A global team - local roots

John Berry

Managing Director

With African roots stretching back to 1820, John grew up as a free-range all-organic kid in KwaZulu-Natal. With big open skies, wild beaches, loads of friends and lots of space the outdoor bug bit hard and at an early age.

After a first life in South Africa’s corporate world as an engineer, "collar-and-tie" routines were replaced by "shorts-and-rafters" in the Zambezi valley in 1994.

When not in the UK office John will be found on a mountain bike with mates, walking or swimming the family Labradors, flyfishing, doing consumer shows in the UK or travelling. John has a penchant for the wilder and more expeditionary treks wherever they're found in East, central or southern Africa… ever keen to explore.

John serves on the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) board – the primary objective of which is “advancing tourism to Africa”.

John on LinkedIn John's Picasa gallery

Trish Berry

Development and Sales Director

Trish was brought up barefoot on an African tobacco and cattle farm (until she was sent to boarding school)! The farm had thousands of acres of bush filled with duiker, bush pigs, guinea fowl, all things small and the occasional elephant that’d strayed too far from the Zambezi.

Trish studied interior architecture for the corporate market but has spent most of her working life in the safari industry one way or the other. Now managing our UK office from Devon, Trish returns to Africa as often as possible and sometimes when it’s impossible and has visited most of the popular spots but loves to be "off the beaten" track most of all.

Trish takes part in sporting activities including running, walking and cycling particularly on Dartmoor. She is a keen amateur photographer and some images have been used publicly including the Forest Hog on threatened species site ARKive. 

Trish on LinkedIn Trish's Picasa gallery

Chris Worden

Professional safari guide and Director

Born in Masvingo near Great Zimbabwe, Chris has lived in remoter spots most of his life. His early interest in wildlife led to a career with the Department of National Parks in 1980. Chris qualified as a Professional Guide in 1986.

One of the "old school" guides in Zimbabwe, Chris has led many safaris through Southern African including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, and further afield in Uganda, Congo, Gabon and Madagascar and now lives in Victoria Falls managing our Victoria Falls office.

Chris is credited with a study on the White Faced Owl published in several bird books including the definitive work "Roberts Birds of South Africa". An accomplished photographer, Chris won Zimbabwe's Wildlife Photographic Competition in 1993 and has done several presentations for wildlife charities.

Chris on LinkedIn Chris's Picasa gallery

Debbie Stubbs

Team Manager

Based in a satellite office on Dartmoor National Park with two furry co-workers, Debbie is fortunate to have glorious views and wonderful moor land walks on her doorstep.

Debbie has worked in the safari industry since 2000 - first with one of the UK's best safari marketing and representation companies and since 2004 as our Sales Team Manager.

The Africa bug bit hard during Debbie's first safari experience - the sights, smells and sounds of Africa have had her hankering after the continent since. She's even tried out the Yotel "coffins" at Heathrow airport for us with a healthy dose of whisky to get her through the night!

Debbie on LinkedIn

Liz Ferreira

Safari specialist (Southern Africa)

Liz was born in England and moved at the young age of 2 to Zimbabwe. Based in our Zambezi Valley office she lives in a wonderful house perched atop Kariba Heights with a stunning view overlooking the lake.

Liz regularly sees buffalo and elephant on trips around Kariba and is passionate about Kariba, sunny days and "big town big time" shopping whenever she's near a real city! She tries her level best to keep the baboons from running off with her satellite broadband dish!

Liz has travelled throughout Southern African and most recently to Madagascar. She continues to work with a strong following of old and new clients.

Liz on LinkedIn Liz's Picasa gallery

Delene Dempster

Safari specialist (Victoria Falls)

Delene is one of the busiest people in the company. Always an excellent ambassador, Delene used to be the first voice you'd hear in our Kariba office before moving to an even remoter haunt in the Luangwa Valley. Delene is still very fond of her phone but unfortunately lives in an area where there are none!

Delene is now based in Mfuwe in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia and serves as one of our specialist consultants taking care of clients travelling to the Zambezi and Luangwa valleys.

Delene has a close knit family life with two grown sons and a husband who manages a fleet of safari vehicles. When not in the Luangwa valley, Delene can be found in the UK visiting her son and Zimbabwe visiting the rest of her family.

Delene's Picasa gallery

Jackie Pearson

Safari specialist (Southern and East Africa)

Zimbabwean born Jackie has a Diploma in Tourism and worked for 2 leading safari operators in Zimbabwe and Zambia until emigrating to UK in 2001 to join our team. With 13yrs of safari experience Jackie believes in forming close relationships with her clients and has a large number of repeat guests from all over the world.

Jackie specialises in tailor made safaris to East and Southern Africa and has travelled extensively through Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Namibia and Uganda.

With 3 teenage children and a busy husband who is also on our team, Jackie works from her home office in Lincoln and is also involved with charity work keeping the streets of Lincoln safe during the weekends.

Take a look at Jackie's newsletter online and blog online.

Jackie on LinkedIn Jackie's Picasa gallery

Fiona Thompson

Safari specialist (East Africa)

British born and then brought up in Nakuru (Kenya), Fi has had a lifelong love affair with Kenya. Clocking up an amazing 100 international flights in and out of Nairobi Fi has stopped counting now! With 12yrs of experience in the safari industry representing various Kenyan based companies in the UK, Fi has also attended numerous travel shows including Destinations Show, the Bird Fair and CLA Game Fair. A testimony to Fi's passion for Kenya is that her annual holidays are taken in Kenya by choice and not on behalf of the company.

