Our Guides

Sam (Kega) grew up in a small village about an hour and half west of Madikwe Game Reserve. His bush-life inspiration comes from him being raised on a farm and he always wanted to become a guide. Sam started working at Madikwe Hills in 2004 as a butler. After 8 months he became a tracker, and worked his way up to a guide in 2006. In 2008 Sam married Irene, our Front of House Manager, who he met at the Lodge. Sam has reached his dream and is so passionate about the bush. He says Madikwe Hills is ”home sweet home and will always be around”.

Ernst was born with a passion for the outdoors and from a young age his interest in camping, fishing, the outdoors and his love for animals were very obvious to his family. This also made him the ‘odd one out’ in the family and he often worked on farms in his school holidays. He studied Game Ranging and Lodge Management and in 2002 Ernst started his first guiding work that incorporated security work which enhanced his love for animals. He could actively assist in their protection and had the opportunity to work in KwaZulu-Natal, taking drives into Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, St Lucia and Mkuze, which in its own is an amazing Biome. He got his first opportunity to experience Madikwe Game Reserve in 2005 and it allowed him to develop another passion – trails/bush walks and photography.

In 2007 he had the opportunity to experience the Sabi Sands and Greater Kruger area. He loved time there but my heart longed to go home. In 2008, back at home volunteered his free time as an Honorary Officer, enabling him to give back to the community and to assist in training of new guides in the park. Ernst feels privileged to work at Madikwe Hills in Madikwe Game reserve. He feels Madikwe gives guides a freedom that allow them to share the bush in ways that it is meant to, allowing them to go off road and track the animals. He loves sharing his passion for the bush with guests and sharing the wonder that is Madikwe.

Benson Mabaso grew up on a farm very close to Great Zimbabwe, the stone ruins of an ancient city near modern day Masvingo, Zimbabwe. During his secondary education, his dream was to become a geologist. Unfortunately this was not possible due to financial difficulties. In 1998 Benson moved to South Africa and settled in Thabazimbi. South African National Parks (SANParks) appointed Benson as a general worker at Marakele National Park in 2003. That same year Benson was sent to the Kruger National Park for Field Ranger Paramilitary Training. During those two months of training in the bush, Benson encountered some of the Big 5 on foot and had the opportunity to go on game drive. This was it! He fell in love with nature.

A year later, Benson was assigned as a full-time field ranger. 2007 marked the year that Benson qualified as field guide and although he was conducting both patrols and game drives for SANParks, his heart was into safaris and introducing people to wildlife. His passion was the driving force to pursue a career as a field guide and led him to Madikwe in 2010. Benson joined the Madikwe Hills team in February 2022. He enjoys tracking and doing bush walks. His favourite animal is an elephant: “Imagine this big animal spending 80 % of the day feeding. I never get bored watching elephants.”