Travel & conservation company, since 1991
See how we earn 5 starsTrustpilot - 5 stars
×
SEARCH OUR STORIES
SEARCH OUR SAFARIS

Our Bloggers

Quick search:

Aaron Gekoski

Aaron Gekoski is a filmmaker, writer and photographer (both land and underwater). He specialises in raising awareness on the plight of threatened species and writes for over 30 publications worldwide. Aaron has recently covered the trades of shark finning in Mozambique, lion hunting in Zimbabwe, seal culling in Namibia, manta ray fishing in Indonesia, and Madagascar’s ‘tortoise mafia’. For more information please visit his website or head to his conservation film and media company.

Adie Ceruti

Adie Ceruti grew up in Kyalami and has always been on outdoor person with an incredible love for horses for as long as she can remember. She has been involved with Africa Geographic since 1998 and is as passionate about her work, as she is for the African continent. In her spare time, she enjoys photography and competing on her horse in show jumping competitions.

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year

The Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year Competition is brought to you by Land Rover and Canon, in association with At Close Quarters, Airlink, Klaserie Sands River Camp, Hideaways, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Thule and Rhino Tears. The competition will run from December 2016 to May 2017 and entrants can submit images via the online entry form or via Africa Geographic's Instagram channel. This profile will be used to showcase photographic tips from experts as well as blogs from our sponsors to set you on your way to becoming our Photographer of the Year!

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2018

Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2018, brought to you by Land Rover South Africa, with stunning prizes from Canon South Africa and Tanda Tula, will run from December 2017 to the end of April 2018. Click here for more details.

African Parks

African Parks is a non-profit organisation that takes on total responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments, wildlife organisations and local communities. We operate thirteen national parks in nine countries: Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi and Benin. Please see www.african-parks.org or visit our Facebook page for more information.

Alessandra Soresina

Alessandra Soresina has worked on a number of wildlife projects around the world. In Saadani Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, she was involved in a mammal monitoring project which led to Saadani being upgraded to a National Park. In 2001 she setup the lion project in Tarangire National Park, northern Tanzania, and for over five years concentrated her efforts on lion-human interactions. After setting up a snow leopard project in the Himalayas with the Università degli Studi di Siena, she was involved in mammal monitoring projects in Mozambique, Tanzania, Gabon and Botswana which are essential to the implementation of new protected areas. She has published three books and is the Italian Representative of Peace Parks Foundation and Ambassador of Carbon Tanzania.

Alison Nicholls

Alison Nicholls is an artist Inspired by Africa. She teaches guests to sketch wildlife during Africa Geographic Art Safaris and is a member of Artists For Conservation, the Society of Animal Artists and the Explorers Club. Alison donates a percentage to African conservation organisations from the sale of every painting, field sketch and limited edition reproduction.

Andrew White

With a teaching background in physical education and geography, based in Canterbury, UK, and as an education advisor for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, he has been travelling around Africa for the past 10 years, taking opportunities to support education and wildlife projects in Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Some of his highlights include diving with hammerheads in the Red Sea, trekking to see gorillas in Uganda, helping with white shark research in South Africa, assisting with anti-poaching and education projects in Zimbabwe and, most recently, supporting the work of Game Rangers International in Zambia. Between these projects, he leads school groups on adventure tours to South Africa and Nambia. My biggest project to date takes place in August 2013, when I and two cousins will cycle through Zambia in aid of the Elephant Orphanage Project, part of Game Rangers International and supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Animal Demography Unit

The Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town believes that the best way to achieve biodiversity conservation is through enabling conservation decisions to be based on solid quantitative evidence. The mission of the Animal Demography Unit is to contribute to the understanding of animal populations, especially population dynamics, and thus provide input to their conservation. We achieve this through mass citizen science participation projects, long-term monitoring, innovative statistical modelling and population-level interpretation of results. Visit our Facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest news.

Anja Denker

I am a Namibian by birth and live in Windhoek, my profession being a visual artist specialising in postage stamp design. I have always had an inherent love for wildlife and nature – especially lions and birds, and developed a passion for photography a few years ago. I am a keen observer and try to capture special and unexpected moments wherever I am. Conservation is close to my heart and I tried to raise awareness through postage stamp designs and by supporting the Desert Lion Conservation project. I am rarely parted with my camera and am fortunate to have a large garden with an abundant birdlife. My happiest moments are those that are spent outdoors, travelling around Namibia and other places, with my family and camera close by.

Anton Crone

Former editor at Africa Geographic.

Anton Kruger

Anton lives in Pretoria, South Africa, and works in his family's property development and investment business. He and his wife Renate both have a passion for wildlife, with a special interest in birds.

Bart Lukasik

I am an underwater videographer and wildlife media producer. I have spent the past 5 years on the east coast of South Africa and Mozambique staying at the most popular dive locations like Sodwana Bay, Aliwal Shoal, Tofo, Guinjata, Ponta d'Ouro. Aside from filming the underwater world I am a professional underwater guide and tour leader. Creatures of the Sea – Flashcards | Indian Ocean – is a concept project of mine to popularise knowledge about marine life species in a contemporary, fast-paced online media environment. Every episode is about a different specie of marine life and you will find everything from ferocious sharks, mellow turtles, friendly dolphins to colourful nudibranchs (sea slugs) and perfectly camouflaged fish and crabs. Watch all the episodes of Creatures of the Sea series on the Bart Videography Facebook page or can find all my video work on my website.

Beate Apfelbeck

I first travelled to Tanzania in 2010 and was overwhelmed by the diversity of life, both nature and people, I encountered there. It is my second home now and I regularly travel to East Africa (Tanzania and Kenya) for several months a year. When I am not studying birds, I enjoy village life in south-west Tanzania, or go and explore the mountains and national parks in the region. As a biologist I study how environmental variation influences the behaviour and physiology of birds. I am also a passionate photographer and love to share my experiences of the African way of life and my adventures in the field.

Ben Coley

‘Living the dream’ is a much over-utilised cliché, but finding myself immersed in the African bush after being born and raised in England, it's a phrase that eloquently sums up the life-changing events I have experienced. I always had an affinity for African wildlife and, as a child, spent countless hours reading literature, watching documentaries and daydreaming about living in this magical terrain. When the chance came along unexpectedly, I jumped at it and within a couple of months found myself deep in the bush, studying to be a field guide. I have never looked back. I have been in the industry for more than six years and currently ply my trade at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve alongside my wife and soul mate who is also a guide here. The photographic opportunities are endless and, as a keen amateur photographer and writer, I am in my element. I am incredibly proud of my achievements and currently hold FGASA 3, trails guide and SKS birding qualifications, but I still wake up each morning with a sense of excitement about what the bush holds for me to learn. No two days or sightings are ever the same and it is this emotional rollercoaster that drives me to pursue and share my passion on a daily basis.

