I arrived in Zambia in 1992 to work with Norman Carr, at that stage I knew next to nothing about Africa, wildlife or tourism, I guess things have changed somewhat since then. After a couple of years under Norman’s wing he asked me to run his company for him, Norman Carr Safaris is Zambia’s oldest and most established safari company and I jumped at the chance. Months turned into years, my wife and I moved out of the bush to Lusaka and by 2009 I realised that I was eager for a change of perspective.
Having been involved in all aspects of Zambian tourism for so long I was keenly aware of the lack of any independent ground handling company that specialised in Zambia. Several companies offered ground handling services, high among them was Norman Carr Safaris but each of these companies had a natural bias towards their own camps.
Zambia to me has always been a country of innumerable opportunities and I was thrilled to find a niche in my particular market and my particular field of expertise that needed filling.
My passion for travel and tourism started at a young age, with a mother as a teacher we moved around Zambia and lived in many places. In 1991 my mother was posted to a rural village in the South Luangwa called Mwanya Village as a deputy Headteacher at Mwanya Primary School. It is from this place that I discovered my love for wildlife, and a true appreciation of nature.
We were privileged to visit the then Chibembe Wildlife Reserve from time to time and the experience was magical, we always looked forward to the next visit. My sister and I absolutely loved helping the orphaned elephant there.
It is from this that I knew what I wanted to do after completing secondary school, so I took a course in Travel and Tourism and graduated top of my class, and as fate would have it, I found myself back in South Luangwa (Mfuwe) and was lucky enough to get a job with Norman Carr Safaris.
After 5 years at Norman Carr Safaris, I was ready to test the waters and see what was out there. In 2009 Nick Aslin moved back to Lusaka after many years with NCS and was planning to set up Zambian Ground Handlers. I was fortunate to be offered a job and without any hesitation I joined his new venture, and I am so proud to be part of this successful journey. Many years later, here I am doing what I love – planning holidays and travel.
Of course, I miss my bush life … waking up to hippos snorting, or baboons jumping on my tin roof, but I have also been lucky enough to travel back and visit several camps around Zambia and outside of home, Namibia (the Namib Desert and Atlantic Ocean), Botswana, Zimbabwe, United Kingdom – and I plan on visiting many more!
I have spent most of my life living on the periphery of the South Luangwa National Park, tourism and wildlife have always been my passions. The co-existence of human and wild lives, the conflicts caused by having elephants and lions in one’s garden have always been of interest to me and I believe that I’ve grown to understand the larger positives of tourism.
In the mid 90’s I aspired to be either a Lawyer or a journalist – law because I wanted to speak and to protect the voiceless; and journalism because of my love for words and writing, however things turned out somewhat differently when in 1996 I joined Norman Carr Safaris. It was a privilege and great honour to have worked with the legendary Norman Carr before he passed on, he was a fountain of knowledge, a mentor and a great inspiration to me.
After 15 years in the offices at Norman Carr Safaris I joined Nick in his new venture and have been with Zambian Ground Handlers since 2010. In my career I have enjoyed numerous administrative and managerial roles but I’m happy to have chosen and now be focusing on sales and reservations. I am proud to be a key part of the small team that is Zambian Ground Handlers and I thrive on the challenges it presents me with on a daily basis.
I have explored the fabulous camps in this country; Kakuli, Mwamba, Old Mondoro, Busanga Bush Camp, names that conjure up images of wilderness and amazing wildlife. I have excellent first-hand knowledge of the various camps that we book in Zambia and an understanding of how best to compile itineraries throughout the country.
I have always been fascinated by how uniquely different we are as individuals, our different languages, cultures and expectations intrigue me, what better way to explore these differences than by individually tailoring dreams and plans and turning them into an experience of a life time.
Stemming from a lifelong interest in travel, I pursed a course in tourism and travel at college in Lusaka and later backed that up with International Air Transport Association (IATA) qualifications.
After college I worked with ‘Destination Zambia’, a logistics, travel and marketing management company as a consultant for 4 years, here I tailored domestic and international travel solutions for specific corporate clients and I found this a great introduction to the industry.
I am privileged to be working now with an amazing and inspiring team at Zambian Ground Handlers. I truly enjoy the challenges and also the satisfaction that comes from knowing that expectations have been met.
My tourism career began when I completed a course in Hospitality Management at college in Lusaka. Towards the end of my last year on this course I was fortunate to be one of the students selected by Wilderness Safaris to enter their Management Training Scheme. Before long I was managing camps and moving around Zambia to the different areas in which Wilderness Safaris had camps; Livingstone, South Luangwa and Kafue National Parks. I also spent a season working in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe which gave me a chance to learn the dynamics of a different region, its wildlife and culture.
Working in the bush was an incredible learning experience and this helped me to a better understanding of what guests seek in their travels to Africa.
After a few years in the bush it was time for me to consider life back in the city, fortunately this coincided with a planned expansion of the team at Zambia Ground Handlers and I was offered a job. Although now entirely office based it is a privilege to work with a team of professionals who work with a great focus to deliver unique and enjoyable journeys.
Being born and bred in Southern Africa, I have always had a keen interest for the bush. Luckily for me, in 2018 I met Nick and joined the ZGH team where I’ve learned so much about Zambia, the wildlife, and the tourism in this region. It’s great fun to see the influence Zambian Ground Handlers have in Zambian tourism – from educating visitors to empowering locals, it’s a great! My role in the team is to handle all of the marketing (from social to in-person meetings), and to be able to work with such incredible people, places and operators is an absolute pleasure and a position I am incredibly grateful to be in.
Born and brought up in the Eastern Province of Zambia, I aspired to be a journalist. However things turned out differently when in 2002 I joined Remote Africa Safaris.
It all developed from here and the rest has been like a whirlwind. In 2005, John & Carol Coppinger directors at Remote Africa Safaris gave me a chance to study a course in Tourism in Lusaka and upon completion I worked for them in the reservations office. At the end of 2006, I joined Robin Pope Safaris.
After 11 years at Robin Pope Safaris, I joined Zambian Ground Handlers in May 2018 and I am very proud to be part of such a knowledgeable sales and reservations team.
Born and brought up in the Central Province of Zambia, from childhood I always desired to be a biomedical scientist. In my search for wanting to discover how best to cure the said “incurable’ diseases, I found myself in the study of flora and fauna and which was here I fell in love with nature instead.
I took a course in Travel and Tourism at a college in Lusaka, and afterwards I did my internship at Wilderness Safaris Zambia head office. Later I was selected to enter their management training scheme which built me into a full charge hospitality manager. Like their tag line says “our journey changes lives” indeed, this journey really changed my life.
Working in the bush and rubbing shoulders with such great conservationists was incredible – it taught me to understand firsthand how humans and animals should co-exist. In wanting to expand on this, I got involved in the ‘travel part’ of tourism where I become a reservationist for Anatree lodges.
Now, in my quest for expansion I have found myself in the ZGH family – which to me is a dream come true.
