He holds a Ph.D. in resource ecology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2009), a Masters degree in resource conservation biology from the University of the Witwatersrand (1995), and a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in zoology and botany from the same university (1993). He has over 15 years of research experience in human-environment relationships in rural South Africa, and is particularly interested in rangeland ecology, rural livelihoods, sustainable resource use, community based natural resource management, resilience, and socio-ecological systems.