Game Drives

Stuart Barr

Our Conservation Manager

Stuart tells us: "I'm now in my 14th year of guiding and still nature fascinates me just as much as when I was a young boy growing up in the Zimbabwean bushveld. Being on foot exploring the bush with guests really opens up our senses and instills in us a respect for the beauty of nature. It is also the best way to follow my passion for birding.

The Black Rhino is an iconic animal that has always captured my imagination. Their feisty temperament and no nonsense attitude are strong qualities that I admire. The experience of rediscovering our connection with the natural world is an everyday privilege I feel very blessed to be able to share with our guests."

Thomas Whatley

Our Assistant Head Ranger

Tom has been in the wildlife and guiding scene for the past eight years, working and living in various natural environments.

I have always been intrigued by Africa’s magnificent wilderness and I am immensely proud to share it with anyone who sets foot in our beloved homeland.

His passion lies in the realm of animal behaviour as he is fascinated by an animal’s ability to survive, adapt and be constantly versatile no matter the circumstance or pressure applied.

I have a holistic approach to guiding and sharing the exceptional beauty this environment holds in all of its diversity.

Brandon Birch

Our Ranger

Brandon has been a guide at Ulusaba for seven years and has over 13 years’ experience, the majority of which has been in the Sabi Sand.

His favourite part of the job is that every day is different, no two game drives are the same and he loves sharing the exciting experiences with the guests.

His favourite animal is leopard. He saw one when he was a child and fell in love instantly. He says that "the beauty and the ruthlessness combined never gets old because the more you think you know about them the more surprised you are when they change their behaviour."

His most memorable sighting was with a saddle billed stork and a cape clawless otter that were cooperatively fishing, pushing a school of bream, trapped in a large pool in the river back and forth between each other and sharing the spoils. For 40 minutes they went on until the activity attracted the attention of a big male lion who came and watched the show from a high bank over the pool. Unforgettably beautiful.

David Noguyela

Our Tracker

David is one of our most enthusiastic members of the tracking team. He is always happy and smiling and his bubbly personality shines through with our guests. He has been tracking for nine years and has become a solid member of the guiding and tracking team. Tracking is in David’s blood as he was born and raised in the bush, learning everything he knows from his father. He also has a very strong commitment in our local community where he is passionately involved in coaching young boys & girls to become better soccer players.

Peter Forsyth

Our Ranger

I have been passionate about wildlife and the outdoors from a very young age as nature has always been a big part of my life growing up.

I started my career in guiding soon after graduating high school and have worked on various reserves only to end up with the privilege of guiding in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve – on of the most beautiful areas to view wildlife and experience what South Africa has to offer. Being able to work here and call this amazing place ‘home’ is a dream come true.

All animals are unique in their own way however, the giraffe stands out for me. Their laid-back tempo and complete oddity have always amazed me. I am a keen wildlife photographer – I truly enjoy capturing and sharing the beauty of these animals and the environment that they live in.

Donald Sibuyi

Our Tracker

Donald is known for never giving up until he has found the animal he is tracking, which always makes for an interesting game drive experience.
Donald says: "The teamwork and communication between the Ranger Tracker team make for a game experience like no other!”
Magical moments: "A rare sighting just south of Rock Lodge. I was watching a female leopard in a tree with two impalas and all of a sudden the lions showed up. One female lioness started climbing the tree to get to the meat (books will tell you lions cannot climb trees!) – the female leopard jumped up to the top as high as possible to get away! With one lioness already up the tree, the rest of the pride soon followed by the lure of meat – so very rare to see lions in a tree! All fun and games until the carcasses fell out of the tree with all the commotion and the lions were all stuck up there!"

Eric Mzimba

Our Ranger

Previous Ulusaba guests may know Eric as one of our trackers. He retrained as a ranger and has now been part of the guiding team since 2019. He has taken his bush knowledge to the next level and enjoys being able to share this in a more complete and holistic way with guests. He has a strong motivation to keep developing and training towards attaining further guiding qualifications. He loves the challenge of satisfying guests' expectations and particularly enjoys learning about our guests' different cultures and backgrounds.

