Meet Our Team
Mussa
General Manager
Our man with a plan Mussandile carefully plans all the lodge logistics, coordinating with the very best suppliers and making sure the team provide the best service. He is a manager behind the scenes who ensures camp runs smoothly and we would be lost without him, from helping with all the renovations, to organising car parts. There isn’t a task he seems unable to do and we certainly have challenged him with the updates in camp. His sunny smile brightens even the dullest day and we love that no matter what crazy ideas we have he always laughs along with us and makes a plan! Whilst you may not see him during your trip you will see him all around camp, from the beautifully crafted book case to the expertly built new ensuite tents he is the man that made it all happen!
Bupe
Office Manager
Bupe our office manager is the brightness behind the bar, she is always ready to assist clients, introduce you to life at Msandile and answer any questions. At Msandile we love a strong woman and Bupe is just that. Don’t let her young age deceive you she is a master at finding solutions to anything that arises, which as you can imagine in the bush happens! From naughty elephants pushing over trees to last minute bookings she remains smiling as she carefully curate’s client satisfaction and is a joy to be around.
Chris
Bartender
Our bartender Chris will fast become your best friend in the lodge, always with an excellent suggestion be it a cold beer by the pool or an aperitif before bed. Chris loves to keep his guests happy and their hands full, ask him for his sundowner favourites and what wine goes with an African sunset! Chris loves a chat so if you are waiting on your beloved before dinner, pull up a bar stool and let him tell you all about Msandile! A quick learner he will have your G&T in hand before you can say sundowner! A trainee to Mussa he is also a dap hand at keeping everyone organised so if you need a charged torch or a guard to accompany you to bed this is the guy to ask.
Isaac
Head Guide
Our head guide Isaac has been with us from day 1! A valley resident he has a wealth of knowledge of the valley and has some cracking stories. You can easily recognize him from his distinctive laugh, a regular at drinks stops. Known simply as IB he has an uncanny knack of positioning himself in the front seat of the action and is an encyclopedia of knowledge. It is a rare day you can ask him a question he doesn’t know the answer to and we love learning more about the bush from him! Our qualified walking guide Isaac loves everything from the termite mounds to the types of butterfly, the trees and the birds that inhabit him which makes him the perfect person to guide you through a gentle bush walk to learn about the smaller flora and fauna of the bush. His tracking skills are legendary as is his ability to interpret behaviour making him an absolute icon in the valley.
His favourite animal is the giraffe, tall, silent and sturdy he loves watching these gentle giants cross the tree lines and had the incredible sighting of seeing one lone male be pulled down and eaten by a crocodile as well as one giving birth!
Lungisani
Guide
Loveable Lungi is a charismatic guide who has worked in the park for over 10 years! About
to take his walking exams his charm and enthusiasm for the wildlife are infectious. His
knowledge of the park is fantastic which you can tell as many repeat guests call for him even
at other lodges!
His favourite animal is the leopard majestic, beautiful and elusive he aims to please his
guests by finding these special cats!
George
Guide
George has been a huge part of the Luangwa valley for many years, quietly unassuming he is a wealth of information with a wicked sense of humour. George’s knowledge would have you thinking he is much older than he looks, however as our youngest guide he has a wealth of intellect combined with a youthful enthusiasm and energy! Always around camp to help he reads up on 2 species of bird a day to increase his knowledge on the 450 species in the park and is often found by the library. He absorbs the textbooks and is able to make the science entertaining and understandable to even the most novice of guests! George’s youthful energy makes him a perfect candidate for our whole day drives which allow you to explore much further away in the park, enjoying a bush lunch and breakfast before returning to camp just in time for sundowners. With a wealth of understanding of the parks animal dynamics he will expertly guide you through the northern ebony forests and try to locate the parks Nsefu packs and prides of wild dogs and lions as well, of course, as the leopards. With just a few camps in these areas and driving out with normal game drive house you will often have the sighting all to yourself!
Boyd
Guide
Boyd is the latest to join the team but has been in the valley his whole life, a former freelance guide he was spotted by one of the management team who he had guided before with a particularly loud group! A firm yet caring presence he is an avid law enforcer in the bush, making sure to stick to the park rules and protect the wildlife. He takes a genuine care in conservational issues and is an absolute delight to chat to at drinks stops about all that goes on in the park to ensure its success. Always once with a smile on his face he is wonderful with all our guests but has a gentle fatherly presence for those with younger children. One to get the books out with he is incredibly knowledgeable about all species and takes every opportunity to learn more and teach us about what is around us. He is a gentle soul who has taught us a great deal about giving space to the animals in order to enable them to feel safe and approach camp or the vehicle.
