With a smile that lights up any space, it is hardly surprising that Vusi has become one of our most recognisable team members. His photo has been used across our digital platforms multiple times, so when people arrive at Tanda Tula Safari Camp, they throw open their arms and greet him like a long-lost friend.
Vusi met Don and Nina at a dinner in Johannesburg in 2018, and he happened to mention that he was taking a gap year. They asked him if he wanted to go and see what lodge life was like – 1 week turned into 5 years!
He started with us as an intern and spent his time learning the ropes in all the various departments. He quickly got the hang of things, which meant that a year later he was promoted to Lodge Anchor, which is still his current position. The job title is an accurate description of his key responsibilities. Vusi is in a role that bridges the communication between the guests and the office – their needs, queries, or concerns.
With his charming disposition and happy-go-lucky attitude, it seems only natural that most of his time is spent with guests. “I am the soft skills guy” he says of himself, meaning he decides which guests experience what magic moment offerings, where to have meals, or anything else that will influence their time with us. Vusi is brilliant at reading our guests, he then strives to deliver on their expectations.
During his time at Tanda Tula, Vusi completed a Digital Marketing course with Get Smarter through our Foundation, which gave him the skill set to spend some time doing back-end and social media review and analysis work. However, he decided he far prefers being with guests and interacting on a more personal level.
He still has big dreams of going to Jamaica one day, to a place in the mountains where they grow Blue Mountain coffee – it only grows there, and he really wants to see the coffee fields and taste the coffee. He admits that he is still a complete coffee addict, and his first love will always be caffeine!
As Tanda Tula slowly develops and grows, Vusi admits he would like to grow further and potentially end up managing one of the properties. He definitely wants to stay in the Lowveld, but thinks he will have to invent an internal cooling system first!
