Together with the SouthAfrica-Experience team, you will see South Africa through the eyes of locals. We have travelled to every corner of this land, wandered along its shores, hiked along its trails, studied its history and cultures, admired its wildlife, and enjoyed its cuisine. South Africa is our home and we fall in love with it again and again.
At our office in Somerset West in the Western Cape, we work hand in hand to make your South Africa travel dreams come true.
We want to share with you what we love, because we know you will love it too.
Alexandra has been part of the team since 2011 and heads our team of travel experts. Equipped with a meticulous attention to detail and many years of experience, she trains new colleagues and stays on top of things even in the busiest of times. She has travelled around South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya visiting many lodges and camps. When climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Alexandra learned to respect the demanding trek up the highest mountain in Africa and is proud to have made it to Stella Point. As an animal lover and resolute advocate of animals’ rights, she cares deeply about Africa’s wildlife and promotes the values of sustainable tourism.
Product Manager Southern Africa
Marlene Tritschler
Marlene started working in the tourism industry in 2005 as a trainee for a small tour operator, specialising in trips to Southern and East Africa. Over the years she worked as a Sales and Product Manager, organising self-drive trips in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique as well as safaris in Botswana and Tanzania. On her visits to these countries she got to know the places, as well as the people, and is now one of our very experienced team members.
South Africa Travel Expert
Tanya Mineur
Tanya was born in Namibia but lived most of her life in South Africa. Her passion for tourism grew during her language studies in Germany and she started working in the tourism industry after she graduated in 2013. Her focus has mainly been on East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda), but has now shifted closer to home. She has travelled South Africa extensively on camping and lodge safaris, visiting well-known places and hidden gems. She is eager to show you why South Africa forever holds a place in her heart. Tanya speaks English, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans.
South Africa Travel Expert
Timo Starck
From Tasmania to Jordan, from Chile to Morocco, Timo has travelled the world, following his desire to learn about different cultures and ways of life. On self-supported desert races across the Atacama and Sahara Deserts, he travelled off the beaten track like only few in the world. There is one region however which has a very special place in his heart: Southern Africa with its diverse vegetation, seemingly endless horizons and exciting wildlife. After spending six months in Namibia, Timo moved to South Africa. From our Somerset West office, he plans your trip around Mzansi with you. Timo speaks English, German, and Afrikaans.
Marketing Manager
Evelyn Kürz
Evelyn has one of the best jobs of them all: as Marketing Manager, she gets to tell the whole world about the beauty of South Africa and the excitement when travelling the vast landscapes. She finds this no trouble as she has travelled the country extensively herself, being impressed by its diversity of safari adventures, hiking trips, and idyllic winelands. Evelyn has been in the tourism industry since 2004 and joined the team in 2010. With her vast knowledge of Southern Africa and understanding of the industry she is a passionate ambassador for South Africa travel.
Daniel’s job as our General Manager is almost as diverse as his background. Growing up in Turkey and Germany, he moved to England before settling in South Africa. He studied Psychology at the University of Constance and completed his MBA at the University of Cape Town, worked in the film industry, as director of an NGO and Global HR manager at an international airline. Today, Daniel pulls the strings behind the scenes, aligning strategy with reality and translating it into our day-to-day business. Whenever he gets the chance, he escapes to Cape Town’s beaches and mountains or the remote Wild Coast.
Assistant Operations Manager
Vera Buck
Vera is a people person, loves being on the go and won’t rest until the job is done. Adding her organisational talent and strong sense for customer service she is an invaluable part our operations team. With a background in business, management and entrepreneurship, she pre-plans our tours, coordinates tour guides and ensures our vehicles are well maintained. Born and raised in the greater Cape Town area, she is excited for you to explore her home country South Africa, the country of two oceans and endless opportunities for adventures.
Reservations Manager
Manon Hartman
Since the early 2000s Manon has been part of the travel industry and still enjoys every day. Doing her bit to make our guests dream of travel in Africa come true, makes it a rewarding experience. As Reservations Manager, she leads our reservations team, staying on top of things even during the busiest of seasons. Originally Dutch but having lived most of her life in South Africa, she appreciates the country’s natural beauty and diversity. Whenever she can, she gets out to the beach to spend time by the ocean or exploring Cape Town.
Reservations Agent
Mariska Thomas
Mariska joined the tourism industry straight after school, completing her tertiary studies in Tourism Management. Born Capetonian, she explored her home country on an extensive self-drive trip around South Africa. She not only discovered her soft spot for the hidden-gem Madikwe Game Reserve, but visited many small and personal camps, lodges and guesthouses. Mariska has been part of our reservations team since 2013. Using her eye for detail and wealth of experience she ensures that your hosts not only know about your wedding anniversary, but your vegan diet as well.
Reservations Agent
Linda Opande
Exceptional communication skills and destination knowledge make Linda an integral member of our reservations team since 2013. Born Kenyan she has lived in and travelled South Africa for many years. With a background in project management she handles ad-hoc changes in bookings with ease. Linda enjoys expanding her knowledge about properties in southern Africa to even better assist her guests in creating the trip they have always wanted.
Reservations Agent
Roché Petersen
Being part of a great team and working together to make dreams come true for our guests is what encourages Roché to give her all every day. Born and raised in South Africa, she enjoys learning new things about her home country as part of her job. Roché loves the Garden Route for its beautiful landscapes; going on game drives gives her an excitement she hopes you will experience too. With a background in teaching and psychology she applies structural thinking to ensure that your booking is correct from the first day to the last.
Reservations Agent
Lucia Smith
Accuracy and enthusiasm make Lucia an invaluable member of our team since 2017. After completing her degree in psychology, she joined the travel trade to be part of creating once in a life time experiences for her guests. Born South African and knowledgeable about her home country, she enjoys ensuring even the smallest details of your trip are well taken care of. Thanks to her calm and confident attitude, she stays on top of your bookings even during the busiest of times.
