• Team of guides

Meet Our Team

Chloe McCormack

Manager

Hailing from Scotland Chloe joined the safari industry 12 years ago and has worked in every department from guiding to organizing trips and now helps manage our lodge. With her experience across the African continent, she is enthusiastic at ensuring every detail of your safari is perfect. Even going the extra mile to organize little surprises for your stay. Her understanding and experience allows her channel all that knowledge into a magical stay at Msandile!

 

As a former guide she is a keen wildlife enthusiast and holds a firm interest in conservation. She is only too happy to debate challenging bird IDs or tell you all about the elephants who visit camp, round our campfire or at the bar. Her role is varied and changes on a daily basis and she really enjoys the challenge with the diverse tasks that arise. From carrying cooler boxes to spotting the crossing elephants, helping organize the soothing bush spa visits to removing scorpions from guest areas, Chloe is always available to help with any request. She enjoys chatting with the guests on all things Africa or wildlife and likes our clients to be well fed, watered and with smiles on their faces at all times and will always be available for a sundowner recommendation!

mussa, general manager at msandile river lodge mfuwe south luangwa national park, zambia

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!

Office Manager at our safari lodge Msandile river lodge, zambia

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 Banda, also called the professor, is head safari guide at Msandile River Lodge in South Luangwa National Park Zambia, africa

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, is safari guide at Msandile River Lodge in South Luangwa National Park Zambia, africa

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 enthusiastic nature is infectious and we love how he carefully curates drives to suit his guests making sure he notes your interests, trying his utmost to find them. He is a hoot at drinks stops and makes sure the drinks and snacks are all gone before you carry on! He has a passion for involving you in the drive so get ready to study the bird book with him as he helps you ID what you see! He has a new found interest in photography and does his utmost to place the vehicle in the perfect lighting so you can get “the shot”.  A family man himself he is great with young kids, taking the time to answer any questions “do hippos climb trees?” with integrity and diligence! 

His favourite animal is the majestic leopard, beautiful and elusive he loves the challenge of spotting this cat for his guests, a real crowd pleaser!

 

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, is safari guide at Msandile River Lodge in South Luangwa National Park Zambia, africa

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. 

Chef Douglas from safari lodge msandile river lodge south luangwa national park zambia

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.

Buffet table at msandile river lodge south luangwa national park zambia africa

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, waiter and poolman at the safari msandile river lodge zambia,

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.

head of security Elias at safari lodge msandile river lodge in Zambia, africa

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! 

mechanics at mrl mfuwe zambia

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 captain at msandile River lodge crosses the luangwa river in zambia

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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