We feel there is very little to say about ourselves that doesn't include huge amounts of luck and good fortune. Sure, Tiger Woods says you get luckier the more you practice and perhaps this has some truth in our lives...
We started dreaming BIG back when we were still snotty-nosed students at the horrendously fun institute of higher learning, Rhodes University. We decided that the life of the academic was over-rated and that a life spent running around barefoot and breathless in the bush was far more appealing. Jos' upbringing in Zimbabwe and Rob's teenage years spent in the wilds of KwaZulu-Natal and the Kruger Park made for a mutual love of the wilds and more importantly, a desire to make sure these places stayed wild without any need for exploitation or manipulation.
Just after the huge impact of 9/11 on the world
travel market, and with ongoing fears and threats from those scary terms:
global warming and climate change, we set about looking for
somewhere new and wild to implement a concept we were brewing up that tackled
the tricky issue of balancing the relationship between man and the environment,
particularly in the safari industry.
Having been involved in the safari industry quite extensively over the past
decade, both on the ground in guiding and management roles in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe (Mala Mala, Lodges of Botswana, Hamiltons), and in the back
rooms of tour operator businesses and travel consultancies in Cape Town and London, Rob & Jos
figured that there was indeed a niche for a small handful of unique safari
products that endeavored more actively to embrace the way the world of travel,
particularly African safari travel, was moving. Looking around for
like-minded souls to share the journey, we inspired Greg & Susan to back us as we explored avenues of opportunity in the African safari industry; a partnership which has given us a great kick-start and for which we are extremely grateful.
Our dynamic little company, One Africa, was born not long thereafter,
and soon we were off in search of our first wild place -
somewhere where we could make a difference through an eco-innovative approach
to sustainable safari tourism. After much time spent behind the wheel of a
trusty Mazda 4x4, and even more time spent scouring African atlases and survey
maps, the reserves of Mozambique including Gorongosa National Park and the
Niassa National Reserve emerged as areas that were truly wild and yet so
distinctly African that they would offer great canvases on which to scribble
down some of our plans and innovations for the rather tired world of African
safaris. Soon we were knocking on the doors of the various management
companies, foundations and representatives, who manage the reserves on behalf
of the Government of Mozambique, and submitting tender applications for
ecotourism concessions and operating licenses within these large and
bio-diverse reserves.
In Niassa - all 42,000 square
kilometers of it - we very quickly were conjuring up ways to truly
make a difference in this extraordinary and incredibly vast wilderness. The spark
came during a gentle canoe trail in Mana Pools in nearby Zimbabwe, and soon the
launch product for our Niassa project was in place: Moja Explore,
one-of-a-kind mobile safaris in one of Africa's last remaining true
wilderness areas. As with all things African, our Niassa project has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows and we look forward with some anticipation to the rest of this story unfolding...
The concept of simple, low-impact mobile safaris in Niassa soon made us think if there was
not a possibility of operating a similar product in the re-emerging Gorongosa National
Park. With much assistance from the park's management team and from The
Carr Foundation, the concept has manifested into Explore Gorongosa, a
unique luxury safari experience within the Gorongosa National
Park. Based from our seasonal tented camp and with wilderness trails on offer too, we are so very excited by Gorongosa that at times we have to pinch ourselves. The plan is to explore further options within this magnificent
Park, including some exciting activity options in the near future.
And so that is our happy and somewhat abbreviated story - if you really want to learn more about us, come and join us for a fun and truly unique experience at Gorongosa or Niassa soon...
