My work

I am a private safari guide and ecologist. For twenty years I have built a network of travel agents and guests that I host and guide around Africa while continuing to work closely with a number of conservation projects that are dear to me.

My work is my passion and so I share with you the Africa that has shaped me. As an ecologist my guests get top quality in-depth understanding of nature and wildlife; in recent years, I have developed a passion for the cultural diversity of Africa’s people. I give presentations and lectures on various natural history subjects and conservation issues - I love to share my work and passions with people from all walks of life.

Giving oxygen to a white rhino while fitting tracking devices

I spent my childhood exploring the wonders of the natural world with my brother. From the Fynbos of the Cape to the classic African savannas we were often immersed deep in nature. This manifested my love for the continent as I dreamed about exploring further afield.

When it came to tertiary education I wondered about going into business school or architecture but neither was my true calling. I took my Mom’s advice and followed my passion completing both Ecology and Earth & Geographic Science majors followed by postgraduate studies in Zoology. These were the tools I needed to finally venture out on my own…

With strong conservation values and the desire to learn, I started out assisting on various projects before finding my first permanent work in the bush as a safari guide at Mala Mala. There I developed a keen interest in wildlife photography, eventually joining my dad’s photographic studio back in Cape Town. Having a Mom as an English teacher and with years under the watchful eye of the ‘grammar police’ I realized that I was becoming a very keen writer - this has enabled me to share my experiences.

The call of the wild kept the desire for adventure strong though and one thing led to the next…

I started my second life-changing job - working as the Conservation Ecologist for Wilderness Safaris up in the Okavango. The list of tasks was endless and for years, no two days were the same. My work covered all concessions and lodges, where I focused on extensive wildlife monitoring, camp minimum standard audits, sustainability, hosting researchers, and conducting research, often working closely with different government departments. During that time I worked for the Botswana black and white rhino reintroduction program where I was the boma manager at both Mombo and Piajio bomas as we brought in over 40 black rhinos and many white rhinos. I was blessed to work closely with various tourism companies and some of the best vets and game capture teams from across the continent. During this time I started a conservation blog ‘bush 24’ which highlights my work and other conservation projects in the Okavango and beyond.

With a good decade in the bush behind me, I chose the freelance route as a safari specialist. This has enabled me to help create dream safaris and guide many guests to the best destinations across Africa, while being able to continue to make a difference with various conservation projects close to my heart.

Botswana is an incredible country and part of me wanted to work there forever but when my work permit came to an end I decided that was a sign to move on and keep exploring and getting involved in other parts of the continent. This has taken me to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Madagascar and other countries resulting in my safari and conservation experience continuing to grow.

Unfortunately, most of us in tourism really suffered during COVID and this almost put a complete halt on African travel for two years. Personally, it was a time to explore other avenues, work on new projects and grow. Towards the end of 2021, I joined Panthera as a field technician for the Arabian Leopard Project. This was a great opportunity to use my experience in Africa and apply it to a new area and experience a new culture as we covered huge ground surveying the higher mountains on the Arabian peninsula.