Our Team

Managing Director

With African roots stretching back to 1820, John grew up as a free-range all-organic kid in KwaZulu-Natal. With big open skies, wild beaches, loads of friends and lots of space the outdoor bug bit hard and at an early age.

So after a first life in South Africa’s corporate world as an engineer, "collar-and-tie" routines were replaced by "shorts-and-rafters" in the Zambezi valley in 1994.

The company was born and John has spent at least some time wearing all of the hats needing to be worn in any fledgling company. Kariba at the start of the internet age was an amazing place until the politicians dimmed the lights.

Hence the move to the UK in 2000. John manages our systems, marketing and technical stuff, serves as our MD and also keeps his hand in at advising clients on their safari plans.

When not in the UK office John will be found on a mountain bike with mates, walking or swimming the family Labradors, doing consumer shows in the UK or travelling. John has a penchant for the wilder and more expeditionary treks wherever they're found in East, central or southern Africa…ever keen to explore.

John serves on the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) board – the primary objective of which is “advancing tourism to Africa”.

Development and Sales

Trish was brought up barefoot on an African tobacco and cattle farm (until she was sent to boarding school)! The farm had thousands of acres of bush filled with duiker, bush pigs, guinea fowl, all things small and the occasional elephant that’d strayed too far from the Zambezi!

Trish studied interior architecture for the corporate market but has spent most of her working life in the safari industry one way or the other. Trish currently works with her own clients arranging safaris all over Africa and acts as our general manager and anything else which might come up in a busy office.

Having lived for 36 years in Africa, Trish has spent time in England since dark days in Zimbabwe after the 2000 election. She returns to Africa as often as possible and sometimes when it’s impossible - even then it’s not enough to satisfy her love of this amazing continent.

Trish is a seasoned traveller in Africa, there're few places she hasn't visited. In recent years Trish has spent time seeking out the remoter and less trammelled spots including Gabon, northern Uganda and western Tanzania.

When not in the Devon office Trish looks for any conceivable business reason to be with her children Ashton and Corrie at Imperial College in London or doing something outdoors.

Trish takes part in sporting activities including running, walking and cycling particularly on Dartmoor. She is a keen amateur photographer and some images have been used publicly including the Forest Hog on threatened species site ARKive. 

 "At the still point of the turning world, there the dance is, and there is only the dance"

T.S.Elliot

Professional safari guide and Senior Consultant

Born in Masvingo near Great Zimbabwe, Chris has lived in remoter spots most of his life. His early interest in wildlife led to a career starting with the Department of National Parks in 1980. Chris qualified as a Professional Guide in 1986.

One of the "old school" guides in Zimbabwe, Chris has led many safaris through Southern African including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, and further afield in Uganda, Congo, Gabon and Madagascar.

Chris is credited with a study on the White Faced Owl published in several bird books including the definitive work "Roberts Birds of South Africa". An accomplished photographer, Chris won Zimbabwe's Wildlife Photographic Competition in 1993 and has done several presentations for wildlife charities each year since.

Chris is a company Director and our resident Pro Guide spending most of the year planning specialist itineraries to his favourite destinations in Southern Africa. Chris spends a few months every year conducting private safaris for wildlife photographers and specialist clients.

In his spare time Chris is also our official Hardware and Software Test Engineer and over the years has pushed every element of our office system to its limits ... using two typing fingers!

Chris spends time every year in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe but also travels to Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa and anywhere else his clients take him.

If not on safari Chris is busy managing our Victoria Falls office and if you're travelling to Vic Falls, you may even have him picking you up from the airport or meeting you for a drink!

"There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same"

Chinese proverb

Team Manager

Based in a satellite office on the edge of Dartmoor National Park with two furry co-workers, Debbie is fortunate to have glorious views and wonderful moor land walks on her doorstep.

Two post graduate daughters - one living in Devon working in habitat management and the younger one temporarily back in Devon but always planning a return to Africa (her middle name should have been ‘walkabout’ as she has the travel bug).

Debbie has worked in the safari industry since 2000 - first with one of the UK's best safari marketing and representation companies and since 2004 as our Sales Team Manager.

