All Africa Expectation's Nature- , Tour guides and Professional Hunters are highly qualified and formally trained. They have an intimate knowledge of the African bush and wildlife and are unquestionably passionate about their roles. They have Dangerous Game and Plains Game experience, are extremely enthusiastic and great fun to be with. Not only do they serve as guides in the field, they are also your personal hosts for the duration of your safari. The relationship between a professional hunter and his tracker is almost a brotherhood. Many of our trackers are 2nd and 3rd generation members of the Africa Expectation safari family.
Africa...the Sights; the Sounds; the Stalk; the Memories and the Tranquillity of the Africa Experience
Zeriah Wessels- Career Hunter & Director
Zeriah’s profound love of nature can be traced back to her parents and visiting her mother’s family in the Soutpansberg area Limpopo South Africa as a child. Her father, a policeman, taught her about rifles and combined her parents tought her to respect nature and instilled the love for wildlif,e in her.
She has guided photographic and hunting safaris throughout South Africa and bordering African country's. She became involved in international hunting safaris way back in 1981 and has conducted more than a 1000 successful hunts since. She points out that guiding clients is not about money – it’s about passion. You work long hours and there’s no set salary, she says. You do it out of a love of nature. This love has been passed on to her three children - Ellizy, Pieter and Zaniah, all of whom have a keen interest in Africa's wildlife.
In January 2008 she became the first woman to ever start a professional hunting academy in Africa. Aside from hunting Zeriah is also passionate about nature and culture guiding and teach these skills at her academy. "I’m very excited about it", she enthuses. "It has been a big struggle to achieve this, especially as a lady in a “man’s” world".
Zeriah was motivated to open the Nature and Hunting academy by her own love of nature and by frequent requests from people for training. Her beliefs that the school give its pupils, many of whom are previously disadvantaged individuals, internationally recognised, world class qualifications. More than equipping people to hunt though, Wessels wants to instil a deep passion for nature in those who attend.
She had to overcome many obstacles in setting up this school, the greatest of which she says has been proving herself in the industry. “Being accepted as a woman, with the same skills and knowledge as the guys, has been one of the most difficult obstacles’’, she says.
Today Zeriah is one of only a handful of female registered Professional Hunters in South Africa, is certified to operate tours in all the provinces of South Africa and has been featured in Fiona Capstick’s book, The Diana Files (winner of the 2005 CIC Literary Award, which chronicles the lives and escapades of some of the world’s greatest huntresses) as well as being a life member of SCI, Dallas Safari Club and FNAWS.
Although she continues to guide safaris and go about her business as usual, Zeriah is excited and proud of her training academy and guarantees that it offer its students more than a place that teaches nature and professional hunting skills, but also a place where ladies, previously disadvantaged individuals and those with a deep love of nature can come together to acquire world class training.
Craig Wessels - Career Hunter & Tour Guide
Speciality Tour Guide, Photographer and Dangerous Game Professional Hunter. Craig was born in Limpopo, South Africa. Having grown up in a wildlife environment, he was closely involved in conservation and hunting since childhood, bagging his first trophy at age six.
He has over the years guided Dangerous Game, Plains Game and Photo safaris for many international hunters and has built an excellent reputation with international clients. Throughout this time his personable nature, infectious enthusiasm for the bush and his in-depth knowledge of nature has earned him a reputation amongst lodges and guests alike, with regular requests for him as a guide for guests in their subsequent visits. In addition to this “client facing” aspect of working in the bush, Craig has also had substantial experience in reserve management
As the co-owner and manager of Africa Expectation Safaris, Craig is closely involved with the day-to-day running of all safaris and oversees the finer details of each and every trip in order to ensure that only the highest service standards are adhered to. Africa Expectation’s guides will accompany you along your South African adventure, leading you along a custom-made safari which promises to reveal a different side of Africa, no matter where you go.
Why should you consider the services of a Private Guide?
- You will be accompanied by one of South Africa’s premier guides whose primary concern is your safety, care and comfort.
- The presence of a Private Guide throughout the duration of your safari eliminates repetition of information and standardises the quality of service.
- Enjoy unmatched flexibility and the ability to make spontaneous decisions that are not always possible on scheduled tours.
- We will ensure that your safari is tailor-made to suite your specific needs
- We deal directly with all venues and any additional service providers- eliminating all hassles associated with third party communications!
- In the event of any problem that may arise, we are able to make immediate decisions to rectify the problem or make alternative arrangements.
- Your private guide has an intimate knowledge of the fauna, flora, culture, restaurants, attractions, roads, and tourism destinations in South Africa.
All of our packages with private guides include transport, accommodation, meals, refreshments, entry fees and a “Photographic Diary DVD” loaded with pictures taken throughout the duration of your trip. Our comprehensive approach means that there are no unexpected surprises and that your dream holiday runs as smoothly as possible.