“All that remains is for you to enjoy the people, the smell of dust, the sunsets, the wildlife and all the little things that have made us so passionate about Africa. May the magic of this continent find its way into your heart – if it has not done so already.”

I guess it is sometimes nice to attach a face to a name. More often than not in our business, we end up building a relationship with the client.

Sometimes a file can grow to a rather impressive heap of communication and the process of finalising an itinerary (because we always tailor the safari) can take weeks and even months.

So if you do have the pleasure of dealing a lot with any of our team members – here are their faces.

Leander Borg

Managing Director

Leander was born in Swakopmund and studied BA Arts at the University of Stellenbosch. He is married with three children and now lives in Windhoek. Leander is the owner and managing director of Naturefriend Safaris; enjoys cycling, running, hiking, and swimming. A healthy lifestyle and plenty of adventure keep him charged. “Over the years I have cycled most parts of Namibia, also taken part in some stage races both in South Africa and Namibia. I have successfully completed the desert dash (longest single-stage mountain bike race 369km through the Namib Desert) as a solo rider in 2012 and walked from the Atlantic to Sossusvlei (60km) through the dunes unassisted in 2013.” I have an incredible passion for our business – the fact that we can be creative, make people happy, get involved in conservation and community work, traveling all over Africa, experiencing loads of fascinating product – and having the privilege to work with real tourism professionals not just within our own company but all over the world “.

Mate Araes

Director & Tour Consultant

Mate was born and raised in Windhoek and completed her formal education in Cape Town by graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Travel & Tourism Management. She joined Naturefriend Safaris straight after completing her studies in 2003. “I have travelled extensively in Namibia and during the past 10 years gained widespread product knowledge of Southern Africa. I am very passionate about selling Namibia. Namibia is a real jewel; you have to experience it to understand its beauty. Pinpointing a favourite place in Namibia is not easy, but I must say the NamibRand Nature Reserve stands out, with the barren Damaraland a close second. Nothing beats the rewarding feeling of knowing that you have been part of helping people have the time of their lives while travelling in Namibia. In my free time I am working on a new interest in amateur photography and baking.”

Lee-Ann Visser​

Tour Consultant

Lee-Ann’s journey started right after school, when she decided to study tourism and was hooked from day one! Born and raised in Windhoek, she is an industry veteran as she has been in the industry for over 14 years. She has worked for several tour operators in Namibia and has joined Naturefriend Safaris as a senior tour consultant in Jan 2014. Through her love for the industry, she has even gone and married a tour guide. Lee-Ann is married to our in-house guide Nico. “I have travelled extensively in Southern Africa; Namibia taking the biggest part. I have also explored Europe; but definitely prefer this side of the world! One of the most memorable aspects of Namibia is the warm hospitality of its people. My favourite travel moment would have to be skiing in the Alps, coming from a Desert country and having never seen snow before in my life! I am a truly devoted mother to my son and daugther, but what defines me is my passion for my homeland. When planning a Namibian adventure there is no one better to have on your team as exceeding client expectations is my passion.”

Jennifer Esau

Tour Consultant (NatureFriends, Wheels & Wings)

Jennifer was born and raised in Swakopmund and completed her tertiary education in Windhoek. After graduating top of her class and obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management, she fell in love with the tourism side of the industry. She joined the NatureFriend Safaris team in July 2016. She also deals with the bookings for the sister companies NatureWheels (car rental) and NatureWings (charter flights). “ I have not seen as much of Namibia as I want yet, but the lovely places I have seen and experienced, I would highly recommend to anyone. Namibia is unique and never ceases to amaze me with the beauty it has to offer. I enjoy the satisfactory feeling of being able to put together an unforgettable safari for clients and accept the challenges it sometimes brings as a continuous learning experience. The result of a tour should always be a happy traveler… and hopefully a return client.”

Tanya Deutschmann

Consultant

Coming soon

Cliff Silishebo

Tour Consultant & Fleet Manager (NatureFriends & NatureWheels)​

Born in the Zambezi region, Cliff joined us in 2013. He is our Fleet Manager and Tour Consultant. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Travel & Tourism Management and a Bachelor Honors in Public Management. 
“I enjoy listening to music, driving, and I love cars. I enjoy meeting new people and socializing. The fun part of my job is definitely when I have to drive to all the beautiful places in Namibia.”

Elizabeth

Rates, Contracting & System Admin

Coming soon…

 

Ralph Beuckes

Accountant


Coming soon…

Pauline Katjipi

Accountant

Born in Grootfontein and a mother of three adored daughters, Pauline joined us towards the start of 2013 to manage our accounts. Pauline makes sure all money matters are up to date. As an avid farmer, her spare time is spent at the family farm in the Grootfontein vicinity. She loves working in the tourism industry. “ I enjoy playing with figures, hate them to be inaccurate and always try to stick to my deadlines.”

Valery Nowases

Reservations & Reception

Valery is the sunshine of the office, always in good spirits. That is why we let her answer the phone.  

Born and bred in Windhoek, Valery actually started with Naturefriends as a cleaning lady, but we soon realized that she is capable of taking up more responsibility. She is now in charge of all our stock, she answers the telephone and also does reservations of Sesfontein Guesthouse and Ongongo waterfall campsite.

Nico Visser

Tour Guide

Nico was born in the South-Eastern part, also known as the “sheep capital” of Namibia. His journey with Naturefriend Safaris started in 2007 when he moved back to Windhoek from Wolwedans where he concluded his in-house guide training. He has since led safaris through Namibia as well as into neighbouring Botswana and Zimbabwe. Nico’s knowledge of Namibia is exemplified by his qualifications with NATH (Namibia Academy of Tourism and Hospitality). He is currently busy completing his Level 3 badge which will have him become one of the best qualified guides in Namibia. “I have a love for outdoor life and especially enjoy the south of Namibia where I find my guiding skills tested. In my free time I keep active; if not in the gym I am out hiking. One of my other interests is reading up on Namibian history and I have collected quite a selection of history books.”

Charles Kahuure

Tour Guide & Driver

Charles Kahuure, born in Gobabis Omaheke region. He finished his high school education at Augustinium college. He immediately started working in a auto dealer shop as a salesman for camping equipment. He moved to a car rental company Namibia Car Rental where he got the experience of guiding and fell in love with Nature. 
He moved to NatureFriend Safaris where he was doing part time guiding and a driver until he became a full-time guide and driver for the company.

Erna

Cleaning & Organizing

Thanks to Erna, he have a fantastically clean environment that we can operate in. Not only that, she makes sure that all the camping equipment goes where it belongs, so that nothing goes missing. 

Paul Afrikaner

Car Superintendant

Paul, also called Kuku around the office, was previously helping at the car wash at Wika Service Station when we found his smile. He has been with Naturefriends for more than 8 years now. He is behind the reason our guests get nice and shiny cars and also lets us know of any damages when vehicles return. 

Paul is a true !Nama from Omitara. 

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