Shared Table
Maps are compared, corridors line up across fences, and lessons move quickly from one farm to the next.
Built for the land, not the report
You are not here for another promise.
You are here because you have seen what usually happens. Someone comes through the gate, speaks about restoration, asks for maps and measurements, and leaves behind forms and good intentions. The land stays where it was. The donga stays open. The rain still does what it wants, and the cost stays yours.
That is the gap Eco Guilds was built to close. Not the gap between a speech and a plan, but the gap between work that happens on the land and payment that actually reaches it. We understand that trust is not lightly given when the land carries your name, your labour, and your future.
What follows is not a story about what restoration might look like one day. It is a way of working built on the assumption that the land must feel the difference.
What it is
A local group of landowners and farmers who agree to the same restoration playbook.
Public Face
A public face for your district that speaks with one clear voice about real results.
First Screening
First round screening for new farmers who want to enrol with Buktika. The guild checks readiness and fit before the formal steps begin.
What you get when you join
Coffee at Nico's shed. Shared buying. Corridor mapping. Published fairness rules. And a district voice that attracts responsible buyers.
Study group on the third Thursday
Coffee at Nico's shed. Field Stewards bring photos, measurements, and what worked last month. You leave with one or two simple actions to try before the next meeting.
Shared buying and logistics
Better prices and steady supply for plants, guards, brush, geofabric, and stone. Shared trucks for getting materials to remote camps.
Corridor mapping across fences
Access routes and protected lines are drawn so they match farm to farm. This is how your district qualifies for Regional Restoration Journeys that fund shared lines and community pillars.
Published fairness rules for the regional bonus
Short, public, and easy to check. They cover new entrant reserve, area share, taper for very large holdings, and caps so one player does not take the pot.
Marketing and honest storytelling
Reporters and Fellows visit farms, capture true photos and short videos, and post regular updates that show real progress.
A district voice that attracts responsible buyers
The guild publishes a clean monthly snapshot of accepted work and active corridors. That draws more funding to your area.
How to join
Three simple steps and three non-negotiables.
Tell your Field Steward
Tell your Field Steward or a fellow Buktika farmer you want in. A short note with your farm name and contact is enough.
Bring your farm polygon map
Bring your farm polygon map to the next study group. If your farm has several Surveyor General parcels, bring the pool map.
Agree to three non-negotiables
No grazing in restoration areas. Evidence before payment. Published fairness for the district bonus.
Regular guild rhythm
Month start
Corridor survey day. Walk one line together, fix gaps on the map, agree the next steps.
Mid-month
Materials round. Place the bulk order and set delivery runs.
Third Thursday
Study group at Nico's shed. Short talks, photos on the wall, questions, and a two-item action list.
Month end
One page public snapshot. Accepted items, corridors advanced, next month focus.
What the Eco Guild does not do
Does not hold or move money
All funds flow through the secure project fund and the programme wallets you already know.
Does not sign off payments
Acceptance officers sign after evidence passes the gates.
Does not control your Licensed Farming Areas
How you farm your Licensed Farming Areas remains your call.
Why it helps your bottom line
Unlock Regional Restoration Journeys
Corridor lines that match across farms unlock Regional Restoration Journeys. That brings extra funding for shared works, meals on site, training, and storytelling that draws more responsible buyers.
Lower your unit costs
Shared buying lowers your unit cost for plants, guards, and materials.
Build district trust
A steady public record of accepted work raises trust in your district. Trust brings more projects and better pricing.
See the registered farms
Open the map to explore all registered Eco Guild farms across South Africa — cadastral footprints, homestead links, and grouped land parcels.
Explore our Eco Guilds