Carolynne Geary

Carolynne is a South African who has returned after a decade here, there and almost everywhere. During her travels she gained a Masters in Conservation from University College London, taught in a Mexican university, managed a language school in Italy and became a field guide in the African bush. She is passionate about conservation, photography, languages and Italian gelato. The views expressed in her posts are her own. Connect with her on Facebook.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas

Cheryl Lyn Dybas, a science journalist and ecologist, and Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers, brings her passion for wildlife and conservation to many publications, including Africa Geographic, Scientific American, BBC Wildlife and The Washington Post. She has been a featured speaker on science journalism and conservation biology, and serves on the committees of several international scientific societies.

Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer founded and runs the NGO Campaign Against Canned Hunting, an international group of activists working to bring the despicable business of canned lion hunting to an end. He lives in the Klein Karoo where he runs a wildlife sanctuary. He is the author of a book about the Harnas Lion Foundation in Namibia titled For the Love of Wildlife, and also the book titled Kalahari Dream that describes the seven years he and his partner Bev spent rescuing wildlife.

Christian Boix

I left my native Spain, its great food, siestas and fiestas to become an ornithologist at the University of Cape Town and to start Tropical Birding, a company specialising in bird-watching tours worldwide. During that period of my life I travelled to over 60 countries in search of 5,000 plus bird species. Time passed, my daughter became convinced that I was some kind of pilot and my wife acquired a budgie for company – that’s when the penny dropped. I then joined the Africa Geographic team and run our safari business from England. Hardly contained in an office, I look forward to reporting on new and exciting travels, and continue to share the joy of safari, birding and exploration.

Christy Bragg

Clarissa Hughes

Clarissa Hughes has worked and travelled widely in Africa. With 30 years experience in the tourism industry her knowledge is varied and wide. Her interest lies at the nexus of human development and environmental conservation. Clarissa also has an interest in African culture. She is a co-founder of the Nhabe Museum in Maun, Botswana as well as the author of a book on the indigenous beliefs around the night sky titled ‘Flowers in the Sky – a celebration of southern African starlore‘. She is the author of a number of tourism and African culture related articles and is a member of the International League of Conservation Writers.

Claudia and Wynand du Plessis

Professional nature photographers Claudia & Wynand du Plessis have lived and photographed for more than 25 years in Namibia. Their heart and photographic passion belongs to the African wilderness, especially the wildlife of Etosha and the Namib Desert of Namibia. They offer a FREE eBook “Feel Namibia – a travel guide for the soul”. It provides 50 ways to feel and experience the magic of Namibia with all your senses. Claudia & Wynand designed an online photographic course, Take Better Photos in Namibia, where they share their insider knowledge and valuable photography tips, so that passionate photographers like you can take your dream images in Namibia too. They offer a 50% discount to readers of Africa Geographic here.

Clive Thompson

Clive Thompson is a lawyer, mediator and facilitator in one life and a boundary-pushing trail guide in another. He set out to give people fresh perspectives on the wilderness, offering new angles and links. The idea with these pioneering tracker trails is to make them a regular feature, connecting the special talents of marginalised San across the Kalahari Basin with nature lovers of the Kruger-sphere. An artline for some, a lifeline for others. Those who would like to walk with the Ju/’hoansi Master Trackers in Kruger should check in out the Discovery Trails website and drop a note to Clive at enquiries@discovery-trails.org.

Colin Bell

Instead of going into the expected world of finance after completing his economics degree at Wits University in 1977, Colin landed his first job as a safari guide in Botswana. In those days a cold beer came out of a wet long sock, tied to the side mirror of his Land Rover and cooled while hanging in the breeze. That was as good as it got. In 1983 Colin co-founded Wilderness Safaris with one of the best guides in Southern Africa, Chris McIntyre. The two of them ploughed all their enthusiasm, energies and limited savings (and one second-hand Land Rover) into creating what became one of the most successful specialist safari companies in Africa. Many of these lodges gained their “bush cred” through partnerships with local communities: it was through those negotiations and relationships that Colin started to learn – by trial and error – what worked sustainably and what did not. He went on to co-found Great Plains a year later. Colin is now completely independent and this freedom has allowed him to immerse himself in the Africa’s Finest book project without any vested interests. The book profiles the good, the bad and the ugly of the tourism and wildlife industries. Colin’s operations have successfully re-introduced rhino into the wilds of Botswana and pioneered sustainable partnerships with rural communities in Namibia that ensure that rhino thrive outside of protected areas.

Corlette Wessels

As a child my father used to take photo's of almost everything and that is where my passion for photography started. Then my husband gave me my first camera, a Minolta that changed my life. As my interest grew in photography, I upgraded to new and better equipment. I hope my shots elicit an emotional response in the viewer. My favourite place in the world is the Kgalagadi. To me this place just has some magic in its bones and many of my photos, as well as much of my blog content, is born there. This deep connection to the animals and bush, is quite simply the love of my life. My hope is that you will feel my deep love and respect for animals and nature through my photographs and in reading some of my blogs you can experience a little what I see when I am out there, doing the thing I love most. You can read more on my adventures and see more of my photography on my website

Craig Blewett

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller. I’ve scaled the daunting heights of the mind in order to get a PhD. I’ve explored the limits of my body by running the 90km Comrades marathon. Yet there is no greater adventure than to travel, and to travel as a family, through the vast wonders of Africa. Follow our family adventure here

Dalene Ingham-Brown

Dalene is passionate about her home continent, Africa, and everything in it. There isn’t a stretch of Africa she doesn’t hope to travel to and a story about her experiences she doesn’t want to share.

David Johnson

David Johnson has a focus: the impacts of human population and consumption growth. “It’s the growing number of us humans and the amount we consume which is the greatest threat to maintaining healthy ecosystems. You can worry about climate change mitigation, but when there are twice as many of us, can those mitigation measures be effective? For marginalised rural communities the situation can be worse, they often rely on healthy ecosystems for food, water, medicines, fuel and livelihoods” he says. With the population of Africa expected to double by 2050, David believes a new approach to conservation is needed. In partnership with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and NGOs specialising in voluntary family planning, women’s rights, early childhood development and job creation, David is seeking funding for a new style of integrated programme, which will lead to greater community and environmental benefits than had those organisations acted alone. You can read more of his work on his website and follow him on Twitter: @DavidJohnsonSA

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust embraces all measures that complement the conservation and protection of wildlife. These include anti-poaching, wildlife veterinary assistance, community outreach, safe guarding the natural environment and the rescue and hand rearing of elephant and rhino orphans.

Dereck Joubert

Dereck and Beverly Joubert are award-winning filmmakers from Botswana. Their mission is the conservation and understanding of the large predators and key African wildlife species that determine the course of all conservation in Africa.