The Africa bug bit hard during Debbie's first safari experience - the sights, smells and sounds of Africa have had her hankering after the continent since.

Within Africa Debbie has travelled through Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia but regularly hears the next trip calling and is ever ready to answer! Debbie was most recently in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia with a long wait at Johannesburg airport in between. She's even tried out the new Yotel "coffins" at Heathrow airport for us with a healthy dose of whisky to get her through the night!

"Only he that has traveled the road knows where the holes are deep"

Chinese proverb

Safari specialist (Southern Africa)

Liz was born in England and moved at the young age of 2 to Africa; she grew up in Zimbabwe. Based in our Zambezi valley office she lives with her husband and young son in a wonderful house perched atop Kariba Heights with a stunning view overlooking Lake Kariba.

Liz regularly sees baboons, buffalo and elephant on trips around Kariba and is passionate about Kariba, sunny days at the pool and "big town big time" shopping whenever she's near a real city!

As a part of the original team in the Kariba office, Liz initially managed products for the company and is now a mainstay of our consulting team.

Liz has travelled throughout Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa and much of Zimbabwe and continues to work with a strong following of old and new clients travelling to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

When not in the Zambezi valley office Liz travels to the UK to visit her son, her daughter and her young family, travels in Zimbabwe and tries her best to keep the baboons from running off with her satellite broadband dish!

In recent years Liz has spent time traveling to Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by every moment that takes your breath away"

Anonymous

Safari specialist (Victoria Falls)

Delene is one of the busiest people in the company. Always an excellent ambassador, Delene used to be the first voice you'd hear in our Kariba office before moving to an even remoter haunt in the Luangwa Valley. Delene is still very fond of her phone but unfortunately lives in an area where there are none!

Part of our original Zambezi team responsible for managing flowcharts and client movements, Delene is now based in Mfuwe, Zambia and serves as one of our specialist consultants taking care of clients travelling on the Zambezi and Luangwa valleys.

Delene has a closely knit family life with two grown sons and a husband who manages a fleet of safari vehicles. Delene is always keen to test a new camp, attend a trade show or just go on safari!

When not in the Luangwa valley, Delene can be found in the UK visiting her son and Zimbabwe visiting the rest of her family.

'Tomorrow brings many things'

Tonga proverb

Safari specialist (Southern and East Africa)

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Jackie finished her schooling, earned a Diploma in Tourism and worked for 9 years in sales and marketing for two leading safari operators in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Her speciality then was adventure travel and canoe safaris in Victoria Falls and the lower Zambezi. During the 1990's Jackie worked closely with our team in the Kariba offices.

It took a few years of badgering her to join us before she relented - Jackie emigrated from Zimbabwe in 2002 and joined the UK team.

Jackie has travelled extensively through Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Uganda.

Take a look at her newsletter online

Jackie specialises in tailor made safaris to East and Southern Africa and works with many of our returning clients.

With 3 teenage children and a busy husband who is also on our team, Jackie works from her home office in Lincoln - always ready and enthusiastic to help in whatever way!

When not in her office Jackie is involved with the local charity in voluntary work keeping the streets of Lincoln safe during the weekends.

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength"

Christian verse

Safari specialist (East Africa)

British born and then brought up in Nakuru (Kenya) Fi has had a lifelong love affair with Kenya. Clocking up an amazing 100 international flights in and out of Nairobi Fi has stopped counting now! With 12yrs of experience in the safari industry representing various Kenyan based companies in the UK, Fi has also attended numerous travel shows including Destinations Show, the Bird Fair and CLA Game Fair. A testimony to Fi's passion for Kenya is that her annual holidays are taken in Kenya by choice and not on behalf of the company.

Fi is looking forward to more research within Kenya and Tanzania this season. When she is not breathing and thinking of East Africa, Fi lives in Berkshire with her teenage daugher Alex and an extremely eccentric dog called Bruno.

