At Robin Pope Safaris, there’s more to us than the beautiful locations we operate in, or the thrilling wildlife encounters experienced. Our success is built on the dedication, talent, and hard work of our incredible staff. As the year draws to a close, we want to celebrate some of the many achievements that highlight their passion and commitment to excellence.
At the recently held Zambia Tourism Agency Tourism Excellence Awards, Kanga Banda, manager of our renowned Mobile Walking Safaris, received the prestigious Chairman’s Award in the Individual category. This honor recognizes his exceptional guiding, mentorship of aspiring safari guides, and significant contributions to Zambia’s tourism industry. Congratulations to you Kanga!
Kanga’s journey with us began humbly in 2007 as a tea bearer for Luangwa Bush Camping. Under the watchful eye of the legendary Robin Pope and trained diligently by outstanding guide Deb Tittle, Kanga rose through the ranks, qualifying as a safari guide, walking guide, and then worked at several of our camps including his old stamping grounds Luangwa Bush Camping where he was a manager before finally moving on to heading up our award-winning Mobile Walking Safaris.
Aside from his colourful career with RPS, he also qualified as an approved safari guide trainer, examiner, and mentor. He has trained over 20 guides across Zambia, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
Robin Pope, a trailblazer in the industry, who’s legacy is living on through guides like Kanga was in attendance at the awards ceremony and personally presented the award to Kanga – a perfect ‘full-circle’ moment. Here they are, trading in their khakis and walking boots for something a bit more formal.
Those of you who have visited our South Luangwa camps may have come across young Daniel Zulu, whether it was at Robin’s House or on an airport transfer. We’re thrilled to announce that Daniel obtained his transfer guide license and will soon make the move from bedroom attendant to a full-time transfer driver. He is now preparing for his Grade 2 safari guide exams in March, which is a major milestone in his career. He is surely a star in the making!
Congratulations to Sarel De Bruin who after six wonderful years as a host at Nkwali Camp has been promoted to manager at Luangwa River Camp, and we wish him the best with his new role.
At Mkulumadzi, we celebrate the successes of Vincent Magombo, Innocent Luweta, and camp host Geoffrey Zipangani, who excelled in bar and wine courses led by Wines & Wings – our supplier of the finest African wines and gins. Geoffrey is also stepping into an administrative/management role, while William John our housekeeper earned his driver’s license.
Over at Pumulani, waiters David Stock, Joseph Blair, and Light Millias completed Bar 101 and Wine 101 courses, enhancing our guest’s dining experience.
Kuthengo Camp is also abuzz with progress! Waiter MacDonald is completing a Front of House operations exam; he’s expecting to finish this year while our head guide Eneson Watheya will be enrolling in a management course in the new year—exciting times ahead!
These achievements remind us that it’s the dedication of our team that makes RPS truly extraordinary.
Congratulations to all!