Zandile Ndhlovu

Founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation

Zandile is South Africa’s first Black Female Freediving Instructor, and the founder of The Black Mermaid Foundation, an organization focused on creating diverse representation in the Ocean Arena. Her work centres around enabling access to Ocean spaces to local ocean facing communities in hope to diversify Ocean spaces recreationally, professionally and in sport, while creating a new generation of Ocean guardians.

Ravi Naidoo

CEO & Founder of Design Indaba

Ravi Naidoo is a South African entrepreneur and the founder of Interactive Africa, a Cape Town-based media and design agency, becoming a leading media and design company in Africa. Naidoo is best known for launching the Design Indaba, an annual conference and festival celebrating creativity and design in Cape Town. Since its inception in 1995, Design Indaba has become a multi-day event featuring talks, exhibitions, and workshops from some of the world’s leading designers and thinkers. Naidoo has been recognized for his contributions to the design industry with several awards, including the Sir Misha Black Medal for Design Education.

Evie Ndhlovu

Program Manager EMEA of Planeterra

Planeterra is the world’s leading non-governmental organisation turning travel into impact in communities. Helping local organisations and communities to leverage tourism as a catalyst to improve people’s lives, protect their natural environments, and celebrate their culture. Put simply, it is a better kind of tourism – improving the lives of community members as they provide travellers with better experiences.

Brett Wallington

Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder of Paragon Impact

Renowned for his award-winning expertise in sustainability and ESG reporting Brett developed a keen interest in the intersection of sustainable finance and conservation, influenced largely by a career stemming from senior roles in both ecotourism and banking sectors. His work in digital impact analysis and the development of the Paragon +Grading tool reflects his commitment to transforming sustainability issues into strategic benefits. With over 15 years of experience, Brett has excelled in designing, implementing, and reporting on sustainability and ESG strategies for a diverse range of businesses, including large corporations, SMEs, and non-profits. His commitment to advancing sustainable development and addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges has positioned him as a key figure in the field. Brett's role in Paragon Impact is integral to its mission of enhancing traditional ESG ratings and measuring tangible impacts more effectively, thereby aiding businesses in making informed decisions that prioritise the planet and its people alongside economic growth.

Erica Cheetham

Director of Africlimate

Erica has a decade of experience in finance, equity analysis, ESG, impact investing and the voluntary carbon market. She started her career at Investec as a sell-side equity analyst, with a focus on ESG and sustainability, before transitioning into a more purpose-led chapter at Conservation International (CI). At CI, Erica led the African investment portfolio under the CI Ventures impact fund, and she also gained deep experience in the voluntary carbon market through leading the development of one of CI’s biggest carbon funds, which invested in nature-based carbon projects in Africa and Latin America. Erica is now a Director of Africlimate. The company builds the bridge between nature and finance and enables the programs delivering the greatest social and environmental outcomes to become investable opportunities. The key solutions that Africlimate provides to our partners are financial modelling, deal structuring, capital raising, carbon project development, and fund design.

Garreth van Rensburg

MD & Co-Founder of GoFetch Online

Garreth gets a thrill from that ‘aha’ moment when a company’s digital architecture switches on and it is empowered to make practical decisions that attract more customers, enable team members, and grow revenue. He is also passionate about the African travel industry and believe that an industry-wide adoption of digital tools and processes has the power to radically enhance Africa as a connected, efficient, and sought-after destination for the digitally-savvy, conscious traveller.

Kimberleigh Tommy

CEO of Palaeontological Scientific Trust

Kimberleigh Tommy describes herself as a translator between the worlds of science and society. A biological anthropologist by training (PhD Candidate in Biological Anthropology, WITS University), she is dedicated to bridging the gap between the origin sciences and the public. From 2021-2022 Kimberleigh served as Curator of the Maropeng and Sterkfontein Official Visitor Centres in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site as Curator where she worked to share the story of humankind’s origins in Africa.

Nick Dreyer

Co-founder and Director of Veldskoen Shoes

Before starting the world-renowned brand Veldskoen, Nick Dreyer worked as GM at the spectacular Ellerman House in Cape Town. It was here that Nick became ensconced in the world of art. What started as a car journey conversation has now become a global fashion brand in just seven years selling in over 32 countries. Veldskoen Shoes are worn by royalty, Oscar winners, sporting icons, music legends and more importantly, folks who love South Africa.

