Meet the Rhino Africa Communications Team: a look behind the scenes

Q & A with “The Creatives”

Wondering who these strangers are talking to you through the computer screen – on Rhino Africa’s blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more? Well here we are. The Communications Team. We all sit in the same cave here in the Rhino offices and are the loudest by far.

We thought we’d open up a bit and answered these travel-related questions:

1. Where was your last holiday?
2. What did you enjoy most and least while there?
3. Where is your favourite destination and why?
4. Where would you not go in a hurry?
5. Where would you go right now if you could go anywhere?
6. Who is your fantasy travel partner?

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Ross Bowers – Marketing & Communications Manager

Ross is our boss and spends a lot of time cracking one liners nobody gets. Still, he has redeeming qualities and is a great ringleader. Having spent half his life in South Africa and the other in the UK, Ross switched from working as a lawyer in one of London’s top corporate law firms to join us in the travel industry. He can usually be found with a good book and a glass of wine.

1. Umhlanga, Kwa Zulu Natal
2. 25 Degree sunshine in mid-winter. It was at the time of the Royal Wedding between Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene – the Oyster Box Hotel was abuzz. I suppose what I liked least was that they wouldn’t let me into the party. Odd.
3. Botswana – the Okavango Delta is special place indeed.
4. I’m not sure, but that does remind me of a joke. A snail gets mugged by a tortoise. The snail goes to the police station to the report the crime. ‘What happened?’ said the officer on duty. ‘I don’t know’, said the snail ‘it all happened so fast’.
5. I’m itching to go and explore the Seychelles.
6. Tough one. I think Stephen Fry would be good company. Wait a minute… Is this a sex question?

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  Craig Harding – Social Networking & Copywriting

Craig Harding is a copywriter, graphics designer, web designer and general go-to guy at Rhino Africa. Hailing from Nelspruit in the lowveld of South Africa, this man from Mpumalanga has the perfect credentials to take our website to the next level. Plus he’s pretty chilled out so he’s the right guy to have by your side on an intrepid adventure. He says ‘the journey is the destination’ so we just all nod and agree – it’s better that way…

1. Holiday? This is not a word I’m familiar with. But I do often retreat for weekends away in Plettenberg Bay, the sunrise over the Tsitsikamma Mountains is enough on its own to make the drive from Cape Town worth it.
2. What’s not to enjoy on the Garden Route? I really enjoy heading down to the beach to collect mussels for dinner… But cleaning the mussels is not enjoyable in the least.
3. I love Mozambique! I used to live right on the border between South Africa and Mozambique close to the Kruger Park and would drive through to spend weekends on the beaches around Maputo. If we had more time we would drive as far up as we could, the further North you go in Mozambique the more tropical the beaches become and the warmer the ocean, that’s why Pemba is so amazing.
4. Anywhere cold!
5. There are three reserves in Africa I would give my left… arm to visit. All three are remote, inaccessible and off the beaten track. Katavi National Park and the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania. Katavi boasts a herd of buffalo several thousand strong! And Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Gorongosa used to be one of Africa’s most incredible parks with the largest lion population in Africa, until civil war in Mozambique hit. Now with peace in Mozambique, Gorongosa is on the road to recovery and though most of the animals were hunted during the war the spectacular scenery remains and the animals are being reintroduced.
6. I would love to travel with William Shatner, Ricky Gervais, Zach Galifianakis, Stephen Fry and Terry Pratchett. That’s the funniest bunch I could think of and there’s nothing like a good laugh while you’re travelling. 

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Tamlin Wightman – Copywriter

Tamlin Wightman is Copywriter Supreme at Rhino Africa, and has three years working as a photojournalist specialising in travel in Africa under her belt. She’s realised that joining a passion for writing and travel means getting to wine and dine and recline at Africa’s best (and sometimes worst) retreats and restaurants as a job.

1. Franschhoek
2. Wine tasting at Maison Estate around the fireplace and visiting that graveyard… Worst: Hangover.
3. Cape Winelands. I like the pace and luxury in the winelands; and have many childhood memories of it.
4. Afghanistan. It’s not particularly women-friendly.
5. In Africa – Serengeti Migration by 4×4. World – Nova Scotia – they’re always singing about it in songs and it’s a good excuse to wear a fluffy hat, but mainly to see the Northern Lights. Anywhere in Canada/ Finnish Lapland would do, thanks.
6. Jim Carrey

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 Ian Rowett – SEO Copywriter

Ian has worked with Rhino Africa as a freelance copywriter since the very beginning. With his own web company, a journalism degree and years of travel industry experience, he’s well on his way to becoming a veteran SEO travel copywriting hack – probably a bit faster than he’d like. A modest but proud chap, Ian is quick to point out he didn’t write all the content on our website – only the good stuff.

1. Zim, Zim, Zimbabwe
2. It’s a long list: watching a far-off  lightning storm from a houseboat on Kariba on New Year’s eve was pretty average; the sunset boat cruises with elephants, hippos, impala, birds, verdant bush, garrulous friends and sneaky puff adders were also quite ordinary; and staying in a stone cottage, hiking in the mountains and swimming under waterfalls in the Eastern Highlands was rather forgettable. I loved paying R550 for a visa to go home.
3. Zimbabwe. Why? The dancing doorman at Caribbea Bay
4. Zimbabwe – you simply cannot hurry in that country
5. Winter in Cape Town sets off dreams of big blue skies, palm-fringed beaches, balmy nights and seafood bonanzas. I’ve heard Mozambique does deliveries.
6. Donald Trump’s credit card.

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Ryan Rapaport – Videographer

Ryan is a Capetonian through and through having grown up in Rondebosch. He got his BA in Creative Brand Communications from Vega and specialised in Multi-Media Design and Brand Strategy. Ryan is now the Rhino Africa videographer responsible for our in-house production. He does all the filming, editing, animation, compositing and motion graphics. The toughest part of his job is having to visit each of our favourite lodges to film!

1. Grootbos Nature Reserve
2. Most – horse back riding; least – not being able to stay longer
3. Sabi Sand – best game viewing in the world.
4. Anywhere Ross is…
5. Mozambique
6. My girlfriend… ahhhhhhhhhhh (or Gisele Bündchen, I’m not picky…)

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Watch out for more behind the scenes posts when we throw similar questions to the rest of the Rhino Africa team. Should any of these African destinations mentioned here interest you, feel free to contact us to find out more.