James Mhlongo

Our Tracker

I have been a part of the team at Ulusaba for the past 22 years. The favourite part of my job is finding fresh tracks, jumping off the vehicle and following them. The excitement of finding the animal from tracking is indescribable and is such fun the guests to witness first hand. But, nothing is more disappointing that not finding an animal after tracking for hours! Out of all the animals I am lucky to see in the bush my favourite has to be the leopard. They are a great challenge for a tracker because of their elusive nature.

Steve Mzimba

Our Ranger

Steve is one of our rangers here at Ulusaba. He works alongside tracker James and enjoys that every day and every game drive is different in the Sabi Sand.

His favourite animal is the African Elephant.

John Marimane

Our Tracker

“Over the past 30 years, tracking not only has become my livelihood, but also my passion. This dedication to mastering the art of tracking is a skill that was passed down to me by my father. There is no better feeling than heading out on a morning drive and finding a fresh set of tracks. Following tracks on foot is my passion and I take great pride in being able to find animals for guests. My favourite animal to spot during a game drive is the honey badger. It is a really tough animal that has no fear. It is also quite rare so I know we have been lucky when we get to see one!"

Bradley Sheldon

Our Ranger

Since the age of eleven I envisioned being a Field Guide. I was born in Joburg and grew up in the Northern suburbs. After school I decided to set foot into the 'working world'. The following two years were extremely boring and painful to say the least, but that experience gave me direction and really cemented my childhood vision of becoming a Field Guide in stone! So with my vast 'TV' knowledge of Africa and all the support from my family, off I went to study and pursue a career in a completely different environment. I absolutely loved every second of my training and was eager to start guiding, absorbing the bush like a sponge. I knew I had found my calling. My combined love for working with people and love for the bush paved the way and strengthened my confidence and ambition.

I have been guiding for about 13 years now in several provinces around South Africa, and have taken a keen interest in wildlife photography. I have a special affinity towards the insect world as well as plants and their medicinal and cultural uses, but really just enjoy everything the bush has to offer. I will always strive to surround myself with nature, because nature reminds me of what's real.

Sipho Zitha

Our Tracker

My name is Sipho Zitha, but my team call me Sipho Z for short. I have been tracking for 12 years and I joined the Ulusaba team in 2018.

Since I was a child I have always love the South African bush and my father was a tracker in this reserve so while I was young I got to visit him and see what tracking was about.

My favourite animal to track is a leopard as it is very challenging as they are elusive animals.

Henry Woest

Our Ranger

"I have been guiding for 9 years and am still loving every moment of my job. With everyday being different and amazing in its own way, there is no getting tired of our incerdible office.

My favourite animal is the Wild Dog, because of the social aspects of the species and the way that they look after one another.

I have worked on various reserves and areas throughout South Africa however, the Sabi Sand is something special and unique. I would like to spend the rest of my guiding years in this wonderful wilderness environment.

The best part of our job as a guide, is the fact that we have the opportunity to share our knowledge with our guests while having fun in nature"

Herold Mgiba

Our Tracker

"I started as a tracker in 2008 and just love being out in the bush spending time with the wild animals. My favourite animal of all is the elephant. They can amuse me for hours at a time and the way they behave with each other reminds me of us as humans too. The most challenging animals to track, however, are the big cats. They can really test your skills in being able to follow the spoor, especially on different surfaces in different conditions. You have to have all your senses about you when walking on their tracks.

My most memorable moment involved tracking a pride of 8 lions on foot for over 3 hours. When we eventually found them one lioness was not too impressed. She charged me twice and came to about 25 metres from me. I shouted and clapped my hands and she walked away to rejoin the pride. My heart was racing but I was not nervous. I could see by her behaviour and body language that she was just warning me to give the pride their space. I listened!!!"

Sipho Silaule

Our Tracker

l have always wanted to be a tracker for as long as I can remember. Since joining the team at Ulusaba I have learnt so much.

I love my job because I enjoy working as a team and spending time tracking animals for the guests to see.

My favourite animal to track is a male leopard as they are a real challenge seek out.