Douglas
Chef
Our passionate Chef Douglas came to us from some of the high-end lodges in the park, with a wealth of knowledge under his chef’s hat he knows how to make a hearty meal tasty. He delights at creating gorgeous plates of locally grown food and making sure his customers have happy full tummies! Delighting us with sumptuous snacks on safari, beautiful buffets for lunch and 3 course dinners it’s a wonder we still fit in the tents! He continues to surprise us with tasty new recipes, relishing when we bring new cookbooks. Always up for a challenge he is quick to adapt to any dietary requirements, taking great delight in creative new vegetarian dishes to impress not only our clients but our camp manager Frank!
Favourite meal to cook: Douglas loves to experiment with new flavours and international dishes but of course his favourite is a traditional Braai where he can showcase his skills and his home cuisines.
Ellis
Head waiter
Our camp giraffe Ellis is the man to deliver your food, excelling in table décor with a wealth of napkin folding expertise he makes sure meal times are magical. Working alongside the chef he is the guy to talk to should you need anything with your meal! Service with a smile Ellis is aims to keep his standards and his table manners at an all-time high. We are always impressed at his novel napkin folding skills from cranes to bows there is something new each time. Our budding rapper he can always be found helping other staff with any task that they need him for, a true team player!
Dean
Head of the grounds
Head of the ground Dean is also a man of many talents, from keeping the pool blue to making sure the tables are set, from fetching beers to spotting the animals. A famous spotter he has excelled in all areas of camp and we are thrilled to have him. His quiet demeanour shouldn’t be mistaken for shyness, Dean’s gentle calm allow him to navigate the smaller details of camp life from crane shaped napkins to the bird calls. An elite and elevated bushman he is only too happy to help anyone with anything.
Elias
Head security
Our head of security Elias is somewhat of a camp elder, often found taking the long route to guest tents as he relays the stories of life in the bush he is a great source of entertainment on the walks home. He takes security seriously and knows where every hippo, elephant and guest is in camp which allows you to sleep peacefully before his “knock knock” in the morning or get the best spot as the elephants cross from the forests behind camp to the park. If you let him know what animals you like you may even have a small “night bush walk” spotting hippos, snakes, owls and the like on the way ‘home’!
Sam
Head spotter and maintenance assistant
Sam our spotter has the eyes of an eagle and smile of a crocodile! He works incredibly with the guide sweeping the bush for a glint of an eye. He is our champion chameleon spotter, claiming both the most and the smallest all at night! His eagerness to learn more is infectious, our all-round guy has a talent in many fields so whilst he is a guide in training he also helps with maintenance and boat driving! Sam is a man about camp and always at hand to help with any task so we cannot wait to see him flourish!
Anderson & Bonnick
Mechanics
Our resident mechanics who we hope to see very little of however as the African saying goes: “God laughs when you make plans”! The terrain of the bush can be hard on our cars and these guys ensure they are in tip top condition. The first to the rescue if the inevitable tyre needs changed (thank you Acacia trees) often at the most inconvenient places (think lion prides) they never hesitate to jump into the action.
Rosemary
Head of Cleaning
The team of house staff headed by Rosemary are a flock of vivacious young ladies all too happy to make sure your tent is looking spick and span! Much like Ellis they have carefully crafted the art of towel folding and you can expect personalized and unique arrangements and surprises in your room each day from the thoughtful team. They take great pride in the presentation of your room knowing small details can make all the difference and you can often hear them singing away as they work their magic in camp transforming each area into its full glory and showcasing the lodge to its full beauty. Not only is their attention to detail top notch their muscles are something to be admired! The first to help with the luggage these ladies are mightier than they look but what would camp be without some strong African women to keep us all in check!
Henry
Boat CaptainHenry is our boat captain, a man with few words but many actions he ensures the safety of clients as they cross. Rarely seen without his bright orange lifejacket he loves nothing more than eagerly manovering between hippos and crocodiles. He has a keen eye for wildlife and is usually one of the first to spot the predators as they roam the banks along the river, alerting camp and the guests for a great sighting! A keen rower, when the river is low enough we have hailed him the venetian of Luangwa as he paddles you to the other side, we just need to encourage him to serenade us!
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