Our team is inspired by YOU!
It’s true – at Pan African Lodge & Safaris, everything we do is with our guests in mind. We work hard to make your stay with us as awesome as possible, and to that end, we also offer MANY tours and activities under one roof. We are thankful to have a great, cohesive team that is professional and looking forward to welcoming you! Meet the Team:
Modou Ndiaye - Owner
Born in Senegal, Modou has had a deep love of nature and animals all his life. South Africa stole his heart in his early twenties, and being a people-person, Modou wanted to share the beauty and hospitality of Africa with people from all around the globe.
As a well-respected African art and Taxidermy dealer, Modou originally intended the lodge just as a place where his international clients could visit and relax. Now, it has become a special luxury destination that offers guests an all-in-one immersion in an unforgettable African safari adventure. Modou has travelled the globe and also served as a member of the Senegalise Parliament for 5 years, where his portfolio was focused on the diaspora.
Modou’s love of people, combined with his big-picture approach to life, makes everyone feel welcome and is a driving force in providing a superb holiday experience for the whole family.
Beatrice Pharoe-Ndiaye - Owner
Beatrice works hard to bring their guests the best possible luxury holiday experience, and although she grew up on the KZN coast, she appreciates the beauty and tranquility of the bush.
She brings strong guest relation and organizational skills to the team, and her impeccable style and attention to detail is evident throughout the Pan African Safari brand.
Beatrice loves it that so many of their guests become family, and has the vision to always give their guests more value and choice in their holiday experience.
Louis - Guide
Louis’ journey as a safari guide began in 2012 at Timbavati. Having grown up in a rural area, he and his friends shared a love of nature, and becoming a professional guide was a natural progression.
Louis loves what he does and gains huge satisfaction from sharing his national wildlife heritage with visitors from around the globe. He says every day is different in his wild office, and despite the choice of animals in the game-rich southern part of Kruger Park he works in, the majestic giraffe is his favorite animal.
His most memorable sighting ever, was a standoff between arch enemies, lions and buffalo. There were no fatalities that day, but it was unforgettable. Louis looks forward to helping you make some of your own special memories in Africa.
Manuel - Groundsman
Manuel loves being outdoors and his appreciation of nature inspires him to maintain the beauty of the lush gardens at Pan African Safari Lodge.
The sparkling pool that invites our guests to relax under the bright African sky with a refreshing swim, is also Manuel’s labor of love.
He says his job is more than just a way to provide for his family – he loves what he does and joyfully contributes to making our guest experience as wonderful as possible.
Patience - Housekeeping
Patience agrees with Louis – giraffes are the best, and she delights in seeing guests experience these wild visitors to the lodge gardens too.
Guest comfort and service excellence are top priorities for Patience and aside from the practical aspects of the African hospitality the lodge prides itself on, Patience loves the exchange of cultures that happens with guests – not just sharing local traditions, customs and language, with guests, but also learning more about the cultures of guests travelling from other countries.
Happiness - Housekeeping
Happiness has an apt name, as she brings her own special brand of sunshine to the team.
She delights in her housekeeping roles and in creating a welcoming environment for guests.
Happiness loves being a part of the Pan African safari team, who, according to her, are more like family. She does however disagree with the majority’s local wild favorite, and says that for her, Zebras are the best! She loves their playful energy.
Ntombi - Chef
Ntombi has been in the hospitality industry for more than two decades, and her passion lies in food.
She loves the creativity of presenting food beautifully and especially loves preparing traditional meals for guests from around the world to enjoy.
While she loves being surrounded by nature, her favorite thing about working in the heart of the African bush, is the song of the birds. Living and working in one of the best-loved wildlife regions of the world, that is home to more than 500 bird species, means that Ntombi is surround by these beautiful wild songs all the time to inspire her mouth watering culinary creations.
Tryphina - Waitress
Tryphina has a deep love of people and it shines through in her smile. She finds great joy in sharing African hospitality with guests at Pan African Lodge & Safaris, and also enjoys helping people to know more about African cultures.
When it comes to the wild locals, zebras have a special place in her heart. She finds their mischief and entertaining antics delightful.
For Tryphina, there is nothing like the peace one finds in the African bush and she hopes that everyone that visits this special place will experience it too.
Given - Guide
Being a tour and safari guide is more than just a job for Given. It’s the opportunity to immerse himself in the incomparable wildlife of Africa, interesting people from all around the world, and beautiful places.
Given began his guiding career in Limpopo, in the Northern regions of Kruger Park, and loves being in the game-rich South, where he can indulge his passion for nature. His favorite animal is the Porcupine – a true wild warrior in Given’s estimation.
His most memorable safari sighting yet, was seeing a buffalo kill a lion! But, he believes there is something special happening in nature all the time and he loves helping guests experience and enjoy those moments.
Meeting new people and learning about their cultures too is something Given really enjoys.
Nontobeko - Housekeeping
There are people that have a gift of being able to create peace and order in spaces, so that all who occupy those spaces feel calm and relaxed…
Nontobeko is one of these people and she is passionate about cleaning and order, so that when guests arrive in their rooms after their travels, or safari adventures of the day, they immediately feel welcome and at peace.
