Having completed a tertiary qualification in Nature Conservation Andrew worked for the Natal Parks Board (Kwa Zulu Natal provisional government’s conservation authority) for 11 years. Ten of these years were in Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park where he spent five years in charge of the wilderness trails section and 5 years as warden in charge of one of the parks sections.

During his time in the wilderness trails section he lead over 150 4-day trails into the wilderness and others areas of Umfolozi and it was this experience that inspired him to have his own business in tourism in 1996.

Andrew is a registered Tourist Guide with a Specialist Nature and Cultural Guide qualifications. In addition to a passionate knowledge of wildlife, and the management thereof, his other special interests include: Zulu Culture, medicinal and traditional uses of plants and bird watching.

Andrew has travelled extensively throughout South and Southern Africa to build up an intimate knowledge of the tourist opportunities available.

Susi has been with the business from the start (being married to Andrew ) and has helped with everything from picnic lunches in the bush to catering for College Groups, but her main function is on the financial and administration side, when she is not out riding horses or milking cows, making yogurt or feta and generally enjoying farm life.

Kirsty was born and bred in Kwa Zulu Natal - Pietermaritzburg. She studied Travel & Tourism in Durban before travelling abroad to spend two years working and travelling through most parts of the U.K, Europe & India. With Africa and the bush in her blood she came back home, experienced in travel and with a good knowledge of what travel is all about. She started working in the travel industry straight away, initially as a travel agent, specialising in outbound travel.

Kirsty joined Zulu Safaris in 2002 as a tour consultant, specialising in the itinerary design and planning of guided safaris throughout South Africa.

Kirsty is passionate about her country and game for anything! She has done numerous trips around South Africa visiting lodges, game reserves and also enjoys adventure activities.

For Kirsty "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW! - what a Ride!" So get out there and have the ride of your life!

“It will define you.” (Comrades Marathon Association.) A well stated motto.

My interests lie in fishing, hiking and running. From time to time I have jumped out of a perfectly good aeroplane. I enjoy most outdoor activities, and am always keen for any adventure.

I enjoy visiting and exploring new places. My overland travels through Southern Africa, including some for church mission organisations, have taken me to some out of the ordinary places and have brought me into contact with a lot of interesting people.

I also have a widespread background and knowledge in agriculture and teaching.

People ask me why I do these things. Well the answer is “because it’s there!”

Gwyneth Jones

Gwyn takes care of the background admin, and loves it. She feels that we are fortunate to live in a country as beautiful and varied as South Africa and keeps discovering new places that she still wants to see. She is passionate about her family, friends and photography.

Some of her favourite quotes are:
“Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own” – Benjamin Disraeli

A wilderness trail in Umfolozi Game Reserve in 1979 had such a profound impact on Garth that he resigned from his job with a bank and signed up as a ranger at a private lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. This experience sparked the desire to study further in the field of wildlife management so he resigned to pursue full time study for a diploma in Nature Conservation.

After completing his studies Garth joined the South African National Parks Board where he worked for 7 years as a Senior Education Officer at Golden Gate Highlands Nat. Park. He then moved to the Orange Free State Dept. of Nature Conservation as a Senior Education based at Willem Pretorius for a further 4 years.

Garth then returned to the private sector with Conservation Corporation Africa initially as head ranger at the prestigious Londolozi Game Reserve and then in a training position for the group.

This position took him to all the group’s lodges throughout Southern and East Africa, training and evaluating staff.

Recognising his expertise in the field of environmental education Garth was offered the opportunity of staring up the Wilderness Bush School for Conservation Corporation Africa in Zululand. For a further 4 years he coordinated and conducted educational programmes for the entire spectrum from Primary Schools to Tertiary Education Institutions. Unfortunately this asset was sold and the new owners did not wish to continue this programme.

Garth is a registered National Tourist Guide with a specialisation in Field Guiding (Nature/Wildlife Guide).

Colin was born in Durban and raised in Swaziland. On finishing college he joined the Swaziland Police and later joined the Police in what was then Rhodesia.

On returning to South Africa at the end of the 70s he started his career with TEBA, a wing of the Chamber of Mines supplying labour to the gold mines. He took on many roles within TEBA where he operated in all the homelands gaining an intimate knowledge of South Africa’s many ethnic groups in South Africa and neighbouring countries. In later years he became director of the Social Services Division working out of Johannesburg and dealing directly with disabled and terminally ill mineworkers from Malawi to the South African Cape Province.. Colin found his niche in the social services arena including empowering the disabled in deep rural areas with his mix of empathy and practicality; quickly obtaining support for the many diverse projects he initiated to improve the lives of the people. A few of these projects included the building of clinics, the formation of community vegetable gardens, an adult literacy programme, support basis for quadriplegics and HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families, with home base care initiatives.

