Environment & Natural Resources
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18 Aug 2025
Pavitray Pillay to lead marketing & business development at WWF SA
WWF has announced that Pavitray Pillay has been promoted from corporate engagement and behaviour change lead to head of business development and marketing at WWF South Africa. In this role she will be taking the lead on growing the organisation's fundraising and corporate partnerships as it advances its 2030 strategy.
WWF South Africa has appointed Pavitray Pillay as its new head of business development and marketing. Source: Supplied.
Double income
The appointment comes as WWF aims to double its annual income over the next five years.
In her new role, Pillay will focus on securing funding to support critical conservation work, raising awareness across sectors to keep nature top of mind in decision-making, and building a community of supporters who champion WWF's mission beyond donations.
“One of my biggest ambitions is to make WWF relevant to all South Africans,” says Pillay. “I want people to see WWF as an organisation that safeguards the environment and makes a real difference in their lives, their family’s lives, and the future of our planet.”
Impact on nature
Her promotion builds on her previous work securing programmatic funding through corporate social investment (CSI) and helping businesses embed sustainability into their strategies. “It’s about more than fundraising,” she explains. “We guide companies to understand their impact on nature and their dependence on it, co-developing strategies that reduce risk and create positive environmental outcomes while understanding companies need to mitigate risk while building resilient, prosperous businesses.”
While financial growth provides clear metrics for success, Pillay believes the true measure will be WWF’s tangible environmental impact - halting biodiversity loss, addressing climate change, and building a healthier planet for future generations. “I want to wake up each day knowing the work we do today leaves a legacy where people and nature can thrive together,” she concludes.