Gabrielle Tesfaye

Interdisciplinary Artist & Filmmaker

Gabrielle Tesfaye is an interdisciplinary artist versed in painting, animation, film, and design. Her work is rooted in responding to cultural heritage preservation through the intersections of art, design, traditional craft and storytelling. Her multicultural roots of Jamaica, India and Tigray echoes itself in her mixed media approach to art making and cross-cultural content. Outside of exhibiting painting works, she uses her art in the animation studio, creating personal and cultural narrative films. Tesfaye obtained her Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) from the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She completed her graduate studies in Design (MFA) at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Doha, Qatar. She is currently based in Mekelle, Tigray. Tesfaye has been recognized in publications such as BBC, Vogue, AFROPUNK, and Majestic Disorder Magazine (print, UK), and has screened and exhibited internationally including London, New York, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zanzibar, India and Sweden. She directed the highly acclaimed film, The Water Will Carry Us Home, was an official selection of Black Star Film Festival, and won best experimental film at Reel Sisters of the Diaspora (NYC).

Bruce Jones

Partnerhsip Director of Earth Ranger

With a career spanning from engineering problem-solving to designing and automating success metrics with decision support tools, Bruce dedicated himself to helping businesses optimise through technology. Yet, despite his extensive experience as a management consultant streamlining business processes and strategy, Bruce felt a void in his career. Seeking a more purposeful endeavour that aligned with his passion for efficiency and effective outcomes, as well as his deep-rooted love for conservation, Bruce found his calling with EarthRanger. EarthRanger, a philanthropic and purpose-driven software solution and community, empowers protected area managers and conservationists to safeguard the world's most threatened animal species and habitats. From its modest beginnings with six beta test sites, Bruce has played a key role in expanding EarthRanger's reach to over 500 sites in 65 countries worldwide. Through his dedication to supporting the onboarding and continuous management of protected area managers and conservationists, Bruce's passion shines through.

Raphael Curiger

Founder of AMADI

Raphael is a serial entrepreneur who has founded several businesses across multiple industries. Over the past decade, his focus has been on the intersection of high-end travel and conservation in Africa. He co-founded Pure Africa, the first high-end experience provider and destination manger in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and then founded AMADI, a conservation-focused ultra high-end safari specialist.

René Roseburg

Founder & Owner of THE PASSIONIST, Innovator & Facilitator, Mindfulness Coach, Luxury Travel Designer

René believes that everyone has a deep-seated purpose, cause or belief. The Passionist is about creating the space and resilience to discover the individual and collective purpose of everyone. Through unscripted coaching and development, Rene inspires unique stories that sensitise awareness, empower people, encourage growth and drive insight, to emotionally connect and resonate with guests & colleagues. Through meaningful mentorship and coaching, there is an enormous chance to build happy & courageous people and a uniquely compelling & consistent experience that guests and staff will bond with. To bring values to life through recognition, refinement, awareness, meaningfulness and mindfulness. The key message is create space, and empower discovery.

Robert More

Custodian and CEO of MORE Family Collection

Robert More is the Custodian and CEO of MORE Family Collection that owns and manages a collection of luxury safari lodges, boutique hotels, and exclusive-use residences in South Africa and Zimbabwe. This is a fourth-generation family business with a footprint in Sabi Sand, Kruger, Thornybush, Marataba, Victoria Falls, and Cape Town. MORE Family Collection is committed to protecting the environment, supporting community development, following sustainability principles, and delivering on its purpose of creating life-enriching experiences for their guests and growth for their people. Robert values family and relationships and is energised by creating authentic hospitality experiences that have a positive and lasting impact.

Tristan Cowley

CEO of Ultimate Safaris Namibia

Tristan's life in the natural environment and tourism began as a teenager working as a river guide in South Africa during the late 1990’s, guiding canoe and kayak safaris on 3 different rivers. After school he moved on to manage one of Africa's finest camps, Wolwedans, where he became a specialist desert guide. He studied Natural Resource Management (Nature Conservation), where after he completed both the National and Hunting Guide Qualifications and was assigned to lead exclusive safaris in southern Africa for leading safari operators. Tristan has also spent a fair amount of time as a lecturer at NATH (Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality), lecturing young and aspiring safari guides. Tristan is also the founder of the Conservation Travel Foundation, a legally registered non-profit trust which has been established to assist humanitarian and conservation initiatives in the areas in which Ultimate Safaris operates, which now invests on average USD 500,000 annually into various initiatives across Namibia.

