Working on an African safari sure beats a desk job. Photo / Getty Images
Would you swap your office job for a daily elephant encounter? Bonnie Culbertson talks with various safari workers to see if living in the wild is exciting, terrifying, or a little bit of both.
Witnessing a spectacular sunrise break over the African bush, accompanied by the sweet serenade of exotic birds and buzzing insects, is an experience most people only dream of. Yet, for a select few, it is simply the start of another day at the office. Living and working in an African safari lodge, or guiding overland safari tours, is an extraordinary adventure.
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Unsurprisingly, the most exciting role is that of a safari guide, though it does come with devastating wake-up times.
“The sun is still snoozing when a guide’s alarm goes off,” says Peter Allison, a private guide for luxury tour company Black Tomato. He and the other safari guides we spoke to all stressed the need to check the trucks and tour vehicles first thing in the morning to make sure everything is in working order - an essential job to ensure guests’ safety. “After a short caffeine top-up it’s the best time of day: out on a morning drive to look for wildlife.”
“In peak season we start our days early as this is when the predators are most active, and the chances of spotting wildlife are higher,” explains Johannes Lekoloane, senior leader for Southern Africa at B-Corp certified outfitter, Intrepid Travel. “A typical day on safari starts at 5.30am with a light breakfast before heading out on either a bush walk or drive. After lunch, guests enjoy some downtime before we head out to chase the sunset with another excursion through the channels of the Delta before sharing dinner, which is often followed by singing, story-telling, and dancing around the campfire.”
But for non-guide staff, days at a safari lodge in many ways resemble those at other hotels - morning briefings, inventory checks and checking in with guests. That last bit, however, tends to take on a more rewarding flavour when most of your guests have achieved a lifelong dream by coming to stay with you.
“There are few things more rewarding than a first-time safari-goer gushing over their guide and their experience out in the bush,” says William de Jager, lodge manager at Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge in South Africa. “It makes it all worthwhile … Every morning champagne bottles pop to celebrate the excitement, and mimosas run freely to commemorate the sightings they saw that day.” After all the excitement and catching up with guests, William is back to his to-do list, which might include ordering replacement cushions for a couch that’s been chewed by a local hyena.
Out in the bush, wild animals become your colleagues. While many in these enviable careers were born and raised among wildlife, those who weren’t inevitably develop a profound and transformative bond with nature, one that drives an intense passion for their work. These individuals are not only caretakers of the wilderness, but ambassadors of its many wonders.
“Living and working in the bush is something you must be passionate about,” explains Justina, a hostess with African Bush Camps in Zambia. “It’s not a job but rather a lifestyle because it is so involved. You are dealing with different people from different cultures with different wants and needs. But it is also so rewarding when you help them fulfill their bucket list of having a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime safari experience.”
“The best part about my job is definitely seeing the joy in my guests’ eyes after a good safari,” echoes Johannes. “It may sound cliche, but there is nothing I don’t like about my job.”
And if that wasn’t enough to stress someone out, there’s the constant threat of wildlife encounters gone wrong. While all of the workers we spoke with possess an undeniable love for the animals around them, they also carry a healthy fear of them. Justina loves elephants, but would rather not get too close to one. For Mash, he’s wary of the baboons - whom he dubs “the Mafia” - and spends most mornings making sure they don’t get near the camp.
Peter with Black Tomato insists most guides carry a genuine fear of Buffalo. “It’s a sensible one. The old males who get left behind by the herd behave just as cantankerously as their human counterparts, but weigh 800kg and can outrun Olympians,” he explains. “Also, no one wants to be taken out by a glorified cow.”
In reality, it is much safer to have staff who understand and respect the local wildlife. “There’s always an inherent element of unpredictability,” explains Nathalie Van Pée, managing director of Uganda’s Nile Safari Lodge. “Ensuring the safety of both guests and staff is a top priority. Continuous training, strict adherence to safety protocols, and monitoring animal behavior help mitigate potential risks.” In addition, workers here stress again and again that the old adage holds true - if you respect the animals and give them their space, they will leave you alone.
Godwin Temba, who co-owns and manages boutique eco-retreat Kantabile Afrika alongside his wife, Vivian, wishes all of his guests understood this. “I worry about people not respecting animals and, in turn, endangering themselves,” he explains. “For example, elephants need their space and privacy. If people intrude on that, elephants can feel disturbed and charge as a way to protect themselves and defend their territory. Many visitors don’t understand this and end up putting themselves in the path of danger unwittingly.”
For the Tembas, the drive to help as many people as possible comprehend this deep respect for nature is what led them to open their camps, which have been recognised by Regenerative Travel for superior conservation and community development initiatives like foregoing pools in the drought-prone Serengeti, sourcing food and supplies from local villagers, and hiring young Tanzanians who dropped out of school and would not otherwise have access to a viable career path.
“When we live in the society that we are so accustomed to, we are conditioned to think that we constantly need structure and control over the environment,” says Temba. “But we need to give animals priority in their own habitat – their path, their home – they have the right to use the land as they wish. Most people don’t get that and think we humans are superior and “own” the land, which is very wrong. Living in harmony with nature shakes up that belief system.”
William with Ngala Safari Lodge agrees, “At the end of the day the big game has rite of passage, and they were here first so if they are in our living quarters or in our camp, you simply wait until they are not.”
Becoming an ardent conservationist, it seems, simply comes with the territory out here. “Living close to these animals has created so much love for them in me,” says Mash. “My only fear is to wake up one morning and they are not there.”
Interacting with guests from diverse backgrounds adds another layer of richness to a safari career. Lodge workers and guides have the opportunity to share their knowledge and love for their homeland while learning about different cultures and perspectives from guests and colleagues alike. The daily routine of sharing stories around a campfire forges lasting bonds, especially among staff who often live and work on-site and become like a second family.
“We have a very social life, where we get to meet guests from all different places in the world,” enthuses Nathalie. “We also have a very good relationship with our staff and most of them live on-site. We work a lot with the rangers for all activities and we have the local live band here at least once a week, they come to perform for the guests and we always get to exchange and dance together.”
Despite the allure of this lifestyle, it’s not without its challenges. Living in remote areas can mean being away from family and friends for extended periods, and the job can be physically demanding. Yet, for many, these challenges are outweighed by the rewards: the sense of community among staff, the exposure to new cultures, the thrill of wildlife encounters and the satisfaction of making a difference in conservation efforts. Not to mention a chance to earn money without much chance of spending it.
“The ability to have a direct interface with guests, exchange experiences, and understand different cultures as we interact with guests is exciting,” says Tapfuma, a manager with African Bush Camps in Zimbabwe. “You also save a lot as the money you need to use is minimal or zero at all times.”
“You need to be able to get along with people,” William stressed when asked what most people don’t understand about the safari life. “You are part of a very small community of people that lives and work in a very remote place. At my lodge, we are a staff of 109 people. Those are the 109 people you see and talk to every day, and we come from all different walks of life. Different cultures, different languages, different values, different socio-economic backgrounds. We are a washing machine of different personalities and the odds of you getting along with every single one of those 109 are not necessarily in your favour, but you have to be able to respect each other regardless.”
Truly, the life of a safari lodge worker or overland safari guide in Africa is a unique and fulfilling journey. It’s not a career for the faint of heart, offering a blend of adventure and a deep connection with community and nature. It’s a life that changes not just their own perspectives, but also those of the guests they serve.
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