The Safari Awards Judges
18 years of Awarding Safari Excellence
Meet our experienced panel of judges who bring years of expertise in African safaris to the Safari Awards. Each judge has a deep understanding of the industry, having explored and worked with leading safari lodges and camps across the continent. Their knowledge ensures that the best in the business are recognized for their excellence
Albee Yeend
Albee Yeend's intense love of Africa was ignited on her first trip: a 5 day canoeing expedition down the Lower Zambezi and an elephant safari through the flood plains in the Okavango Delta. Bitten by the Africa bug, Albee managed Jack's & San Camp in Botswana and Tongabezi & Sausage …
Chania Tundo
Chania Tundo is a Kenyan of Irish/English origin. Her superpower is her immense personal knowledge of every lodge, camp, farmhouse and villa in Kenya and further afeild into Eastern Africa, which she documents in her blog www.afamilysafariblog.com Chania grew up in …
Clair Mathews Crawford
Having been raised in the Far East as the daughter of a shipping executive, Clair became an avid world traveler from a very early age. Her fascination for exploration and conservation ultimately led her to the University Edinburgh where she gained her degree in Geography and became an expert in the …
Jonty Medcalf
A born and bred South African, Jonty was raised in Port Elizabeth and is now a converted Capetonian. Since arriving at Timbuktu in March 2018, he’s made the office green with envy with his travel list and shocked us all with his refusal of a good cup of Earl Grey. Despite visiting over forty c…
Joost Tania
After finishing his Masters' degree in business economics at Amsterdam University, Joost taught marketing before embarking on his first round-the-world trip that brought him to Asia and Australia. Returning home even a marketing job at KLM could not pin him down and after topping up h…
Julian Asher
Julian's first trip to Africa as a schoolboy was rudely terminated when his mum refused to sign the permission form on the grounds that he was going to catch a heinous disease and die. Despite this less than promising beginning the call of Africa could not be denied, and he is now a frequent tra…
Jürgen Seiler
Jürgen has been part of the tourism industry since 1999, holding various roles at major international online travel companies such as Expedia. In 2011, he took a bold step in a new direction, carving out a niche by founding Afrikarma Safaris, a tour operator specializing in tailor-made luxury s…
Kate Bergh
Kate Bergh is co-owner of Cedarberg Africa and heads up the South African office after moving there in 1993. Kate read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford and worked in Management Consultancy before taking an MBA at Insead, France. Kate has always been passionate about Africa; her most…
Mandip Singh Soin
Mandip has over 40 years of expeditions, safari and exploration experience in all 7 continents. He is the only Indian to be conferred the Ness Award by the Royal Geographical Society, UK and the Citation of Merit by The Explorers Club, USA. In 2012 he received the Tenzing Norgay National Advent…
Marc Harris
Marc is the founder of Tanzania Odyssey and Africa Odyssey which he set up in the late 90s
Nicola Shepherd
Born in India, Nicola was raised in Kenya and South Africa, spending most of her time on safari with her family where she developed a deep love and understanding of the bush. She then worked for a company in Botswana, managing camps in the Okavango Delta as well as in Namibia on the Caprivi Strip. S…
Sandy Wood
Born in Kenya, Sandy was initiated into tourism by her father who was in the industry. Travelling a great deal as a child, Sandy was inevitably bitten by the travel bug and was convinced that she could make a living out of it. Her first job in the industry was as a tour guide in Kenya and Tanzania, …
Sarah Hoyland
At the age of 17, when going on a family holiday was seen to be totally 'uncool', Sarah was literally dragged to Africa. It was an experience that changed the direction of her life. On graduating from tourism college she winged her way back to Africa and spent 6 months traversing the contine…
Sarah James
Sarah James spent many of her childhood holidays in South Africa, thanks to her mother's South African ancestry. Her passion for the continent was further fuelled while working for a year in northern Tanzania, followed by further years working in safari camps in both Zimbabwe and Botswana. She s…