Michael Lutzeyer

Owner of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

Entrepreneur par excellence Michael Lutzeyer is the quintessential advocate and visionary for responsible tourism. From the outset, over 20 years ago Michael understood the critical urgency to conserve the Cape Floristic Kingdom and ensure Grootbos and its Foundation worked to uplift the surrounding communities. Michael is a global icon of sustainable luxury travel and a leading ambassador for responsible and sustainable business practices promoting an industry with shared value for all.

Jennifer Murphy

Freelance Journalist

Jen Murphy is a freelance journalist who splits her time between Maui and Colorado. She pens a fitness column for the Wall Street Journal and a travel advice column for Outside magazine. She regularly reports on adventure travel, conservation, and wellness for outlets including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Robb Report, and Bloomberg.

Julie Cheetham

Managing Director of Weeva

Julie is a skilled sustainability consultant with experience spanning over 20 years. Her focus lies in sustainable development and business transformation. Learnings over the course of her career led Julie to be part of the initial group of thought leaders who found Weeva – a SaaS platform that will enable the travel industry to adopt a measurable and holistic sustainability practice that goes beyond pledges and marketing ploys and recalibrates operations for improved performance and positive impact - in 2021. Weeva launched to market in October 2022. Prior to this Julie advised a diverse range of clients on their sustainability journey, including the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Wolwedans, The Long Run, National Geographic, Tswalu Kalahari, Fireblade Aviation, and Oppenheimer Generations. However, she has also worked on transformation and sustainability at well-known corporate institutions such as Standard Bank, Distell, BMGi, the National Australia Bank, and National Geographic. Julie holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce (NMMU) coupled with a post-graduate certificate in Executive Development (GIBS), Six Sigma (Black Belt), and Program Management Certifications. She is a member of NOW Partners - a global partnership of over 100 senior business leaders united to accelerate the economic evolution of business for good.

Lippa Wood

Co-founder of House In The Wild

Lippa Wood has a background in education from the Royal Agricultural College and the University of Edinburgh, which is at the forefront of integrating sustainable tourism with conservation efforts. As the co-founder of Naretoi, House in the Wild and the Enonkishu Conservancy, her work emphasises the expansion of conservation and the development of a sustainable model of luxury tourism that is mindful of environmental impacts and community benefits. Her initiatives, guided by a commitment to rewilding and creating impactful experiences, extend beyond the Enonkishu Conservancy to other parts of Kenya, aiming to foster biodiversity and support local communities. Lippa, alongside her husband focuses on growth, community engagement, and the creation of unique experiences that resonate with the values of conservation-minded individuals and organizations. Her diplomatic approach represents a balance between professional dedication and a personal commitment to conservation and sustainable development.

Nick Tunnicliffe

ThirdWay Partners Director, African Conservation & Communities Fund

Nick has close to a decade of financial markets experience, having started his career in investment banking and capital markets. Nick’s main focus was structuring financial products aimed at ensuring access to funding for Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. After spending close to 9 years in banking, Nick decided to pursue his personal passion for protected areas and local landscape conservation and joined the Africa Conservation & Communities Tourism Fund, where he is currently an Investment Director. The Africa Conservation & Communities Tourism Fund seeks to provide impact-oriented loans to tourism companies that are fundamental to community livelihoods and wildlife conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Alex Ross

A2A Safaris

Alex is originally from the UK but now calls Bangkok home. After an early career in luxury and lifestyle consultancy Alex found his calling to turn his passion for travel into a career. He worked for over a decade across the UK and USA for a leading tour operator in a number of leadership roles, including heading up the Southeast Asian division. He is now Head of Sales and Product for A2A safaris ensuring that clients have wonderful travel experiences in all A2A destinations.

Arati Menon

Conde Naste Traveller

Arati Menon is the Global Digital Director of Condé Nast Traveler. Her experience as an editor and writer spans design, fashion, food, and business—and across print, digital, and documentary video—and her current role happily sits at the intersection of it all. She has previously worked at GQ, Architectural Digest and Food52, where she hosted a podcast called My Family Recipe, in collaboration with Heritage Radio Network. She has been a guest on NBC, CBS News, and Monocle Radio and been featured in NYMag, Wall Street Journal, and Domino.