Dex Kotze

Businessman, conservation activist, fundraiser for rhino conservation. Involved in raising global awareness for the plight of Africa's wildlife, especially endangered species of rhinos, elephants and lions, using social media platforms to educate against use of ivory and rhino horn in markets in Asia.

Di Tipping-Woods

Zimbabwean-born journalist Dianne Tipping-Woods has spent most of her freelance career looking for stories in southern Africa where travel, conservation and development intersect. Di is now based in a nature reserve close to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Contact Di via di.tipping.woods@gmail.com

Dmitri Markine

Dmitri began capturing images at the age of 7,playing with his grandfather’s film cameras. Overtime his passion for arts and photography grew, but only in an art school he realized that the dream can become a reality. In 2003 Dmitri Markine Photography was finally established. Since then his work was featured in numerous publications and won more than a 100 national and international awards in Wedding, Journalism and Wildlife categories. He was recently named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in Canada and is currently one of the most sought after photographers in the World! There is not a place in the world he would not travel, in order to get unique shots that he truly wants. And there is not a thing he won’t do to get that perfect shot. It is not uncommon to see him kneeling, laying on the ground or bent to an awkward position just so that the camera can capture what his eyes see. Visit his website, and blog to get more insight on what makes Dmitri so different from all other photographers.

Don Scott

Don Scott has over 15 years of experience in the Aerospace Engineering Industry in Africa, Europe and the USA, as well as 15 years in the Photographic Safari Tourism industry. Don’s journey with tourism started in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in 2001. Today, Don and his wife, Nina, are the owners of the Tanda Tula camps in the Timbavati. Don is deeply involved and dedicated to both community development and conservation through tourism in the region. He sits on the executive committee of the Timbavati, on the Joint Operations Committee for the APNR node of Greater Kruger, and he served on the Greater Kruger task team for Responsible Tourism and Best Practice.

Dr Benson Ntoyian Leyian

Dr Benson Ntoyian Leyian was born and raised in Noomayianat village in the Amboseli ecosystem in a large polygamous family to illiterate parents. Despite their lack of education, Benson’s parents urged him to attend school, which he did, ultimately receiving a PhD in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi, as well as becoming a Certified Public Accountant. He was the first CEO of Amboseli Ecosystem Trust, a grassroots institution working on landscape conservation issues in Amboseli. He later joined the County Government of Kajiado as a Chief Officer and technical advisor to the Governor before he looped back to conservation, where he now leads Big Life Foundation Kenya team. Dr Leyian has been heavily involved in planning and organizing land subdivision processes across the Amboseli ecosystem to achieve a balance between conservation, community livelihoods and community land ownership rights.

Elephants Alive

Erika Atienza

Erika Atienza is from the Philippines travelling through Africa with her husband, Martin from Denmark. Erika first came to Africa as a marketing volunteer that ended up turning into a business. As she frequents the continent a lot for work, she decided to put up a blog to help and encourage others to visit Africa because, as she puts it, "It's more fun in the wild". She also aims to show the 'Real Africa' by living local and of course, travelling sustainably. Unravel Africa with them at whileinafrica.com or Instagram.

Evelyn Poole and Robin Cook, Elephants Alive

Fair Trade Tourism

Fair Trade Tourism is pioneering the development of sustainable and responsible tourism in southern Africa and beyond. A non-profit organisation, it grows awareness about responsible tourism, helps tourism businesses operate more sustainably and facilitates the Fair Trade Tourism certification programme.

Fiona Ayerst

am a freelance adventure sport and underwater stills photographer and journalist with special interest in sharks. I turned professional in April 2006 after having been practicing as an Attorney for twelve years-and haven't looked back since. I travel the world extensively and write about adventure travel and conservation for various local and international publications. I also teach underwater photography, running specialist workshops for digital photographers on various locations around the East Coast of Africa.

Gail Thomson

Gail Thomson is a carnivore conservationist and science communicator who has worked in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana on human-carnivore conflict, community conservation and wildlife monitoring. Her published scientific work includes journal articles, chapters in scientific books and technical reports. She edits and writes for Conservation Namibia as part of her consulting work for the Namibian Chamber of Environment.

Garth Owen-Smith

Garth Owen-Smith is a Namibian conservationist. He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1993, jointly with Margaret Jacobsohn, for their efforts on conservation of wildlife in Namibia, where illegal hunting was threatening species such as elephants and black rhinos. His book "Arid Eden" is a must-read for serious conservation-minded people.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is dedicated to a sustainable future for all giraffe populations in the wild. GCF is the only NGO in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa.

Guest Contributor

In the Guest Blogger profile, you'll see fresh and exciting content from a range of contributors who have submitted their content to us on a once-off or temporary basis, including press releases, campaigns and exciting adventure and travel tales!

Hans Bauer

Prof. Dr. Hans Bauer works on biodiversity conservation, particularly across West, Central and the Horn of Africa. Currently employed by the University of Oxford, he has authored about 100 professional and scientific publications, including the IUCN Red List assessment for the lion. With an interdisciplinary conservation science background, he has focused on human-wildlife conflict, protected area management, sustainable development and capacity strengthening. Disclosure statement: Bauer works at WildCRU and has received research funding from various organisations, including the Born Free Foundation, National Geographic, Panthera, Zoo Leipzig, US Fish and Wildlife Service. He is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group and the University of Antwerp. Views expressed here are Hans's own, not those of any of these institutions.

Holly Meadows

I’m Holly - born and raised in the rural British Counties, my mother began life on a sugar farm in Zululand. After reading Anthropology at university in London, working for a political activist filmmaker in India, and doing a short stint under the bright lights of Bollywood – I decided it was time to return to the motherland. To earn a crust in the name of wanderlust, I finished up a post grad in media and hotfooted around South Africa as a freelance travel journalist.

Humane Society International

Humane Society International (HSI) and its affiliates together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organisations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals using science, advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide.

Ian McDonald

Ian McDonald has postgraduate degrees in ecology and zoology. He lectures on wildlife management, among other subjects, at a private college in Nelspruit. He is absolutely passionate about Kruger National Park, not only as a conservation asset but as an ecological gem for scientific studies.

