On the island of Principe in São Tomé and Príncipe, a South African entrepreneur has launched a financial incentive program aimed at encouraging local residents to protect the island’s natural environment. Mark Shuttleworth, a tech entrepreneur and hotelier, has developed the initiative through his charitable organisation, the Faya Foundation, to support sustainable ecotourism that caters primarily to affluent foreign visitors.

Principe, a 140-square-kilometre volcanic island in the Gulf of Guinea, has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve due to its rich biodiversity, tropical forests, and pristine beaches. Shuttleworth’s luxury tourism venture, Here Be Dragons (HBD), operates four hotels on the island where nightly rates can reach up to US$1,700. His business model depends heavily on preserving the environment, which attracts approximately 15,000 tourists annually, most of whom seek nature, tranquility, and an exclusive West African experience.

In February, the Faya Foundation began offering residents a quarterly "nature dividend" as part of a commitment to refrain from environmentally harmful activities such as sand extraction and unregulated logging. Adults who participate can receive up to 6,250 dobras (approximately US$3.20 per day), which represents a modest supplement in a country where about 45% of the population lives on less than US$3.60 daily, according to World Bank data from 2017.

Vik Michau, a sociologist involved with the foundation, emphasized that locals are key stewards of the environment and need to be engaged as its protectors. However, as of now, no participant has earned the maximum dividend, with monitoring data indicating that the natural environment is yet to reach optimal conditions. To increase their dividends, residents are encouraged to participate in reforestation efforts and make environmentally positive decisions.

While some locals have accepted the payments, others remain skeptical of the program’s impact. Ermelindo Mendes, a 23-year-old technician from the village of Monte Alegre, acknowledged that the payments are not large enough to serve as a salary but may provide helpful supplementary income. Conversely, Conceicao Moreno, a member of parliament, declined to participate, criticizing the initiative for failing to address deeper social and economic challenges faced by the island’s population. Moreno highlighted the poor state of healthcare, education, infrastructure, and high cost of living, describing the dividends as insufficient to support families. He called for partnerships with the government to promote broader social progress and infrastructure development rather than relying on charitable dividends alone.

In response, Michau noted that the foundation’s program was intended as a private, complementary effort—not a replacement for government responsibilities. She underscored a clear distinction between the foundation’s role and the state’s duties, framing the dividend initiative as an experimental approach to conservation rather than a comprehensive development solution.

The debate reflects broader tensions in balancing environmental preservation with socio-economic needs in some of the world’s poorest regions, where tourism-driven conservation models offer both potential benefits and limitations for local communities.