What inspired you to work for Sibuya Wilderness Experience?
From a very young age I have always had a love for nature and an interest in being able to show Africa off to the world. Sibuya Wilderness Experience provides a unique platform to showcase our beautiful Eastern Cape area and what it has to offer in the form of the abundance of biodiversity. The combination of bush, estuary and ocean is the perfect African setting.
Describe a typical day at work.
A typical day includes an early morning start with a healthy breakfast followed by hours in the bush focusing on conservation work. This includes, elephant monitoring, red-billed oxpecker conservation practices, alien vegetation and fence management, Cape Buffalo welfare management as well as Rhino anti-poaching activities. A typical day varies substantially and being out in the African bushveld is a job I would not exchange for anything in the world.
Why do you do what you do?
I was brought up with a very unique saying.... If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. I always joke around by saying that I have been retired for the past fifteen years and that I only do this work for the love of nature and the great friends I meet along the way. There is something about the crisp fresh bushveld air and wildlife that lights a fire in my heart and makes waking up for duty an absolute pleasure.
Work Photo
What is your favorite part of your job?
The most favorite part of my job is definitely, hands down, the look on a traveler's face when they see the African bushveld and all its inhabitants for the very first time. Their look of amazement when that big bull elephant towering at 15 feet in the air walks up to a vehicle is priceless and something I will never grow tired of. The passion showcasing Africa to volunteers and guests has always been a fuel that lights my conservation fire.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
The most important part of wildlife conservation in my opinion would be the practical experiences that one achieves while spending time out in the field. The theoretical background and studies might have gained me a foot in the door but the years of practical experiences will always serve me well moving forward with the Sibuya Wilderness Experience.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges would be the unruly behavior shown by our wildlife which is totally expected. Not everything in the bush goes the way you would like it and the sooner one gets to terms with that realization, the sooner you can overcome the challenge mentally.
Beside the wildlife obstacles, we do from time to time have to deal with challenges such as flat wheels, getting stuck in mud, having a bush road block caused by a tree that has fallen across the road - elephants of course. It's all part of the job description.
What are some current projects you are working on?
The list of projects vary substantially. Our volunteer projects consist of lion, elephant and buffalo identification and monitoring, rhino anti - poaching programs, ORI fish tagging programs along the Kariega River, marine conservation along the Alexandria Dune Fields, alien vegetation eradication, game reserve fence patrols as well as Red-billed Ox Pecker conservation practices.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I wouldn't regard myself as a well traveled person but I can give advice to others based on my personal experiences in the African bushveld - Always make sure you have enough drinking water, a warm jacket and something to keep your skin protected from the harsh African sun. These three little reminders can make a world of difference.
History of the area
What makes Sibuya Wilderness Experience special?
I would say our passion for both conservation, wildlife and people alike play a big role in being a special unit. We always strive to be the best we can be and break new grounds in the volunteer travel industry... We are a small family volunteer organization that accepts a maximum of ten volunteers ensuring that each individual has a completely unique and personal experience.
Why should someone choose Sibuya Wilderness Experience over competitors?
Our itinerary speaks for itself. No where else in Africa is there a volunteer program that is so diverse as that of the Sibuya Wilderness Experience. Our volunteer itinerary includes the world renowned Addo Elephant National Park which houses the biggest population of wild African elephants per square kilometer in the world.
We have incorporated the Alexandria Dune Fields which is a two day hike across the highest coastal sand dunes in the Southern hemisphere which overlooks Bird Island which is the biggest gannet breeding area in the world.
Our program also includes a fish tagging project based along the Kariega River in association with The Oceanographic Research Institute's Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP). These three inclusions alone make a vast difference to what is offered by our competitors.
What hopes do you have for the future for Sibuya Wilderness Experience?
My hopes are that in the near future Sibuya Wilderness Experience will be recognized as the top front runner and benchmark volunteer organization in South Africa. We are always striving to break boundaries in the volunteer world. With my experience in the wildlife industry as well as being Eastern Cape born and bred I hope to utilize my relationship built with other conservation projects to evolve the Sibuya Wilderness Experience for the good.
What makes Sibuya Wilderness Experience easy to market to potential participants?
The fact that we incorporate heritage sites such as Addo Elephant National Park and the Alexandria Dune Fields based within the Woody Cape section of Addo Elephant Park. We strive to be different therefore offering a unique itinerary. Our conservation efforts also include the upkeep of our beautiful Kariega River based within the Sunshine Coast. Not many volunteer organizations can boast this diversity.
Briefing before a kayak up the Kariega River
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
The Sibuya Wilderness Experience mission is to bring together our clients, community and employees in a collaboration to support our wildlife conservation efforts and community upliftment projects. Different skill sets brought in through our volunteer travelers are passed on to our unskilled community who use these skills to better their situation. With continued support we can ensure continued social upliftment.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
First and foremost we hope that participants leave our program feeling that they have made a big difference in the life of less fortunate people as well as being a key factor in the fight for wildlife conservation. A very close runner up is that our participants create the most amazing wildlife encounter memories as well as making long lasting friends along the way.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It inspires people to seek out new places while keeping their pool of knowledge constantly topped up. It's a great way to not only learn new things and immerse yourself in a new culture, it also provides a constant urge to continue learning. Many times, interacting with people from different cultures helps you view life from a different perspective.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaningful travel would be to extract yourself from your surroundings or out of your comfort zone so to speak, and follow a path of self discovery. It should be an undetermined length of time that enriches your soul and life in some way. Creating long lasting memories and experiences has a way of making me feel fulfilled.
How is your company handling Covid protocols? What should participants know about your Covid readiness? How are you assisting participants with navigating the new travel landscape?
Our company Covid protocol has ensured that all staff members on the premises have taken part, and are up-to-date with vaccination requirements. All our activities are outdoor based and take part in an open top vehicle which lessens the chance of transmission. It is also a prerequisite that each traveler has had his or her vaccinations prior to travel.
