What started as a six-month road trip through southern and eastern Africa was never supposed to be more than that. Two people, an old Land Rover named Mwabu (meaning “the one who moves lazily”), a rooftop tent, and an open road. Six countries. No big plan beyond the next horizon.

But Africa had other ideas.

The more we travelled, the more we got it – this continent doesn’t easily let go. The landscapes, people and wild and unhurried pace creeps under your skin in the best possible way.

The turning point came on a cold winter’s evening in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park. Sitting around a fire at Mchenja bush camp with fellow travellers, the crackling flames spat a question into the conversation: what if you guys ran a camp like this?

Rich and I talked. Then we talked some more. At the end of that trip, we returned to Mchenja and spent a year learning what makes a safari experience truly unforgettable. It’s the small details, the genuine connections, the moments that stay with you long after you’ve gone home.

It was also on the Luangwa River banks that Rich proposed, and since Africa was shaping our lives, the only thing to do was to go with it.

Eventually it was time to come home to South Africa, where we have settled in the little town of White River on the edge of the Kruger National Park. Inspired and motivated by our experiences and determined to share them with others, we founded African Avenue.

A boutique travel company built on our own experience, honest advice, and a profound love for this continent. And a quiet obsession with turning travel dreams into lifetime memories.

We’re not a call centre, nor office bound. We’re two people who’ve lived these journeys and who keep living them – because we believe the best trips come from people who truly care.

Our philosophy is that good travel advice is given by people who remain curious. Our curiosity is insatiable, and we’d love nothing more than to help you design your journey. Because life is constant change and evolution, we regularly visit lodges and camps across the region as guests to remain up to date with the possibilities on offer. We personally know the people, properties, experiences and routes we recommend.

Rich takes that passion even further. He’s completed his FGASA qualification, a professional tracking course, and snake handling training – knowledge that gives him a genuine understanding of the bush beyond what most travellers ever get to see. Add to that a love of wildlife photography and a natural ease with people, and you’ll understand why guests often say their time with Rich is a highlight in itself.

Above all, our guests become friends for life and have an open invitation to call in and visit us in White River enroute to their next safari destination.

This is why we do what we do. We don’t sell travel packages, we sell connection.

I’m a Lowveld farm girl through and through – raised on red earth beneath open skies and no interest in staying inside the fence. The bush wasn’t a backdrop to my childhood; it was my classroom and my early, unfiltered connection to the wild remains strong today.

The world beckoned and I spent years working on boats, drifting between harbours and hemispheres, collecting stories from extraordinary places and turning strangers into lifelong friends. Travel was never a phase for me – it’s simply how I am wired.

In time, I responded to the call of Cape Town and studied design and art before landing in the electric world of advertising. But the horizon, as always, had other ideas. My creative eye and restless spirit found their perfect home in designing bespoke luxury journeys for people who want more than just a holiday.

I’ve visited over 50 countries and am always adding to that list; it’s the never-ending story of my life. My favourites so far are Mozambique, Mexico, Uganda and Zimbabwe – though without hesitation I have to say that South Africa remains one of the most extraordinary travel destinations on earth, endlessly surprising in its diversity and beauty.

Outside of work, I’ll be in my Land Rover heading somewhere new – on a hiking trail, deep in the bush, crossing a border, or paddling across a country I haven’t yet fully explored. I believe that the best education comes from saying yes to any travel opportunity, sharpening my travel instincts with constant exploration.

Exploring less discovered destinations is where my passion and expertise truly come into their own; my personal style leans toward immersive, unhurried experiences, covering safaris, coastlines and pausing in places that feel richly soulful.

I carefully manage every last detail; all you have to do is pack your bags.