Doreen Rheinstein
African forests have long been considered a 'man's world', but things are starting to change. A new generation of female safari guides is stepping up to drive safari vehicles, guide and inform travelers, and protect wildlife across sub-Saharan Africa. These women aren't just part of the safari industry. They offer new perspectives on guidance and conservation.
Being a guide to African women defying decades of prejudice isn't always easy. I discovered this firsthand during a recent visit to the Okavango with an African bush camp. Sharon Mohlambi, a training guide who accompanied us on game drives, expertly tracked everything from lions to leopards. But she faced obstacles that many men don't. “Not having a driver’s license is the biggest obstacle for female guides in Africa,” said Mohlambi, who has a license and when I visited she piloted the jeep like a pro. “Families often don’t train their daughters, but certification brings as much freedom as education,” she said.
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Tswalu chief guide Deirdre Opie agrees that women still face an uphill battle when pursuing a guiding career. “For female guides, it is much more difficult to prove competency. These include driving 4×4 vehicles, changing tires and handling weapons, which have traditionally been seen as masculine activities,” she said.
To help women overcome barriers to guiding, African Bush Camps has launched its Women Guides Program in 2021. The two-year training involves five women each year and focuses on skills such as driving and animal tracking. The African bush camp initially received 90 applicants, but last year more than 200 applied for the programme, demonstrating the strong desire of women to lead careers despite social limitations.
“There is a clear need. African women want to prove that they deserve the same options,” said Sylvia Zulu-Mwelwa of African Bush Camps. By 2025, African Bush Camps aims to graduate 25 female guides, providing a wealth of perspective in a male-dominated field.
play an important role
The drive for change is not limited to African bush camps or the Okavango. Across Africa, from the Serengeti to Chobe, women are leading the way. All-female anti-poaching groups, such as the “Brave Ones” of Akashinga in Zimbabwe and the Black Mambas in South Africa, are redefining conservation efforts.
Recognizing the unique strengths of women as guides, many safari companies across Africa are now introducing empowerment initiatives.
“Women tend to have more empathy and intuition about guests’ needs,” Opie said. “We are more careful about our animals and less worried about our pride.”
Graham Vercueil, field manager at luxury operator AndBeyond, said he agreed that female guides were excellent at anticipating travellers' needs. AndBeyond employs 23 female guides in lodges across eastern and southern Africa. “Women can do everything men can do, and often better,” Vercuille said.
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It's fascinating to see how this evolution of female guides coincides with changing travel dynamics, such as the growing trend of women traveling alone. Female guides tap into female solo travelers' desire for authentic, relatable, and safe adventures. According to the report, there has been a significant increase in solo travel among women, with organizations such as Road Scholar and Booking.com noting that more women are choosing to travel independently and seeking experiences that resonate with them on a deeper level.
Singita spokeswoman Lisa Carey added: “Female guests love their female guides and are impressed by their confidence, skill, competence and intuitive way of conducting game drives.” “Female guides are more intuitive, gentler and easier to accept our spirit.”
“Guests are very happy to have a female guide,” said Yasinta Mabula, assistant manager of Asilia Africa Dunia Camp, Africa’s first female-run safari camp. “It makes people happy to see a female guide when they visit.” “I think so,” he said. She said, “We found that our female customers preferred the company of other women to an entirely male workforce, especially when traveling alone or in small groups.”
Dunia Camp, which opened in 2016, employs only women as chefs, guides, managers, and housekeepers. Some are mothers and wives, some are young and single. These “Dunia angels,” as they are called in the camp, stick to their traditional lifestyle, leaving their homes for months to work in the dangerous forests, becoming independent and raising their families.
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As more and more women enter guiding positions, they bring a new perspective that travelers enjoy. “Women and men can both be very knowledgeable about a place or experience, but women are more attentive to their guests’ needs. They more easily pick up on guests’ emotions and instinctively say, ‘The guest has children in the car, so they can play. 'Now that the weather is warm, let's get some water,' Mabula said.
Female guides bring more nuance to game drives, according to female guides in training with Mohlambi. They tend to be more in tune with the overall natural ecosystem and value different types of flowers and trees. They share stories about the medicinal uses of various plants and are more likely to share typical African traditions.
It's great to see a new generation of female guides embracing the tourism industry and bringing new perspectives to the industry.