Fi is looking forward to further research within Kenya and Tanzania. When she is not breathing and thinking of East Africa, Fi lives in Berkshire with her teenage daugher Alex and an extremely eccentric dog called Bruno. 

This year sees Fi concentrating again on East Africa but we hope to persuade her to love Southern Africa just a little bit one of these days!

Fi on LinkedIn Fi's Picasa gallery

Mark Pearson

Safari specialist (Southern and Eastern Africa)

Mark comes into the travel industry from an unusual angle having been a professionally qualified horticulturist and nurseryman with over 20yrs experience. He is well travelled and has visited most of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Mark met another member of our team, Jackie and married her in 2003 creating our second husband and wife couple. His recent forays into Africa have led Mark to his favorite countries Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana visiting South Luangwa, Kafue, Mana Pools, Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Chobe, Savuti, Okavango and the Kalahari. He has a great love for photography, walking, horse riding and is very interested in the cultural side of countries he visits. Last year Mark had fun on rafting and canoeing on the Zambezi. Mark finished 2010 on a high by summiting Mt Kilimanjaro with Jackie.

When not in the office Mark likes nothing better than to enjoy a good round of golf or practicing his horse riding and spending time in the garden.

Mark on LinkedIn Mark's Picasa gallery

Liz Read

Safari specialist (Southern Africa and horse riding)

Liz moved to Zimbabwe at 6 months old from England and qualified as a state registered nurse in 1983. After a gap year and midwifery studies in Johannesburg, the bush call became too strong and Liz moved to Victoria Falls where she ran her own safari company, including a lodge and horse trails until 2006, when the family moved to Kwazulu Natal in South Africa.

Liz has raised several warthog, an impala and a multitude of birds. She has 2 teenage children (Robyn and Shaun), 4 dogs including a fat Chihuahua called Poncho and 3 cats. Liz enjoys horse riding, reading, game viewing and caring for animals. This year Liz has visited various lodges, hotels and parks around Durban and the Drakensburg Mountains including an excellent stables breeding from 2 pure bred Arab stallions near Pongola in KwaZulu Natal.

Jane Bullen

Finance Manager

Born in Germany, Jane spent most of her childhood on the move around the UK and a few years in Singapore, long before it was all tidied-up!

She's worked in Norway and Scotland before moving to Devon and has since travelled to a smorgasbord of spots around Europe, Thailand, America, Canada, Scandinavia and a few islands in the Mediterranean. Each year she tries to snatch a week to ski in the Alps and adores the stunning scenery and atmosphere in the mountains.

Jane manages our company accounts from the Modbury office. "Tarmac" is Jane's office companion, a blue roan cocker spaniel, intent on proving that he's the real Alpha male at head office...he survives by wits alone...

Char Ward

Support administrator - Kariba office 

Char hails from Irish stock who arrived in then Rhodesia in the early 1900’s. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Char has two children - one pursuing a commercial diving career and the other a teacher who is married and has twins. There're a couple of other babies in the family - a "dachsie" and a Rhodesian RidgebackxDoberman cross!

Since 1975 Char has lived with her fishing-mad husband in Kariba, enjoying the freedom of living in the bush and having elephants wandering past the house.

Char is a seasoned traveller in Turkey, Spain, the USA and closer to home through South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Char's keen on keeping fit with running and is an eager participant in Kariba's annual half marathon - she also cycles being careful to not get in the way of the local elephants and buffalo on early morning cycle rides! 

Ang Smith

Support administrator - Modbury office

Angela was born and brought up in Hwange, Zimbabwe. She enjoyed many hours of game viewing in Hwange National Park, fishing on the Zambezi River and w/ends in Victoria Falls with her parents and three brothers.

Angie studied cordon bleu cookery for 2 yrs in Cape Town. This brought her back to Zimbabwe in 2000 to run a steak house in Victoria Falls. In 2006 and now with two energetic sons, a career change led to working as a travel consultant for a leading safari company in Southern Africa.

Since immigrating to England in 2008 Angie has worked as a nursery assistant before joining Zambezi in our Devon office. Time at home is spent experimenting in the kitchen, attempting to pass some culinary skills onto the boys. Outdoor life is a big part of the family's life to ensure a good nights sleep for all!

Ang on LinkedIn

Helen Jones

Support administrator - Victoria Falls office 

Helen was born in London, moved to Pakistan as a baby and attended boarding schools and college in England. With a degree in Hotel and Catering Management Helen left England to ski and travel through Austria, Switzerland, France, Canada and the USA amongst others.

Finally coming to rest in Victoria Falls Helen produced three wonderful children and has worked in a variety of well-known businesses in the Falls.

Helen assists Chris with his busy schedule in the Victoria Falls office and also spends hours teaching swimming at the Zambezi Tigers Swimming Pool. Helen's swimming students have achieved places and medals at provincial, national and regional levels. 

Helen enjoys golf, tennis, the outdoor life and being on the edge of the Zambezi river, especially with her friends at the Boat Club! 

Emerald Season Escape
Usually $ 2200. Now only $ 1400

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia - 4 nights/5 days

Save US$800pp! The lush, green grass has sprung all over the valley after the rains and during February/March visitors can enjoy the Emerald season or secret season. This is a time when there are few visitors but the animals frolic and play with their newborn young and food is plentiful. The air is crisp and clean and excellent for photography.