Your Guide to the Wild: Meet Jessica from Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Until you’ve been on safari, it’s hard to grasp just how well-camouflaged wildlife can be. A leopard can lie motionless in the dappled shade just metres from a vehicle, invisible to the untrained eye, even to the prey who it is patiently waiting to ambush. A lion can melt into the dry, golden grasses of the savanna and seemingly vanish altogether. Nature has evolved in absolute perfection and this is what makes a safari such a thrilling adventure.

This is exactly what makes guided safaris extraordinary. Guides are not just important — they are essential.
A skilled guide reads the lay of the land like a storybook. They interpret broken branches, fresh tracks, and distant calls with uncanny ability and instinct. They don’t just take you on a drive, they lead you to discover a world that is honed through years and years of dedicated time, learnt from living in the bush.

The vehicle moves slowly as the first light of day spills across the horizon. You soak up the tranquil transition of the early morning in the bush – colours splash across the sky, you feel the crisp morning chill bring colour to your cheeks. The wild world around you looks serene and seemingly still as it waits for the break of day. Your guide stops and listens, scanning the horizon and checking for tracks written in the sand. With a quiet confidence, they turn in a new direction, following the signs of the wild that lead you straight to an unforgettable encounter.

It’s the guides at our camps who transform each game drive from a scenic ride into a truly extraordinary experience. Guides live and breathe the bush. They are deeply tuned into the ways of the wilderness and share their incredible wisdom with guests. Using their finely-tuned instincts, they interpret nature’s subtle clues and bring you closer to wildlife than you ever imagined. It is awe-inspiring to witness and is a powerful reminder of the ways in which we are all able to deeply connect to nature.

Meet Jessica, one of the incredibly passionate guides to the wild at Umkumbe Safari Lodge.

Situated on the banks of the seasonal Sand River in the world renowned Sabie Game Reserve, Jessica shares what she loves most about her jobs a guide at Umkumbe. What ignited her love for the African bush and how this wild place has shaped her.

Read on as she regales her most memorable moments from guiding guests on safari through the wild landscapes surrounding Umkumbe.

Close-ups and close encounters – Umkumbe guide with Umkumbe. Umkumbe means rhino

Where did you grow up and what first drew you to the bush?

I grew up in the bustling city of Johannesburg, but for as long as I can remember my family went to Kruger National Park for family holidays. My Dad grew up going to Kruger with his parents, and he introduced my Mom to Kruger when they were newly married. The safari bug bit hard, and my brother and I were no different. We loved exploring camp looking for snakes and lizards. We excitedly tried to be the first car to leave camp at 04h30 in the morning! And we always loved a skottel breakfast at one of the many picnic spots. Shingwedzi Camp was always my favourite, and these wondrous family holidays solidified a strong passion and love for the bush.

How did you become a guide? What was your journey like?

I always thought about being a guide. I remember at school, in Grade 9, we had a project about what we wanted to be one day, and my project had a bright blue cover with glittered letters saying ‘Game Ranger!’. Back in 2020 I committed to the dream and studied a FGASA course in the beautiful Balule Game Reserve.

How has your experience been as a female guide in a role that was traditionally dominated by men?

Honestly, I’ve felt very proud and for lack of a better phrase ‘bad-ass’! Many of the guests passing through Umkumbe have remarked on how refreshing it is to have female guides in the industry. I’ve felt supported at Umkumbe, and by all my mentors along this journey.

What’s your favourite thing about the Sabie?

I started at Umkumbe back in 2022 and I have loved every minute since. Nestled as we are along the Sand River, every day is beautiful and different in what it brings. I think what I’ve favoured most about this area is the diversity offered, and not just in the animals and birds we see, but the terrain we drive. In one drive you can start amongst the Jackalberry lined riverbank, moving through thick and lush vegetation. By the end of drive, you can find yourself weaving through endless plains of grassland, spotted with the iconic Marula trees. Animals are abundant throughout, and every drive offers a new experience.

The incredible Sabie Game Reserve

What’s your favourite thing about living and working in the wild?

The pace of life is slow in the bush, time feels different out here. Our days are long but every day we watch the sunrise and the sunset. We listen to the bush come alive with bird song in the mornings, and nighttime is marked by the distant whooping of hyenas. Every day we work in and explore an area where life has existed for millions of years, and today we get to partake in the guardianship and education thereof. It’s a privilege you never quite get over.

What’s the most valuable thing you ever learnt from the bush?

Sometimes drive can feel quiet. We have times where animal activity can be prolific, and times where it feels more still and you wonder where all the animals have gone. But then you look to the ground beneath your feet, the grasses and wildflowers growing; the variety of trees surrounding you; the multitude of termite mounds and the life below the surface; the flurry of birds in the brush and their constant song in the background. And suddenly you realise the bush is never quiet, there is always beauty and life and intricacy to be seen. I feel this is a principle we can apply to day-to-day life in general.

Every creature plays an integral part in the balance of the natural world. Life is everywhere

What is your dream travel destination?

Namibia has been on my bucket list for a long time. Something about the wild and untamed beauty of the desert landscape has always called to me.

Do you have a favourite animal sound or bird call?

Definitely! I am blessed to hear my favourite bird call most days at the lodge, that of the Purple Crested Turraco.

Any experiences or animal encounters that you’ll never forget or moments that stand out?

Iv had many, MANY incredible sightings at Umkumbe, but I knew on my first day that I was becoming apart of something special. I joined my colleague on the afternoon drive to start learning the roads. It had been a beautiful drive and we were enroute back to the lodge for dinner when we saw a hyena at the base of a tree. As we watched this hyena, clumps of hair started floating down and we immediately shone up into the tree and spotted a leopard on a fresh kill! We watched in great excitement, but then we heard growling coming from further up the tree and we spotted a second leopard! And as we watched this incredible encounter occur, a herd of elephants appeared out of nowhere and encircled the vehicle, peacefully feeding around us! It was a moment of pure magic!

Image courtesy of guest, Paul Zimmer at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

What do you hope guests take away from a safari with you?

I love what I do, and every day I am here I fall more and more in love with the interconnectedness of nature. That is something I always try and bring across on my drives; how nature influences and is influenced, and how key to balance even the smallest creature can be.

Playful and inquisitive, vervet monkey at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

What is your favourite picture you’ve ever taken?

I don’t always take a lot of pictures on drive, sometimes its nicer to just enjoy the moment. But if I had to pick, it’d be a picture of the first leopard I fell in love with at Umkumbe- the N’weti male. He unfortunately is no longer with us, but he was a photographer’s dream! Supremely relaxed and breath taking to behold!

A safari is so much more than just about seeing wildlife. It’s about immersing yourself in the wilderness and understanding the intricate language of the bush, something a skilled guide helps you to interpret and become a part of. Her passion, expertise, and intuition ensure that every game drive is a story that you’ll carry with you long after the dust has settled.

Read more about Umkumbe Safari Lodge here

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