Ian Michler

Ian has spent the last 24 years working as a specialist guide, photo-journalist and consultant across Africa, including a stint of 13 years based in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. When not guiding, he writes predominately for Africa Geographic covering topics on conservation, wildlife management, ecotourism, and the environment, and has been writing his popular monthly column since 2001. Ian is also the author and photographer of seven natural history and travel books on Africa, and is a past winner of the bird category in the Agfa Wildlife photographic competition (1997). He has also worked as a researcher and field coordinator on various natural history television documentaries for international broadcasters and as a consultant on ecotourism to various private sector and government agencies. Prior to his life in the wilderness, he spent eight years practicing as a stockbroker in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Irene Amiet

Irene Amiet is a native of Basel, Switzerland. While living in the Bermudas, Texas and South Africa, she has combined her work in the tourism industry with conservation projects and used her skills as a freelance writer and photographer to support these. She has served as a Field representative for Global Vision, worked with Rainforest Concern in Panama, and conducted big-cat density research in Limpopo, South Africa where she was later employed as a manager in a game lodge. Since 2016, Irene has been based in England’s North-West, where she co-owns a fine art gallery showcasing her and her husband’s photography. She is a correspondent for various international press entities. She is mom to two teenage boys, two cats, a dog and four chickens. Irene returns to Southern Africa whenever possible.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999 in recognition of its superlative natural beauty and unique global values. The 332 000 hectare park contains of three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, 700 year old fishing traditions, most of South Africa’s remaining swamp forests, Africa’s largest estuarine system, 526 bird species and 25 000 year-old coastal dunes – among the highest in the world. The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this unique place.

Izzy Sasada

Izzy Sasada is an investigative journalist and anthropologist. She graduated with a degree in Anthropology and English Literature from Durham University in 2020, and her work has focused on issues of climate change, human-wildlife conflict and human rights. From documenting traditional medicine in Zambia, to investigating crimes against indigenous groups in Namibia, Izzy aims to amplify social issues through her work.

James Hendry

James has spent two decades in and around game reserves in southern Africa working as a safari guide, head ranger, trainer, ecologist and lodge manager. He has also worked as a professional musician and wildlife TV presenter (Nat Geo Wild, SafariLIVE). James has written and co-written four books and published a number of research projects looking at the relationship between rural people and protected areas. He has an honours degree in environmental science and a masters in Human Development with a focus on people and parks. James speaks conversational Shangaan and Zulu.

Jamie Paterson – Scientific editor at Africa Geographic

Jamie was born in South Africa and grew up exploring the country’s wild spaces at every available opportunity. On successfully completing her honours in law at the University of Cambridge, she returned home and dove headlong into the wilderness, working as both a research and trails guide. Jamie also spent several years as a wildlife television presenter for NatGeo Wild and SafariLIVE in the Lowveld of South Africa and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. A desire to tell Africa’s stories as they deserve to be told led her to Africa Geographic, where she now works as the scientific editor. Jamie is currently completing a degree in Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria.

Jamie Paterson and Maxine Gaines

Jane Wiltshire

Jane Wiltshire is a Fellow of Stellenbosch University’s African Institute of Wildlife Economy and has recently submitted her doctoral thesis: The Rhinoceros Horn Trade Ban: Can Scenario Formulation help build Consensus amongst highly polarised South African Stakeholders?

Janet Winterbourne

Janet is a wildlife photography enthusiast, And when not doing her ‘day job’ in Cape Town she can be found camera in hand somewhere in the bush. She has a special affinity for Mana Pools and can be found on Instagram as Janet Winterbourne and on Facebook as Janet Winterbourne Photography.

Janine Avery

I am the first to confess that I have been bitten by the travel bug… badly. I am a lover of all things travel from basic tenting with creepy crawlies to lazing in luxury lodges; I will give it all a go. I am passionate about wildlife and conservation and come from a long line of biologists, researchers and botanists.

Jason Bittel

Jeremy Goss

I’m a simple guy and know what makes me happiest - time spent in wild natural places, preferably with awesome rocks, amazing clouds and my camera. After a number of years in the eco-tourism industry in Botswana and a backpacking stint around eastern Europe and Asia, I recently completed my MSc in conservation biology. My belief is that human population expansion, the root cause of the majority of our conservation problems, will eventually peak and reverse. My goal in life is to try to make sure we still have as many natural places as possible left at that time. See a portfolio of my photographic work or like my Facebook page for more constant updates from wherever I happen to be.

Jeremy Shelton

I feel lucky to share this beautiful planet with such an insane diversity of wild and wonderful creatures. It troubles me deeply that we humans and our antics have devastated so much of our wondrous world over such a short time. I aam a freshwater conservation biologist living in Cape Town, South Africa. My passion is to unearth and communicate the hidden beauty and plight of our freshwater ecosystems and thereby give them a fighting chance to share planet earth with us long into the future.

Jess Murray

Hi, I'm Jess! I am a wildlife conservationist passionate about spreading awareness of wildlife conservation issues, specifically the illegal wildlife trade and canned hunting. I believe in spreading awareness through education, and I have been involved in wildlife photography and documentary filmmaking, as well as writing, around South Africa for the past few years since I graduated. I run my own conservation blog and Facebook page , as well as sharing my wildlife photography on my Instagram. I have a particular fascination with the insect world, and hope to learn more about that, although at the other end of the scale elephants are my spirit animal. I have been obsessed with them since I was 2 years old, which is why I feel a strong need to protect them from extinction through conservation education.

John K Kasaona

Namibian John K Kasaona, one of 12 children to Himba-Herero parents, only went to school after the age of eight because his cattle herding role ended when most of his family’s cattle died in the great drought of the early 1980s. Today he works in community-based conservation. After giving a TED talk in 2010, he became a sought after Community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) speaker internationally, and has contributed to two US congressional hearings on conservation issues, as well as to the illegal wildlife trade meeting organised by Prime Minister David Cameron in the UK in 2014. His passion and commitment to uplift rural Namibian communities through CBNRM drives him, and he spends as much time as possible in the field among communities. He is chairman of NACSO, the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations and highly respected both locally and among Namibian decision-makers. Apart from his powerful community facilitation skills, he has made a major contribution to enhance understanding and support for CBNRM among top political decision-makers in Namibia, and beyond.

Josie Borain

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Josie Borain was officially recognised as the first South African Supermodel. She was the Fashion Editor for Fair Lady Magazine and further success came by establishing her name as a leading photographer with over twenty years experience doing portraits, self-portraits and reportage. In 2003 she published her own life story in a book, ‘Josie, You and Me’ by Bell-Roberts. Follow the Josie Borain in Africa blog series.

Karoline Hanks

I am a freelance editor/writer, ultra-distance trail runner and mother of one. My passion for the natural world and a desire to fix all that we are doing to it runs deep. In my twenties I travelled fairly extensively in southern Africa. Before varsity, I headed off to Malawi to work as a 'travelling chef' . In the early 90s, I spent about 6 very happy months working on the Zambezi/Chobe Rivers as chef-cum-guide. I am happiest when running, hiking or cycling up or down a mountain, or in big open spaces and wilderness areas, away from the madness of the city. In my freelance work, I write predominantly for school kids and almost always about matters environmental. I have an overriding interest in species, habitat loss and in looking at ways to live 'lightly'. Through my writing, I hope to whip up a desire to shift behaviour and to help people see the connections between all that they do and how the earth copes (or does not cope!)