Safari specialist (Southern and Eastern Africa)

Mark comes into the travel industry from an unusual angle having been a professionally qualified horticulturist and nurseryman with over 20yrs experience. He is very well travelled and has visited most of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Mark met another member of our team, Jackie (otherwise known as Misi), and married her in 2003. Together they make our second husband and wife couple with a great strength of experience between them.

His recent forays into Africa have led him to Zanzibar, North Tanzania, Livingstone, Botswana, Victoria Falls, Nyanga and Great Zimbabwe. He has a great love for photography, walking, horse riding and is very interested in the cultural side of countries he visits. Recently he's had great fun on a 2.5 day white water rafting trip on the mighty Zambezi at Victoria Falls which he combined with a safari in Kafue National Park, Zambia.

When not in the office Mark likes nothing better than to practise his horse riding with his youngest daughter for their proposed horse riding safari in Hwange National Park.

Finance

Born in Germany, Jane spent most of her childhood on the move around the UK and a few years in Singapore, long before it was all tidied-up!

She's worked in Norway and Scotland before moving to Devon and has since travelled to a smorgasbord of spots around Europe, Thailand, America, Canada, Scandinavia and a few islands in the Mediterranean. Each year she tries to snatch a week to ski in the Alps and adores the stunning scenery and atmosphere in the mountains.

Her time at home in Devon is spent playing tennis, gardening, reading and just generally trying to keep up with life and four children.

Jane manages our company accounts from the Ermington office. Shell shocked over the last few years worth of dealing with our African suppliers Jane always looks forward to seeing Africa from a different point of view other than the end of an invoice. (Her most recent African forays were into Kenya and Zambia/Namibia/South Africa)

"Tarmac" is Jane's office companion, a blue roan cocker spaniel, intent on proving that he's the real Alpha male at head office...he survives by wits alone...

Team administrator (Africa)

Char hails from Irish stock who arrived in then Rhodesia in the early 1900’s. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Char has two children - one pursuing a commercial diving career and the other a teacher who is married and has twins. There're a couple of other babies in the family - a "dachsie" and a Rhodesian RidgebackxDoberman cross!

Since 1975 Char has lived with her fishing-mad husband in Kariba, enjoying the freedom of living in the bush and having elephants wandering past the house.

As the coordinator of safaris for the Africa based safari consultants, Char takes care of itineraries and back up plans for clients travelling through southern Africa.

Char is a seasoned traveller in Turkey, Spain, the USA and closer to home through South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Char's keen on keeping fit with running and is an eager participant in Kariba's annual half marathon - she also cycles being careful to not get in the way of the local elephants and buffalo on early morning cycle rides! Last year Char tested out the Lower Zambezi river both on foot and by canoe. This year who knows where her feet or her bike will take her ...

Angela was born and brought up in Hwange, Zimbabwe. She enjoyed many hours of game viewing in Hwange National Park, fishing on the Zambezi River and w/ends in Victoria Falls with her parents and three brothers.

Angie studied cordon bleu cookery for 2 yrs in Cape Town. This brought her back to Zimbabwe in 2000 to run a steak house in Victoria Falls. In 2006 and now with two energetic sons, a career change led to working as a travel consultant for a leading safari company in Southern Africa.

Since immigrating to England in 2008 Angie has worked as a nursery assistant before joining Zambezi in our Devon office. Time at home is spent experimenting in the kitchen, attempting to pass some culinary skills onto the boys. Outdoor life is a big part of the family's life to ensure a good nights sleep for all!

Ashton and Corrie assist with keeping our websites updated and although they're both at university, undertake this role during their holidays and down time.

Both are studying towards their Materials Science Engineering Masters at Imperial College in London. They do intend specialising in different segments of materials science eventually so not everything will be exactly the same for them!

Whilst developing material for the websites Corrie has decided to take up scuba diving to take advantage of the Indian Ocean Islands while Ashton intends climbing every mountain in our range including the Rwenzori's and Mt Kilimanjaro later this year.

Both are well travelled in Africa and have tried out the many family activities especially canoeing the Zambezi, sailing and diving on Lake Malawi and fishing and can vouch Africa is THE PLACE to be if you really want to have some fun!