Her appreciation for peace enables her to identify and embrace it in nature, and surprisingly, she does not mind the playful mischief of the local zebras – in fact, they have managed to be come her wild favorites.
Phethile - Laundry
There is something about the comfort of snuggling up in clean, crisp linen, and this is Phethile’s domain.
Phethile understands the value of attention to detail and works hard to maintain the standard of excellence in Pan African Safari Lodge’s laundry.
However, there is more to perfect laundry than clean water, top detergents and proven process, so don’t be surprised when you hear the whisper of the wild breeze on your pillow, or feel the caress of the African sunshine lingering on your sheets…
This is what Phethile is referring to when she says that well-done laundry helps to bring comfort and create a welcoming atmosphere, and she takes pride in helping our guests be as comfortable as possible.
Her favorite animals are giraffes.
Nozipho - Housekeeping
Born and raised in Mpumalanga, Nozipho feels at home in Marloth Park, and in particular at Pan African Safari Lodge.
She enjoys her role on the housekeeping team, because her gift of being able to bring order and cleanliness to the spaces she finds herself in, also brings her joy. She believes that a space that is clean and tidy creates harmony and that is conducive to the occupants of that space feeling happy.
This is an ethos we uphold at Pan African Safari lodge, and this, combined with her love for people and wildlife, is what makes Nozipho feel a sense of belonging here. She admits to having a soft spot in her heart for elephants in particular, but embraces every opportunity to learn more about the local animals, as well as the places that our guests come from.
Philisiwe - Kitchen Assistant
Philisiwe loves people, cooking and animals – in no particular order:-). As a local, Philisiwe has been cooking for guests visiting Marloth Park for more than a decade, and she really enjoys talking to people from around the world, and learning more about where they come from.
Although communication is important to her, Philisiwe appreciates the quiet of early mornings in nature, and always finds this a special time. As for cooking – she loves it, but insists that you should always cook with love, because that’s the difference between a good meal, and a mouthwatering meal!
Zebras are Philisiwe’s wild favorites – they steal her heart and her smiles with their playful antics.
Tinus - Skipper
Tinus’ life-long love of fishing became serious in 1991 when he became a serious deep-sea fisherman. For him, it’s not just about the thrill of catching a fish – it’s about the camaraderie, about making special memories and embracing the beauty and elements of nature.
Tinus has been tiger fishing for the past 2 years, and his biggest catch (so far) weighed in at 6.2 kg. He says that catching a tiger fish is a huge honor, because aside from them only being found in 2 places in South Africa, these legendary fish are incredible opponents when it comes to the fight. They test your physical and mental capacity and landing one really is a privilege, and it’s a joy to release it back into nature for another fight on another day.
Pan African Safari Tiger Fishing trips and sunset cruises are fun for all ages and the perfect way to make memories with your favorite people on a pristine stretch of river that is also home to hippos, crocs, beautiful birds and other fish too.
Binta - Chef
Binta grew up in Zambia, lived in Senegal with her husband and later they moved to Gauteng, South Africa, together.
With the advantage of experiencing all these beautiful African cultures, Binta combines the experiences in these countries with her love of cooking to create culinary dishes that capture the magic of Africa’s most memorable flavors.
Her specialty is traditional Senegalese Cuisine, and her favorite meal to prepare is ThieBou Djiene, made with fish.
Binta enjoys people and understands the value of good food for making your holiday extra special.
This chef’s favorite local animal is the Giraffe, but she has a love and appreciation of all our amazing local fauna.
Mumcy - Chef
If joy was a flavor, local chef Mumcy would have plenty! She might be small in height, but she has a big heart and big dreams!
Mumcy embraces cooking every meal with the intention of making it special. She believes that flavors are everything and loves combing flavors to make her culinary creations memorable. Her favorite meal to prepare is Chicken Lasagne.
Mumcy holds a special place in her heart for leopards – not just because they put so much work into preparing and enjoying their food, but also because they are exceptional animals.
For Mumcy, cooking is more than just a job – it’s a way of life, and she dreams of one day having the opportunity to cook in top international restaurants.
Penville - Barman
Penville’s love of people shines through in his happy personality.
He makes it his mission to help our guests feel welcome and happy at Pan African Lodge and Safaris.
He loves working in tourism, which he says, is like marriage, because it takes love and passion, and hard work 🙂 He is constantly learning and tries to embrace every opportunity to make our guest experience the best it can be.
He has 2 favorite animals, the first of which is ‘Zazu’ (The Yellow-billed Hornbill), because these birds are so intelligent and loyal.
He also loves elephants because they are so friendly and emotionally sensitive.
Brenda - Admin
Brenda’s specialties are her love of people and her admin skills.
She finds working in tourism exciting as it exposes her to people from all around the world and she enjoys learning more about their cultures and countries of origin.
When it comes to the wild locals, Brenda has 2 favorites: zebras and giraffes.
She appreciates the mischief and energy of the zebras and the calm, yet graceful curiosity of the giraffes.
Luckily giraffes and zebras often like to hang out together, so she sometimes gets to see both her favorites in the garden at the same time 🙂
Ask Us About Our In-Service Training Opportunities
We are always looking for people that are interested in signing up for a 3-month international in-service training opportunity! If this is something you might be interested in, let us know!-)
