Conservation Status: In 2024, the African penguin was re-classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN red list. The population size has decreased with numbers falling to less than 10,000 breeding pairs left in the wild.  Threats include the adverse effects of climate change, over fishing of surrounding waters, oil spills, noise pollution and habitat loss.

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is a registered non-profit organisation whose primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations through the rescue, rehabilitation and release of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds, especially endangered species like the African penguin.