Kellie Paxian

Kellie Paxian is a freelance travel content creator. She is a travel writer, editor, and digital marketer. Kellie is is the founder of www.adventurelust.travel, which offers travel apparel and gear, trip planning, an on-call travel buddy, travel content creation courses and coaching, and epic adventure meet-ups.

Kyle Miljof

Starting in March 2010, I have travelled through 46 countries and am still counting! I started out with a little point and shoot camera, which I had a lot of fun with. All went well and I started doing cover shoots, designed posters and covered events. I ended up doing nightlife photography, and made some cash taking photos around the Cape Town club scene. By the end of all this I had managed to save up enough ZAR to get myself the 5D Mark|| and thats how it all started. Soon after, I set off on my adventures armed with my Canon, and my affair with landscape and portraits just happened very naturally as I crossed the border from one country to the next. Learning a bit more each time, defining (and refining) my style as I went. Follow me at Kyle Mijlof Photography.

Kym Illman

Kym is a passionate and innovative photographer who developed his love for wildlife photography a few years ago. His wife Tonya, co-contributor to Africa on Safari, spent the best part of two decades trying to get Kym to join her on a safari and, in 2013, she decided to simply book the flights and tell Kym that he had to organise everything once on the ground. Kym was hooked from that first game drive, and the pair have since spent over 24 weeks away from their Perth-based audio production business photographing for Africa on Safari.

Lara Jordan

Linda Oosthuizen

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Linda first experienced the South African bushveld when she was a cabin attendant for the Dutch national airline KLM. It was love at first sight. First with the lowveld and Kruger, and later with her South African husband. Linda moved to South Africa four years ago and she and her husband currently live in Kruger National Park, where her husband is a trails ranger. She is a wildlife enthusiast, blogger, amateur photographer and mother of two boys. You can follow more of her adventures and about their life in Kruger on her blog Our life in Kruger and on Facebook.

Lori Robinson

Thirty years of travelling to and living in eleven African countries – from my first trip to southern Africa on assignment as a fashion model, to my recent role as Africa Adventures Specialist in East Africa for the Jane Goodall Institute – has nourished my lifelong passion for the natural world. My newest book, Saving Wild, Inspiration From 50 Leading Conservationists is available through Amazon. Connect with me at SavingWild.com

Maggie Hirschauer

I spend much of my time at VulPro watching the copulation behaviours of Cape vultures, hauling carcasses in varying states of decay, or smashing bones with a sledge hammer. You would not be the first to call me crazy for considering these enjoyable pastimes. I am conducting my Master’s research in South Africa alongside VulPro’s Cape vulture captive-breeding program. My study is the first to investigate captive-bred release success of the highly threatened species. I spent my early 20’s travelling East Africa while managing chimpanzee and blue monkey research projects. In my spare time I explored the region in self-guided mountaineering and hiking expeditions. I was born in America but have always found (or created) reasons to keep returning to Africa – what now feels like my home continent.

Malcolm Thomson

Margrit Harris

Margrit Harris is the Founder of Nikela. A small, US-based charity on a mission to help people saving wildlife. Margrit grew up in South Africa but has spent most of her life in the US. It wasn’t until 2009 that her heart returned to Africa, grabbed by the bush and its wild animals. Now, together with her husband Russ, she spends much of the year travelling in an old Land Rover, enjoying wild places and visiting people, saving one animal at a time.

Maria Hauck

Maria Hauck is Canadian-born but fell in love with Africa on her travels in 1994. She has a PhD in criminology and worked for two decades at the University of Cape Town, where she merged her love of the environment with her academic interests in ecological criminology. In addition to her own desire for adventure with her family, she now focuses her energy on connecting school groups and young adults to conservation experiences in Africa. Maria founded the non-profit organisation, Youth 4 Conservation, in 2018.

Mark Kaptein

Mark Kaptein is a passionate wildlife manager and field ecologist, specialising in carnivore research. One of Mark’s passion projects is the Cheetahs of the Kalahari Project – a research initiative aimed at understanding, studying and monitoring the cheetah population in the southern Kalahari, which was launched in 2020. Data for the project is collected through direct monitoring in the field and data collection with the help of citizen science. The project continues the efforts of Gus and Margie Mills who conducted official research on the cheetah population in the area between 2006 and 2012. Their work was continued by the Kalahari Leopard Project and citizen scientists contributing information on sightings and cheetah movements between 2012 and 2020. Most data for the project stems from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, but free-roaming cheetah are present on private farmland on the South African side of the Kalahari. The Botswana side of the Kalahari is connected to Game Management Areas, and much further afield with the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Sixteen years of data, combined with a small but dedicated team including Lucia Quindici, Wilmari Porter and Melanie Gorsler is what makes this project a success, and one of South Africa’s longest-running cheetah studies.

Mark Smeltz

Mark Smeltz is an avid traveller, writer, and photographer who is especially keen on the wild places of Africa. He strives to integrate firsthand travel experience with rigorous research in order to generate content that is both meaningful and useful to readers and potential travellers. His articles have appeared in print and online publications, and he's always seeking to expand his audience. You can view some of his recent work and get in touch with him via his online portfolio.

Maurice Schutgens

Born in the Netherlands but raised at the end of a tarmac road in a remote Ugandan village, Maurice was always going to end up living in Africa. After a brief stint in Europe he returned to this great continent to pursue a Master's in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town, which was followed by several years of traipsing across the globe in search of adventure and stunning wild places. For the last few years Maurice has been based in Kenya and is working towards securing a future for African elephants and the landscapes on which they depend. He is a passionate conservationist, amateur explorer and his camera is always with him! You can follow more of his adventures on Facebook, Instagram, and on his website.

Maxine Gaines

I am a wildlife biologist, with a BSc Honours degree and 12 years of experience observing and studying leopards in the wild. My undergrad Degree was a BSc with Majors in Botany and Zoology from Wits University. I then went on to study a BSc Honours in Environmental Management through UNISA which I passed cum laude. I have 12 years of experience with observing and studying leopards in the wild, 10 of these at Londolozi Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands, Greater Kruger National Park. There, leopards were a particular interest of mine and I was one of three Leopard Specialist Guides for many years. After leaving Londolozi, I was privileged to work as a Guide and trainer of Field Guides for &Beyond (Then CCAfrica) up in East Africa. I was able to add to my knowledge of leopard behaviour in this very different environment. I am currently a student again enrolled at UNISA for an MSc in Nature Conservation, with Predator Behaviour and Conservation being the focus of my studies.

Michael Schwartz

Michael Schwartz is an American consultant currently living in upstate New York. It wasn't until the age of twenty one when he got the opportunity to pack his bags and visit a South African game reserve. What started as a hobby soon developed into a passion for the African continent. With advanced degrees in Journalism and African studies, he has since had the good fortune of exploring the breadth of Southern Africa from its scenic shores to the rugged hinterland, as well as assisting in regional humanitarian endeavors. He plans to continue his journey discovering Africa while seeking out new ways of using his freelance photography and writing to promote environmental conservation and to raise cultural awareness.

