Conservation philanthropy · Southern Africa
Fund conservation with clear purpose and sound governance, for nature and the people who live alongside it.
Tsela helps philanthropists, families, family offices and foundations decide where their giving can do most for wildlife and biodiversity, choose the right conservation partners and govern those partnerships well. Our work starts in Southern Africa and across the continent.
What we focus on
Species
Protection of threatened species and the research behind it.
Habitats
Ecosystems, protected and conserved areas, corridors and restoration.
Communities
Conservation that the communities sharing the land support and lead.
Good intentions are the start, not the plan.
Protecting wildlife and ecosystems is long-term, place-specific and often complex. Before committing funds, most families find themselves asking the same questions.
- Where can our giving make a real difference for wildlife and wild places?
- Which organisations can we trust, and how would we know?
- How does the work affect the communities living alongside wildlife, and are they treated justly?
- How do we give as a family, stay involved and keep it going across generations?
How we work
Independent
We are paid only by our clients. No commissions, success fees or introduction fees from the organisations we recommend.
Transparent
Fixed project fees and clear retainers, agreed before work begins. We say what we have checked, and what we haven't.
Boardroom and field
Governance experience at board level, combined with real time on the ground in Southern Africa.
Science and local knowledge
Advice grounded in conservation science and in the knowledge of the people who live and work alongside wildlife.
Services
Three steps along the same path. Start where you are in your giving.
Nature Philanthropy Orientation
A clear starting point. We work out what you want your giving to achieve, map the landscape and set out practical options.
Conservation Partnership Advisory
Help choosing, structuring and governing partnerships with conservation organisations, from first conversations to agreements and reporting.
Strategic Nature Philanthropy Advisory
An ongoing advisory relationship for families and foundations with a long-term commitment to nature.
What we don't do: raise funds for organisations, audit or certify impact, or give investment advice.
Why Tsela
In Setswana, tsela means the path, and the way something is done.
The path
Conservation philanthropy is full of good intentions and hard choices. Many people want to contribute but find the field difficult to read: who is doing credible work, what money actually changes, how to give without doing harm. Tsela helps families, foundations and their advisers find their way through it, from first questions to lasting partnerships.
The way
How advice is given matters as much as what it says. We are paid only by our clients, never by the organisations we recommend. We say what we have checked and what we haven't. And we work as comfortably in the boardroom, where decisions are made, as in the field, where they play out.
People & Nature
The purpose is nature: wildlife, habitats and the ecosystems they depend on. Protection lasts when the people who live alongside them have a real stake in it. We give the ecological case and local support equal weight in everything we advise on.
Motho ke motho ka batho: a person is a person through other people.
About the founder
Sophie Gandet
Sophie brings first-hand experience of family business and family philanthropy, and conservation partnership work in Southern Africa, to the decisions families face when funding nature.
She comes from a multi-generational business family and has served on the boards of family foundations since 2021, as board member and board observer. She knows from the inside how families govern their giving across generations, and what a board needs before it commits funds.
For two years she was Head of Community & Partnerships at a purpose-led travel company, a certified B Corp, member of 1% for the Planet and part of The Long Run. She is a trustee of a wildlife research organisation, and has advised independently on strategy and governance since 2021.
After 20 years in Switzerland, Sophie moved to Southern Africa in 2025. She is now based between Cape Town and Maun, Botswana, and spends much of her time in the field. She works in English, French and Swedish.
Family philanthropy and governance
- Board Observer at family foundations, together more than USD 45 million in grants in 2025
- Board Member, Peter Wallenberg Water for All Foundation, since 2026
- Networks: Family Business Network (FBN), Nexus, One Young World, The Explorers Club (International Member)
Conservation
- Trustee, Ingwe Research Program NPC, since 2026
- Member, Philanthropy Committee, Mongabay, since 2026
- Head of Community & Partnerships, purpose-led travel company (B Corp, 1% for the Planet, The Long Run), two years
Field and education
- Qualified field guide, Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Administration & Events Management, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Switzerland, 2014
Start with a conversation
Tell us briefly what you are considering. A first conversation is free of charge and confidential.
Or write to hello@tsela-advisory.com. Based in Cape Town, working across Southern Africa and internationally.