Bidding for a once-off official sale of 51 tons of stockpiled South African ivory got underway in Pretoria on Thursday morning.

Bidders included potential buyers from China and Japan.

Speaking before the auction started, SA National Parks chief executive David Mabunda said the sale would benefit conservation.

"We fully appreciate and embrace our responsibility to ensure that we stamp down on poaching of any kind," he said.

"We intend to use considerable amounts of the funds we raise today towards increasing our anti-poaching capacity."

Mabunda said park budgets were under strain and a large portion of the revenue to be raised was earmarked for elephant-related research, general conservation including employment of additional game rangers, anti-poaching measures, and buying more land.

Community development projects, specifically in communities affected by the presence of elephants, would also be on the receiving end of the funding.

"Our protected areas are under threat from sophisticated and well-resourced poaching syndicates, and to think that protected areas can contain this scourge without proper resources would be suicidal," Mabunda said.

He said contrary to the claims of detractors, the sale — sanctioned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — was not a licence to cull elephants.

He said it would make a considerable contribution to the country's conservation efforts.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare has opposed the sale, saying the revenue will not be enough to address the problems of poaching.

Sapa