Michelle Sole

Michelle Sole is a safari and polar guide, wildlife photographer and blogger. As a child, Michelle always had a love and respect for nature, animals and the outdoors. She competed for Great Britain as an alpine ski racer for ten years, chasing winters around the world. On a family holiday to Africa in 2008, Michelle fell in love with elephants. In 2011 she moved to South Africa where she completed her studies to become a field guide and worked for five and a half years in the Waterberg Biosphere in South Africa. In 2017 Michelle spent a year backpacking around the globe, travelling from one national park to another. At the end of the year she spent three months guiding in Antarctica. She now divides her time between the African sun and the Antarctic ice, sharing with guests her passion for whales, birds and photography. Her thrill for adventure, the outdoors and adrenaline are at the core of her photography and writing. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram.

N/a’an ku sê

The award-winning N/a’an ku sê Foundation was started in 2006 to protect and improve the lives of the people and wildlife of Namibia. The mission of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation is to conserve the land, cultures and wildlife of Namibia and rescue species threatened by an ever-shrinking habitat. N/a’an ku sê means “God will protect us” in the beautiful clicking language of the San - a language which Marlice van Vuuren, the founder of the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary, speaks fluently, having spent her life deeply involved with the San culture.

Natalia Flemming

Running free in the wild may be simply a dream for many in today’s constraining world. In my case, the quest for ‘mamofa’ country (miles and miles of f*** all, as once aptly expressed by an exploration geochemist from the University of Cape Town) has become an integral cornerstone of everyday life which I’ve had the fortune to nurture both above and below water, on snow-covered mountain slopes and desert dunes, along forested fjords and in the dry bushveld. On my journeys I have enjoyed the occasional company of snakes, parrotfish and giant fruit bats and have always shared my adventures with good friends or fellow long- and snowboarders. Born in Cape Town, raised in Germany and Switzerland, and travelling in Namibia and South Africa during lengthy visits to family and childhood friends, I can converse with humans in four languages (English, German, French, Italian) but the language of the wild remains elusive. It is for this reason that I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been accepted as an intern at Africa Geographic in Cape Town. This extramural practical forms part of my studies in International Journalism at the University of Bremen, northern Germany. When I’m not out and about, you can find and visit me on my blog: framedbynataliaflemming.wordpress.com

News Desk

A collection of current affairs articles and press releases from third party sources.

Nicholas Dyer

Nick grew up in Kenya and always had a passion for photography. After careers in finance and marketing, stuck behind a desk in London, he took the decision to return to Africa and turn his life around to dedicate it to photography, writing and wildlife conservation. He discovered the painted wolves of Mana Pools National Park and fell in love with them. Nick has spent much of the last six years living in a tent while following and photographing three packs on foot. See more of his photographs on his website, Facebook and Instagram page.

Norman Owen-Smith

Norman Owen-Smith was a former professor of African Ecology at Wits University until his semi-retirement and remains involved in research. His studies have focused on large herbivores and their interactions with savannah vegetation – particularly white rhinos, kudus and sable antelope. His most recent book ‘Only in Africa’ addresses the evolutionary ecology of human origins in Africa. He has backpacked widely in remote areas in Africa, North America and Nepal.

Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism

The Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism is Africa’s first journalistic investigation unit focusing on environmental issues. The Center combines traditional investigative reporting with data analysis and geo-mapping tools to expose eco-offences and track organised criminal syndicates in southern Africa.

PALF

The Project for the Application of Law for Fauna in the Republic of Congo (PALF) has been fighting wildlife crime and corruption in the Republic of Congo since 2008. Their strategy is to increase the risk of coming against the law for wildlife crime and to end the sense of impunity held by wildlife criminals in the Congo. In this way PALF is assisting the Congolese government to work towards better application of wildlife laws in the hope of discouraging poachers and illegal traffickers from undertaking these crimes against nature.

Paolo Strampelli

I am a final-year DPhil student with the Ruaha Carnivore Project and the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), at the University of Oxford. I specialise on large African carnivore research and conservation, and have worked on this in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. For my DPhil research I am investigating the status and special ecology of, and threats to, lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetahs, and hyenas in the Ruaha-Rungwa conservation landscape in southern Tanzania. My twitter handle is @Strampelli.

Peace Parks Foundation

Pete Ruinard and Paul Cryer

Pete Ruinard is a career conservationist with 30 years of protected-area management experience, with particular attention on elephant reserves. He is the former chairperson of the KZN Elephant Management Working Group. Pete began his conservation career in 1992 with the KwaZulu Bureau of Natural Resources, which in 1998 became KZN Wildlife. He was the conservation manager of several reserves in KwaZulu-Natal from 1997 to 2022, including Tembe Elephant Park, Ndumo Game Reserve and finally Ithala Game Reserve. In 2012 he became the chairperson of the KZN Elephant Management Working Group (KZNEMWG), a position he held until leaving KZN Wildlife early in 2022. In that time he became involved in numerous elephant-management related forums and groups, including as a member of the task team reviewing the National Norms and Standards for Elephant Management in South Africa. He was also a member of the government group leading the development of the National Elephant Management Strategy under the auspices of UKZN and SANBI. He is a member of the IUCN African Elephant Species Specialist Group and is also currently the deputy chairperson of the South African Elephant Specialist Advisory Group. Paul Cryer is a career conservationist with extensive field experience, focussing on developing protected area strategies, including elephant habitat expansion and human-elephant conflict. Paul has a BSc in Zoology, an MSc in Environmental Management and additional short course qualifications in protected area management, environmental law and GIS. In addition to working as a wilderness guide in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through the Wilderness Leadership School, he also set up and managed environmental education projects for disadvantaged South African youth (and participants from other countries) through the Wilderness Foundation, South African National Parks and provincial conservation authorities. Paul managed the iMfolozi Wilderness Research Project which revised conservation strategy and attained the first legal protection for the iMfolozi Wilderness Area. On behalf of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial conservation authority, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, he chairs the iMfolozi Wilderness Area Steering Committee. He is a board member of the Wilderness Leadership School and an advisory-board member of the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Citizen. Paul is also the director of the Rex the Rhino Conservation Trust, the coordinator of the African Conservation Trust’s Applied Ecology Unit, and a director of the Biodiversity Conservation Foundation.

Peter Borchert

Cape Town-born Peter Borchert has a career in publishing spanning four decades. He is one of Africa's most respected commentators, having written extensively about the continent. Peter served for many years as Africa Geographic editor-in-chief, a position he vacated in 2013.

Peter Kanda

I am a 29-year-old Kenyan computer scientist with an interest in politics, governance and protecting our nature. I hope to change and improve the lives of my fellow countrymen by impacting the spheres of influence I have.

