This is a blog we created for Baobab Ridge - a luxury safari lodge in South Africa's Klaserie Private Game Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park. It's what we call a "legacy story" - focusing on a key member of staff and sharing their life's journey. Enjoy the read!

Like many safari guides before him, Devine Ngomane's initial career plan did not feature the African bush! The 38-year-old father of five originally wanted to be a doctor, but life had different plans for him.

Born and raised in the nearby village of Welverdiend, which is still his home, young Devine's original dream was to be a doctor, but when he left school after matriculation there was not enough money for university. His father was a ranger in the Kruger National Park and when he visited him at work, he got the idea that working in the safari industry might answer the question of what he was going to do with his career.

He decided to take the plunge into tourism but didn't know which direction to take in terms of whether to be a ranger, tracker or guide, so he started out in 2007 studying to be a field ranger at the Southern African Wildlife College near Welverdiend. After qualifying he worked for a year before deciding that a ranger's life was not for him. 

Devine ploughed on, doing a tracker's course in 2008 and starting out as a tracker at a lodge in the Manyeleti Game Reserve where he worked for the next two years. The guide he was tracking for then moved to Madikwe Game Reserve in North West Province and asked Devine to come with him, so in 2009 he left Mpumalanga and moved across country to take up a tracker's job in Madikwe.

After a few months working as a tracker in Madikwe, Devine decided he really wanted to be a guide and did his Level 1 guide's training, qualifying in 2010. He was working as a safari guide in Madikwe until he moved to Baobab Ridge in November 2022, completing his Level 2 and Trails qualifications along the way.

"It was so far from home, and after 2020 with COVID19 and all of the challenges that presented, I decided that I would like to move back closer to my family at the first opportunity. I began to freelance at lodges in the area and when I heard that Baobab Ridge was looking for a guide I jumped at the chance, and here I am!"

"After almost a year at Baobab Ridge I must say I am very happy here. This is like a big family, and I have received a lot of support from the team here and from the owners, Nini and Brandon. I fitted in quickly and love the Klaserie. It's a pleasure to get out there every day and take guests on adventures!"

Devine comes from a big family, with an older and younger brother and two younger sisters. He has five children himself with his first-born - a son - now 16 and looking likely to follow in his father's footsteps when he leaves school.

"My grandfather had two wives and so we have a huge family with a lot of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Over holidays and at special events like weddings we all get together and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's who," he laughs. His oldest brother is also a safari guide, working in Madikwe as well.

Devine's favourite part of being a safari guide is walking. It's his passion. "If I had to choose between driving and walking, I would choose walking all the time. I absolutely love walking with guests," he says. "It's a completely different experience and connects you directly to the wilderness around you. The landscapes around Baobab Ridge are wonderful for walking safaris."

He hopes to become a mentor for future guides and eventually be a guiding assessor. 

"A lot of people at home don't have the access I had to the safari industry, so I want to work at that and help to improve awareness of the tourism industry and what opportunities it offers to young people coming out of school. At the moment they don't know much about it or where to start," he says.

"Giving people the right information is essential, so they know what they have to do if they want to become a tracker or a guide. Tourism has a lot to offer our local communities in terms of careers so if I can help people enter the industry and do well in it, I will be very happy."

At home Devine teaches his family and community about conservation and the importance of helping protect the wilderness areas in the Greater Kruger National Park. He takes local schoolchildren into the Kruger National Park in his free time to introduce them to what's on their doorstep and is very involved in local outreach programmes.