About us

Chris

Frontend Developer

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Chris is happiest at a computer. His deep-rooted sense of curiosity and creativity has led Chris into a web development career – and happily for us, straight to Timbuktu HQ. When he's not working his magic as part of our tech team, Chris is an avid gamer with a penchant for exploring immersive worlds and some seriously cool gear.

Daniel

Operations Consultant

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania, you could say safaris are in Daniel's blood. Whilst working with his father's company, which helped adventurous travellers capture the photos of a lifetime on safari, Daniel developed a passion for Africa and its wild spaces. After studying in Paris, Daniel has put roots down at Timbuktu's head office in Cape Town where he works behind the scenes to make booking trips for our guests seamless and stress-free.

Eve

Head of Operations

Eve escaped a career in London’s corporate world of marketing eight years ago to follow her dream of becoming a safari guide. The dream began in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and since then, she’s spent her days guiding and managing safari camps across Africa in some of the continent’s most remote areas. She’s now come full circle and is back in South Africa, this time in Cape Town at Timbuktu HQ, using her vast knowledge and experience to manage our operations. And whilst she may have swapped the nightly roar of lions for the sparkling of city lights, Eve reckons there’s plenty in Cape Town to keep her occupied so hopefully she’ll be with us for a good while yet!

Gareth

Marketing and Finance

A born and bred Capetonian, Gareth has an encyclopaedic knowledge of not only his home city, but South Africa’s wildest and most wonderful places. When he’s not camping, hiking or walking in the great outdoors, you’ll find him behind his computer avidly planning his next adventure (using the Timbuktu website, of course). In 2016, Gareth joined the team to assist with digital marketing, before being swiftly roped in to help with the finance side of things too.

Godfrey

Finance

Born and bred in Zimbabwe, Godfrey swapped the vast plains of his home country for a dose of Cape Town magic in 2018. In 2020, he entered the wild world of travel and joined the content team at Timbuktu – but only after acquiring a professional barista certificate and studying web development part time. When he’s not brewing coffee (and recommending the best new places for us to check out for our pre-work cup), you’ll find him engrossed in a biographical documentary or gaming.

Holly

Writer

Homegrown on the sunny south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Holly would rather spend all her time outdoors than anywhere else (even though rainy days are some of her favourites). With a hankering for travel, a Journalism degree in hand, and a passion for creative writing, digital media and communications, she joined the team at Timbuktu to work on all things content and research. It’s a dream to explore more of the beautiful places she writes about across Africa and to perhaps visit the lush hills of Scotland - she’s a redhead so it’s in the blood! Holly would also like everyone to know that dassies are her absolute favourite animals - except for maybe dogs…

Ian

Co-founder & CTO

Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Ian learnt to computer program whilst at nursery school. With 14 years experience in tech, Ian is devoted to simplifying the process of finding your perfect safari. If he’s not behind the screen he will probably be found up Table Mountain on his bike.

Johnny

Co-founder & CEO

Johnny grew up in the English countryside, studied in Cape Town and has an obsession with tea. Previously founding a traditional travel agency and personally designing trips for over 500 guests across Africa, he drives the vision of Timbuktu. Johnny loves Bob Dylan and spreadsheets and is happiest on the road in Africa.

Laura

Product & Content Manager

With childhood holidays to Lake Kariba and lots of time spent in Zimbabwe’s beautiful farms and national parks under her belt, absolutely no one was surprised when Laura announced she was going to be a safari guide in South Africa! After spending time in both Tanzania and Zambia honing her skills, she chose a small nature reserve on the banks of the Olifants River to settle down in. Now, when not tracking elephants on foot or cycling through the Cape Winelands, she works in our content team.

Millie

Operations Consultant

Raised in the English countryside, Millie spent a childhood travelling to (nearly) every corner of the world including what feels like her second home, Zambia, sparking a passion for discovering new cultures, landscapes and food. Her adventures continued after finishing her studies from backpacking around Costa Rica and Guatemala, to working at a safari camp on the banks of the Lower Zambezi. Next up, Millie has her sights set on Sri Lanka. After interning with Timbuktu, Millie fell in love with Cape Town and is now back using her wealth of knowledge as part of our Sales Support team.