Raeesah Chandlay

Raeesah Chandlay is a South African conservationist and freelance writer specialising in wildlife, conservation, and ecotourism. Visit The Wild Scribe for featured work. Also check out The Wild Pilgrim for eco-travel products, tips, and information.

René de Klerk

Ron Swilling

Ron Swilling is a freelance writer whose work is regularly featured in travel and outdoor magazines in South Africa and Namibia. It has also appeared in the publications Road Tripping Namibia, The World Famous Sunbeam Collector and Wild Horses in the Namib Desert: An Equine Biography, which includes the fascinating history and unique behaviour of this group of wild horses. She is presently the wordsmith for PadlangsNamibia. Ron’s travels lead her off the beaten-track to discover diamonds in the dust, wild desert horses, unspoiled nature and freedom in never-ending landscapes. Read more on her website www.followmyfootsteps.co.za

Rowan Martin

Rowan Martin heads up the World Parrot Trust's Africa Conservation Programme. Rowan first became involved with parrot conservation during his doctoral studies and in 2009 he moved to South Africa to take up a post-doctoral fellowship at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town. During his time at the ‘Fitz’ the allure of the continent’s parrots became too great and he took a lead role in reviewing the state of research and conservation in African parrots.

Russell Gammon

As one of Africa's leading professional guides, Russell Gammon has been conducting photographic safaris throughout Southern and East Africa for over 25 years. In addition to his encyclopaedic knowledge of Africa's wildlife, he is also an authority on the life of the Scottish Missionary and Explorer David Livingstone. A gifted communicator, Russell has lectured extensively on Africa's past as well the challenge that face us in preserving it's dwindling wilderness to audiences as far afield as Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA.

Ruth Leeney

Ruth Leeney is a researcher and training provider, with a PhD in marine biology. She grew up in Ireland and the UK and now lives in Namibia, but work has taken her to the Arctic, the USA, Greece and a handful of West African countries. She has spent the last decade and more, working on conservation and research projects focusing mostly on whales and dolphins. She also works on community education initiatives and the development of sustainable marine tourism, and has an interest in culture and traditions in coastal communities, particularly in West Africa. Her work, adventures and the colourful challenges of the ‘dark continent’ are documented on her blog, West Africa Cetaceans.

Ryan Biller

Ryan Biller is a freelance journalist based out of Denver, Colorado, whose primary interest revolves around climate and conservation. His particular focus is on human-wildlife conflict and how this can be appeased in different places around the world for the benefit of both the person and the creature.

Sallie Burrough

Dr Sallie Burrough has spent two decades digging holes in bogs, dunes and lakebeds, attempting to unpick the prehistory of Africa’s landscape. She is a senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford and a leading expert on the Makgadikgadi salt pans. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on environmental change, desert landscapes and human origins in southern Africa. She holds a PhD on Kalahari Megalakes from the University of Oxford, and Master’s degrees in both Quaternary Science and Science Communication. Despite her fondness for desert solitude, she has spearheaded efforts in her field to increase international researcher engagement with communities and collaborators in Africa. When not writing papers or hanging out with her two children in rural Oxfordshire, you’ll find her under a baobab tree in the Kalahari.

Sam and James Suter

From a young age James and Sam Suter were exposed to the wonders of Africa and it’s wilderness areas. After graduating with a diploma in Environmental Studies, James went on to guiding where he honed his skills, picked up his camera and started to document his day-to-day scenes. James now offers private photographic safaris and operates throughout Southern and East Africa. As well as his private guiding, James is co-owner of Black Bean Productions – a small independent production company in Cape Town. Sam is the producer at Black Bean Productions. With a passion for conservation, travel and Africa – she creates short films and assists teams in raising much needed funds and awareness to continue the good work they are doing on the ground. Black Bean Productions have produced films for the SANParks Honorary Rangers, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and most recently is working on a film for the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching unit – the first all female anti-poaching unit that are doing critical work in the Greater Kruger National Park. James and Sam have extensively traveled throughout Africa and recently got married and decided to take 6 weeks to explore the wild places of Namibia – they plan to visit many of the protected areas between Cape Town and the Kunene region in Namibia and share what they discover.

SANCCOB

SANCCOB is a leading marine-orientated, non-profit organisation which has treated more than 95 000 oiled, ill, injured or abandoned endangered African penguins and other threatened seabirds since being established in 1968.

Sarah Davies

Sarah Davies is a Project Manager at Game Rangers International, working alongside the Zambia Wildlife Authority to support wildlife conservation. GRI also support anti-poaching operations in the Kafue National Park. She qualified as a lawyer in the UK before moving to Zambia.

Sarah Kerr

Sarah Kerr was born in Zimbabwe. Her mother is a safari guide who taught Sarah to deeply respect and care for the natural world. She spent much of her childhood in Zimbabwe and Botswana's wild places and these experiences both inspired and nurtured her. She is passionate about documenting wildlife in its natural habitat and capturing the spontaneous moments of beauty that occur in nature. Her images aim to inspire and motivate the viewer to want to experience and conserve these areas. Sarah studied broad-based media in Canada before gaining her degree in Film & Television with a minor in Multimedia in Australia. She is based in Victoria Falls and is available to accompany guests on safari, capturing special memories and teaching clients how to best use their own cameras to do the same. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram and email her here.

Sarah Kingdom

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveller, yoga teacher, trail runner and mother of two. When she is not climbing she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia and Ethiopia, taking travellers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.

Save the Elephants

Based in Kenya, Save the Elephants works to secure a future for elephants. Specializing in elephant research, they provide scientific insights into elephant behavior, intelligence, and long-distance movements and apply them to the challenges of elephant survival. Education and outreach programs share these insights with local communities as the true custodians of this rich heritage. The team works towards a future of harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants. High-tech tracking helps plan landscapes while low-tech beehive fences, among other tools, provide farmers with protection as well as income. To battle ivory poaching, Save the Elephants teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Network created the Elephant Crisis Fund to identify and support the most effective partners in Africa and in nations with ivory markets to stop poaching, thwart traffickers and end demand for ivory.

Sean Messham

While taking photographs in the Cederberg, neck deep in water with a modest film camera, Sean Messham opened the shutter that he wanted to focus his energy towards environmental journalism. For more of Sean Messham’s images visit his Facebook Page, Sean Messham Photography.

Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

Award-winning writer and film-maker Sharon Gilbert-Rivett began her love affair with Africa as a child when she lived with her family in Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She began working in journalism in the UK as a rock music writer in the early 1980s before moving into mainstream journalism, moving back to SA in the early 1990s. She specialises in conservation, sustainable tourism and travel and has also written and produced natural history documentaries and TV series. She consults to the safari industry when she's not writing.

