For years, women living in wildlife-rich destinations in Africa were not particularly present in safari-based tourism; it’s always been known to be a male-dominated industry. Armed, on foot, and often on the move, encountering wild animals, being away from family and friends for periods of time, and the pressure of the traditional female role to stay home, care for children often discouraged women from seeking employment in the safari sector all together.
However, that has changed in the past decade. This has changed quite drastically with a spike in women being seen in the forefront, not just breaking barriers but laying the foundation for others to follow. Working as guides, wildlife rangers, head chefs and lodge managers, and saying, “anything a man can do, we can do, too and give it all our might.”
A inspiration in this regarding would definitely by the The Black Mambas ladies, the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit who patrol 20,000 hectares of the Balule Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa, an area worse hit by rhino poaching than any other place in the world..
In 2004, Botswana’s Chobe Game Lodge headed a campaign with a focus set on recruiting female guides, now known as Chobe’s Angels, kitted out in a khaki uniform with a red and white scarf tied neatly around their necks, ready to take the African bush by storm. The Chobe Angels are now a successful team of 20 female guides who challenged gender norms to become Africa’s first all-female guiding team and are setting the bar pretty high!
“Chobe Game Lodge wanted to set an example for the industry and achieve what everyone, including most of the staff at the lodge, thought impossible” said Chobe Game Lodge Management at the time.
In 2016, Asilia Africa’s Dunia Camp located in the heart of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park reopened to the public with an all-female staff, the first (and so far, only one!) of its kind on the continent.
Dunia Camp is the perfect example of the empowerment of women, this entirely female-run camp is flourishing and showing exactly how women can just as easily do the job of men in a male-dominated industry with no fear!
Why not become a part of TrueAfrica’s very own Female Adventurer’s Club and take on the African bush with like-minded, empowered women!
Venturing out on a solitary escapade across Africa can be a daunting prospect for many, especially for women yearning to explore the continent’s untamed terrain. Often single supplements can make solo travelling an unnecessarily costly venture. We’ve put together an incredible small-group itinerary catering to adventurous women of all ages.
Join other amazing female travellers this October, on a captivating journey through the crown jewels of Northern Tanzania: Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the renowned Serengeti. We invite any solo female travellers, or women travelling together, to join us on this unforgettable experience where every detail has been taken care of, and every moment is pure luxury, all in the company of other extraordinary women!
Unlock the itinerary here: Female Adventurer’s Club: The Best of Northern Tanzania
