a good pair of boots is essential. The Jim Green boots provide comfort and quality that enhance our performance.”
From large-scale ecological management to small daily decisions in the field, North West’s rangers work tirelessly to safeguard nature. At Madikwe, they’re grappling with an elephant overpopulation crisis. At Molopo, raptors rule the skies. And at Barberspan, it’s all about monitoring birdlife in one of South Africa’s most important avian areas.
Even the parks’ size and shape dictate patrol strategies. “Molopo has a 90 km perimeter fence and lies along the Botswana border,” Nel explains. “That calls for a totally different approach than, say, Barberspan.”
Looking ahead, the Board is preparing for new eco-tourism concessions through its Commercialization Plan—one more way to make conservation sustainable in the long term. But even as new lodges rise, the boots-on-the-ground work remains vital. “Expecting rangers to do foot patrols in poor footwear isn’t fair,” Nel adds. “Proper boots don’t just improve performance, they show we value the people protecting our wild places.”
And so we lace up. Whether it’s on vegetated dunes or cracked savanna clay, our boots are made to go the distance, just like the rangers who wear them.
Cheers,
Jim Green
Through our Boots for Rangers initiative, run in partnership with the Game Rangers Association of Africa, we donate one pair of boots to a ranger for every ten pairs sold from our Ranger range. These boots are now supporting conservation teams at sites across Africa, with over 6,000 pairs already on the ground.