Nadine

Operations Consultant

Born in Namibia, Nadine has lived in southern Africa all her life, and now calls Cape Town home. Nadine's career took her from property to IT, before settling into the world of travel where she's been for the last 18 years, and has now brought her expertise to Timbuktu. Nadine would swap the city and suburbs for wide open spaces without a second thought, some of her favourites being the Scottish Highlands and the Seychelles. No matter where she goes, Nadine is a true blue South African - she makes a mean milk tart to prove it.

Nathan

Operations Consultant

A true Capetonian, Nathan spends every minute he can on a surfboard or planning his next trip to follow the waves (and find the best veggie food out there). After wrapping up a Marine Biology degree, Nathan set off for Asia, where he surfed his way through South Sumatra, saw rare Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River and boated across Halong Bay. Nathan can now be found in Timbuktu's Cape Town office where he helps the sales team make your dream trips possible.

Nina

Content Marketing Manager

Nina grew up in the Boland in a small town called Worcester, had a brief stint in the Winelands, and now lives in Cape Town where she’s very happy eating her way through the city’s top restaurants. After completing her degree in English Literature, she joined the wonderful world of content marketing, which suits her love of a good story, pop culture, and advertising very well. Born insatiably curious, she has equal love for a gripping novel, a true crime documentary, or scrolling on TikTok to pick up on the latest trends. She joins Timbuktu HQ as our Content Marketing Manager and hopes to inspire future travellers with beautiful content and add new stops to their travel bucket lists.

Reece

Content Researcher

Having lived in Cape Town for most of his life, Reece is an avid outdoorsman with a love for hiking, beach walks and snorkelling in the Cape’s kelp forests. Reece has big plans to travel the world and, if he has his way, the first stop will be the tropical islands of French Polynesia. After graduating with a degree in Film, Media and English Studies, Reece is now a member of the content team where he brings dedication and a good energy to Timbuktu HQ.

Sarah

Operations Manager

With Cape Town as her home town and a country count of 25 (and rising), Sarah was a perfect fit for Timbuktu. Having made some of her favourite memories on multi-day treks from South Africa to the Himalayas, Sarah is no stranger to adventure and she has some serious stories to tell - including a solo stand-off with a yak. Next, Sarah has her sights set on hiking Mount Fuji, but until then she'll be hanging out with her golden retriever, Mika, and helping our team make your dream trips possible.

Shannon

Business Development Manager

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, and later South Africa, experiencing the joys of the wilderness and the importance of conservation on family adventures to Zambia, Shan began a life-long love affair with travel. From backpacking her way through the Philippines and Bali, to exploring the Fjords of Norway, to multi-day hikes through the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains, Shan has racked up a total of 25 countries so far — her heart is set on Morocco next. After filling up her passport (for now), Shan made her way to Cape Town to join Timbuktu HQ, where she now helps our guests dream trips become a reality.

Vuyolwethu

Accounts support

Having grown up in Cape Town, the Mother City has always had Vuyolwethu’s heart. Her passions include fitness (it’s all about being grounded and disciplined) and fashion (this lets Vuyo express her style and creativity), while she also lives for pushing herself in every facet of life. A love of numbers and problem-solving led Vuyo to Timbuktu, where she now works in Accounts Support – her outfits are the envy of all.

Werner

Frontend Developer

Born and raised in Johannesburg, Werner's passions lie in all things web design, turning ideas into interactive digital experiences. When he's not immersed in code, you'll likely find Werner cheering on his favourite football team, perfecting his golf swing or embarking on a hiking adventure along the nearest coast.

Zoe

Digital Designer

Born and bred in Gauteng, Zoe’s heart longed for the ocean and Cape Town was calling. Timbuktu’s Digital Designer and image library curator – and creative Swiss army knife, Zoe is ultimately a storyteller. Constantly amazed by the places she stumbles across, Zoe one day hopes to photograph them herself. Visiting Namibia is on her horizon and Egypt waits on the ever-growing travel wishlist.