Colin has lived most of his life in rural areas hence his interest and experience in nature, culture and wildlife. His career has seen him at ease in both the corporate and rural environments where his skill in dealing with people and serving his community on many levels has been utilised.

Stef is a registered National Tourist Guide with a specialist qualification in nature and cultural.

Born and bred in the Kwa Zulu Natal Midlands with the Drakensberg Mountains on his doorstep, Stef’s passion for the outdoors was fuelled whilst getting to know, on an intimate basis, its passes, peaks, caves, shelters and seasonal moods. Three times Stef has undertaken the challenging "Grand Traverse" across the top of the Drakensberg from Royal National Park to Bushman's Neck.

Being a keen naturalist Stef qualified as a Field Guide and has explored and guided tours to all the wildlife areas of Zululand, as well as Kruger National Park and much more.

Most importantly Stef enjoys sharing his expertise and knowledge with small, interested groups. Stef has Africa in his blood and will lead you to remote, pristine areas where he will help you can feel the very heartbeat of Africa.

Hannelie Morris (Hani)

Hannelie was born and raised in Pretoria. During this time she spent most of her free time either on the farm, or hiking, horse riding and travelling through Southern African Nature Reserves with her family.

She did a B.Sc degree (majors - Botany and Zoology), as well as a teaching diploma, at the University of Stellenbosch. While studying she lived for weekends, which were spent in the Western Cape Mountains, either hiking, mountain biking or rock climbing. This continued while she worked in the UK and Germany. Returning to South Africa she taught Biology and Mathematics in Pietermaritzburg for a couple of years, spending most of her free time with the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA), especially in the Drakensberg. Serving on the MCSA committee since 2007, she has also recently become an Assistant Rescue Organiser for the Technical Rescue Team.

In 2006 she decided to realise her dream and become a guide. She is now a qualified field guide and especially enjoys combining her gift for teaching with her love for nature and getting others to appreciate it with her.

Growing up in rural Zululand a stones throw away from King Shaka’s Kwabulawayo capital and the grave of Queen Nandi (Shaka’s mother) is a contradiction of carefree days of exploring the hillsides, valleys and forest in search of stray cattle and goats on the one side and the realities of the hardships that rural communities face on the other. No access to running water let alone a half decent education or primary health care were everyday realities. Power to operate a television was a luxury his parents believed was essential for their children’s education, which was supplied by a 12 volt car battery that had to be carried miles to be recharged. This “window” to the outside world kindled a determination and drive to excelled both in and out of school. Lacking resources to further his education Patrick found employment at a commercial traditional village. Starting off as a labourer he worked his way up to a traditional dancer, then to a qualified cultural guide and finally into management. Exposure to travellers from all corners of the world fuelled a desire for travel, which lead to a number of overseas trips. Realising that the commercial Zulu Cultural experience was not the real deal and meeting up with African Insight opened an opportunity to develop the concept of an authentic cultural immersion experience in his rural Zululand home community. Ekuthuleni authentic cultural home stay was the start, which soon grew into a more comprehensive community volunteering programme that undertakes projects in schools to improve the learning / teaching environment and low maintenance water projects which supply potable to homesteads that have no access to the government water system.

Merle was born in Kwa-Zulu Natal and lived for a short time in Malawi.

She is a registered tour guide and has travelled extensively throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho. She has a lot of experience in taking both large and small groups on various tours and staying in many places from luxury lodges to camping sites and rural villages.

She loves sharing her passion for Africa and enjoys meeting new and exciting people from different walks of life.

One of her favourite quotes is:
“We regret more the things we did not do than the things we did”.
So reach for the stars and follow your dreams!

Ron Gold was born in the hilltop town of Eshowe in the heartland of old Zululand. Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal enabled him to become a fluent isiZulu speaker. Throughout his career he has travelled extensively in South Africa and as far afield as Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

During his travels he has acquired an intimate knowledge of the customs, history and tradition of the indigenous people, especially of the "people of heaven" who live in the Kingdom of the Zulu.

An accredited culture guide with KwaZulu-Natal Tourism, during the past decade, Ron has concentrated on expanding his knowledge and lifelong interest in military history which he is now passing on to both foreign and South African visitors. He spends much of his time on the Battlefield Route which includes the well-known Anglo Boer war battlefields of Spioenkop, Colenso, Ladysmith as well as sites from the Voortrekker period and Anglo Zulu war sites of iSandlwana, Rorke’s drift and others.

Home for Ron and Sandie Gold is their traditional thatched imuzi on the Winterhoek farm that merges with the rough sandstone and acacia thorn trees that dominate the rugged valley bushveld of the aptly named Hidden Valley in the Mooi River district of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.

Ron is a leading light in the Midlands Meander Association, which has developed into the premier tourism route organisation in the country. He also makes regular trips into the Free State Province and the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.