Danica Wilson

Encompass Africa

Danica Wilson, co-founder of Encompass Africa since 2009, epitomises a passion for personalised travel experiences. With a vision to defy the conventional travel agency model, Danica spearheads the marketing strategies (her 20 year career prior to Encompass Africa)) and leads on guest services plus works to craft holidays for families, couples, solo travellers and corporate groups. Her journey alongside her husband and a small yet mighty dedicated team of professionals has transformed Encompass Africa into a premier bespoke travel specialist in Australia. Rejecting the notion of mass tourism, they curate tailor-made adventures, ensuring each holiday is a perfect fit and that conservation, creativity and guest care are at the heart. Danica's dedication to personal service and expertise in holiday design shine through as she crafts unforgettable journeys, catering to the savvy traveller seeking uniqueness beyond the brochures.

Francois Barnard

African Bush Camps Foundation

Francois is the head of the African Bush Camps Foundation. Initially from an investment management background, Francois shifted his focus to conservation in 2015. He has since led and advised on numerous innovative conservation finance and enterprise initiatives across Eastern and Southern Africa, including developing the world’s first Rhino Impact Bond, first of its kind conservation experience-based tourism products, and conservation management mechanisms for protected areas across the continent. Francois holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from HEC Paris, one of the world’s leading business schools.

Kristof Eyckmans

Born and raised in a travel loving family in Belgium, Kristof spread his wings (quite literally) with a stint in aviation before moving abroad 15 years ago. Changing his career to be a luxury travel writer and photographer he was snapped up to become the Head of Product Innovation at one of the leading luxury travel agencies in India due to his experience in this segment. Having lived in London, Kinshasa, Johannesburg, Mumbai and later this year Tunis, he and his family understand how much cultural heritage and differences influence the travel habits and patterns in various markets. His suitcase is always ready for the next adventure.

Lauren Manuel

Communications Consultant and NLP Coach

Lauren Manuel is a Storyteller, Communications Specialist and Coach who consults with and coaches individuals, teams and organizations on how to best tell their stories. She is passionate about and skilled at facilitating conversations that matter, producing content with purpose and telling stories which inspire change. Over the last 13 years Julie has worked as a content creator, journalist, communications manager and digital marketing strategist and shared stories across print, digital, podcasts, video, radio and tv platforms.

Lindsy Terry

Torch Hospitality Consultants

Lindsy started her career in the hospitality industry in 2010, where she took the reins at one of South Africa’s leading properties and led the brand to new heights. Refining the visual and digital footprint of this renowned brand remains one of Lindsy’s proudest achievements. Her passion for building relationships and connecting people forms the foundation of her ethos – there is power in the collective.

Marine Sanclemente

Le Figaro

Marine Sanclemente has been a travel journalist for eight years. After working for National Geographic Traveler's French editorial team, she joined the Figaro group in 2020. She has a wide range of assignments: feature stories for the magazine's travel section; investigations, trend monitoring, interviews and portraits of hospitality CEOs for the daily newspaper... When she's not around the globe as a journalist, Marine writes travel novels for Paulsen Editions, following in the footsteps of adventurous women from centuries past.

Paul Vorster

General Manager and Director for Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

As a lifelong advocate for wildlife conservation and ecological preservation, Paul has had the privilege of leading a remarkable team at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. Their mission is to create a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, fostering a sense of wonder and responsibility for the world around us. Paul firmly believes that through thoughtful stewardship, education, and innovative approaches, we can protect and restore the delicate balance of our ecosystems. It's important not only to protect and uplift Sanbona but also to educate guests on the uniqueness of the Karoo area and the delicate balance of the ecosystem. In 2020, further solidifying the reserve’s ultimate goal and supporting the long-term vision of the Caleo Foundation, Sanbona registered as a non-profit company within South Africa. This vast track of land in the Little Karoo will from now on be governed by a Protected Area Management Agreement that will secure its future for perpetuity. The transition into a non-profit company is a milestone for conservation. In particular, for the protection of threatened ecosystems, the reintroduction of extirpated wildlife and restoration of degraded habitats that preserve numerous rare species.

Ruth Crichton

The Long Run

Ruth Crichton has over 25 years of commercial and non-profit sector experience, which led her to find her passion for Progressive Tourism™, where positive impact and sustainable social development are driven by travel and tourism entities. She is passionate about further exploring and driving the possibilities sustainability, conservation, community programming and tourism are able to drive. A recent passion project has been the Grootbos Florilegium botanical art project, showcasing the Cape Floristic Kingdom.