Sheelagh Antrobus

Simon Espley

I am a proud African and honoured to be CEO of Africa Geographic. My travels in Africa are in search of wilderness, elusive birds and real people with interesting stories. I live in Hoedspruit, next to the Kruger National Park, with my wife Lizz and 2 Jack Russells. When not travelling or working I am usually on my mountain bike somewhere out there. I qualified as a chartered accountant but found my calling sharing Africa's incredibleness with you. My motto is "Live for now, have fun, be good, tread lightly and respect others. And embrace change". Connect with me on LinkedIn

Simon Morgan

Director and co-founder of Wildlife ACT, Dr Simon Morgan was born in Zimbabwe, but spent the majority of his childhood and completed most of my schooling in South Africa. After completing a degree in Zoology, he moved to Zululand where he was employed as a Black Rhino monitor. He has since completed a PhD degree and is currently publishing papers on the information gathered. It was during this process that he noticed the need for the enhancement and outsourcing of existing monitoring programs and for new monitoring programs to be established and run on reserves across Zululand.

Sophie Brown

Sophie Brown initially studied fine art, gaining a Masters degree in the subject. It was during this period that her interest in photography began. However, her true passion for wildlife photography was ignited during her first trip to South Africa in 2014. She was captivated by the unique diversity African wildlife had to offer and is passionate about using photography to showcase this and aid conservation efforts of their habitats. She has since travelled to Africa whenever the opportunity has arisen, visiting much of Southern and East Africa. She has recently taken the plunge and left the UK to join the team at African Impact in the Greater Kruger as the photography assistant.

Stephanie Fuchs

I am a passionate wildlife lover with an undergraduate degree in Biology. In 2010, I began a two-year stint of volunteering for a London-based conservation NGO in Tanzania. A year later, on beautiful Mafia Island, I met a local Maasai who became my husband and I moved to his family boma in the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania. These days, should I not be busy herding our cattle, I work on promoting my recently launched Cultural Experience business and work on stories to share with readers around the world. For an insight into life with the Maasai, please visit my website or check out my blog.

STROOP

The South African feature documentary STROOP – Journey into the Rhino Horn War is an independently made film about the rhino poaching crisis – released in 2018. Expect unique footage – from the killing fields of Kruger to bush town courtrooms and the dingy back rooms of Vietnamese wildlife traffickers. This multiple award-winning feature documentary is available for digital download here.

Tanya Jacobsen

Tanya Jacobsen has a National Diploma in Nature Conservation. She does part-time consulting work for Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA) and other conservation bodies, including the PR for RhinoAlive.com, an awareness campaign in support of legal trade in rhino horn. She has lived and worked on game reserves since childhood and spent years in wildlife rehabilitation projects, particularly with indigenous birds and small mammals. Her work focuses on awareness/educational programmes, campaigns and networking in conservation issues, with emphasis on areas such as sustainable utilisation and the current rhino poaching crisis in Africa.

Taryn van Jaarsveld (Africa Geographic editor)

teamAG

We're an eclectic pack of safari experts, storytellers, admin and tech nerds and digital natives whose sole mission is celebrating Africa and doing good. We do this by creating life-changing, responsible safaris just for you, publishing informative, factual articles about Africa's incredible natural wonders and raising donations for worthy causes. This MANIFESTO explains our approach to travel and conservation.

Thalefang Charles

Thalefang Charles is a traveller, photographer, writer, and arts lover from Gaborone, Botswana.

The Blue Sky Society Trust

The Blue Sky Society Trusts-is an independent NPO working to create a community of like-minded, passionate individuals and connecting them, through education and action, to worthwhile projects that help to preserve and improve life for people, animals, and communities in need.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust

Casino Siteleri is a non-governmental, non-profit, conservation organisation, founded in 1973. We aim to conserve threatened species and ecosystems in southern and east Africa to the benefit of all people. Help us deliver Conservation in Action by supporting the EWT.

The Nomadic Diaries

The whole 'life is too short' cliche is real and I'm out to take advantage of it. I don't like money and I have no aspiration to be financially wealthy so I'm bartering and hitch-hiking my way around the world, offering any help needed, writing articles and guitar-gigging for food and lodgings as well as volunteering with wildlife\marine conservation organisations where I can to raise vital awareness. Life is one shot. No more. No less. Go live it. Follow my journey on Facebook or on my website.

The Rare Finch Conservation Group

The Rare Finch Conservation Group ( RFCG ) was founded in August 2005 by a group of South African and Australian finch enthusiasts , who all volunteer their services, and wish to play a meaningful role in ensuring the ongoing survival in the wild of the world’s threatened finches. The founding members are all experienced in the field of finch husbandry and wish to utilise these skills to the benefit of wild finches.

Tony Park

Australian writer Tony Park fell in love with South Africa on a short trip in 1995 and became hooked on the continent and its wildlife. Tony is the author of 18 thriller novels set in Africa and he and his wife Nicola now divide their time between two homes, one in Sydney and the other on the edge of the Kruger Park. Tony has worked as a journalist and PR consultant and served in the Australian Army Reserve as a public affairs officer, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002. For more information on Tony and his books, visit www.tonypark.net

Tyrone Ping

Growing up in Durban, South Africa, Tyrone Ping always had ample opportunity to find reptiles and amphibians, so that’s exactly what he did. This initial hobby led to a life-long fascination, and he began his adventure through Southern Africa trying to locate and photograph as many of these creatures as possible, while raising awareness for the lesser know creatures in Southern Africa.

Villiers Steyn

Wildlife ACT

Will Burrard-Lucas

Will Burrard-Lucas is a professional wildlife photographer from the UK. He uses innovation and technology to achieve fresh perspectives in his work and is the founder of Camtraptions.

[wpforms id="152903"]
<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full" id="wpforms-152903"><form id="wpforms-form-152903" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="152903" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/stories/bloggers/" data-token="9a35bd708defad991f5c1f097a817aa5"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-field-container"><div id="wpforms-152903-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-email" data-field-id="1"><label class="wpforms-field-label wpforms-label-hide" for="wpforms-152903-field_1">Email Address <span class="wpforms-required-label">*</span></label><input type="email" id="wpforms-152903-field_1" class="wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required" name="wpforms[fields][1]" placeholder="Email " required></div></div><div class="wpforms-submit-container"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[id]" value="152903"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[author]" value="1"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[post_id]" value="38875"><button type="submit" name="wpforms[submit]" id="wpforms-submit-152903" class="wpforms-submit" data-alt-text="Sending..." data-submit-text="Subscribe" aria-live="assertive" value="wpforms-submit">Subscribe</button><img src="https://africageographic.com/wp-content/plugins/wpforms/assets/images/submit-spin.svg" class="wpforms-submit-spinner" style="display: none;" width="26" height="26" alt="Loading"></div></form></div> <!-- .wpforms-container -->