Sami Bloomberg

Aventura

Sami Bloomberg has been developing Aventura's operations for twenty years together with the company's owner, Tero. Sami is the vice president of Aventura and is responsible for all cooperation agreements. He originally came to Aventura as an expert in world travel planning. Today, Sami also has excellent expertise in planning cultural and nature trips as well as active and wellness trips. The demand for luxury travel products is growing all the time, and in this area too, Sami aims to develop Aventura's already extensive know-how. When traveling, Sam's passions include getting to know the local food, wine and beer culture. If the location's conditions permit, he likes to go snorkelling, diving, kayaking or surfing. Hiking, cycling and various skiing are also close to his heart.

Sarah Khan

Condé Nast Traveler & Robb Report

Sarah Khan is an award-winning travel journalist based in New York City. Previously Editor in Chief of Condé Nast Traveller Middle East, she's now a contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler and editor at large at Further, and has reported from seven continents for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Afar, Travel + Leisure, Robb Report, and many others. Sarah has lived in six countries — Canada, Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, the UAE, and the US — and has 2.5 passports. You can read her work at www.bysarahkhan.com and follow her @BySarahKhan.

Rebecca Cook

Head of Sustainability and Operations Niarra Travel

I started out my career as a education professional in central London which also took me to many places across the globe, teaching, sharing education strategies and imparting knowledge. After moving into the travel industry, I spent the next few years focussed on designing trips with a purpose, often centered around experiences that support community, cultural and conservation projects. In 2020, I became part of the founding team at Niarra Travel, a company designed to bring about change in the African travel space. Now, as Head of Sustainability and Operations, my focus is to help lead the company to the next level on it's sustainability and impact journey.

Louis Strauss

General Manager and Director for Jock Safari Lodge - Sanbona

Louis Strauss, a seasoned hospitality professional, serves as the esteemed General Manager of Jock Safari Lodge. With a passion for wildlife conservation and a commitment to providing unparalleled guest experiences, Louis brings a wealth of expertise to his role. Raised amidst the beauty of South Africa’s wilderness, Louis developed an early affinity for nature and wildlife. This upbringing instilled in him a deep-rooted respect for the environment and a desire to protect it for future generations. Throughout his career, Louis has honed his leadership skills and refined his understanding of the intricacies of eco-tourism. His dedication to excellence and his ability to cultivate a culture of hospitality have earned him recognition within the industry. Under his guidance, Jock Safari Lodge has flourished as a premier destination, offering guests an immersive safari experience combined with unparalleled luxury. Beyond his professional endeavours, Louis remains actively involved in conservation efforts, working closely with local communities and wildlife organizations to promote sustainable tourism practices. His vision for Jock Safari Lodge extends beyond providing exceptional service; it encompasses a commitment to preserving the natural beauty and biodiversity of the African wilderness. With Louis Strauss at the helm, Jock Safari Lodge continues to set the standard for luxury safari experiences while embodying a steadfast dedication to environmental stewardship and wildlife conservation.

Prince Ngomane

Tswalu Kalahari

With over a decade of experience in Conservation, Environmental Management and Sustainability Prince Ngomane is the Sustainability Manager at Tswalu. Prince is highly qualified in Nature Conservation, holding bsc Honours in Environmental Management through University of South Africa. Over seven years of his career has been in Conservation (Conservationist/Conservator), with the rest involved in Environmental Management and Sustainability. His passion for conservation and saving the environment is evident, with main his main focus on making a difference through communities. Prince is Tswalu's first Sustainability Officer and through dedication and hard work, he now spearheads the Sustainability journey on property. Believing that collectively and with the same voice, there's a lot we can achieve! Outside of his sustainability work, Prince is a published author and hopes to release another book later this year.

Jackie May

Twyg

Jackie is director, founder and editor of Twyg, a magazine focused on storytelling, content production and networking to champion kinder, fairer, inclusive, diverse and nature-friendly futures. In 2019 Jackie launched the annual Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards to celebrate designers using circular and sustainable practices. Twyg hosts regular clothing Swap&Mend events in Cape Town. Jackie launched the Africa Textile Talks in 2021 and co-founded the Refashion Lab. Refashion Lab aims to support a viable textile waste recycling system that creates jobs, reduces textile to landfill and creates awareness about circular design and conscious consumption. Jackie is the curator of the annual Confections x Collections fashion show at the Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel in Cape Town. Previously she worked in multiple big and medium-sized mainstream media organisations. She edited the South African edition of the international women’s fashion magazine, MARIE CLAIRE and was the Cape editor of the national newspaper, The Times. Jackie holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of London and an MPhil Sustainable Development (cotton farming in South Africa) from Stellenbosch's Centre of Sustainable Transitions.