It was in February 1993 that I booked the first client safari as African Portfolio. As another year is underway, it’s hard to believe that I’ve been coming to Africa for almost half of my life! For 30+ years it was not just where I traveled, but where I built a business, lasting relationships, and an enduring connection. I continue to divide my time between New York and Zimbabwe – being lucky enough to have spent the past three months here, escaping this particularly cold winter.
This long stay has reminded me why there has never been a better time to go on safari. Not because it’s trendy or long overdue on a bucket list, but because of what safari offers us now. Safari has always been about wildlife, but for me it has never been only about wildlife. In a world that feels increasingly busy and compressed, safari still provides something rare: space. Space to slow down, to exhale, to reconnect with nature, with others, and with yourself.
At African Portfolio, we have always been committed to providing a more thoughtful and curated safari experience, where many of the camps and guides we’ve worked with for decades, focus on an opportunity to learn – not just about animals and environment, but about the people who live and work alongside them.
Being here in Zim for an extended stay has also reinforced a long-held belief that safari is not so much an escape from the world, but a re-balancing within it. I think everyone who has had the privilege to spend time on safari would agree that you come back changed in subtle but meaningful ways.
I’ve seen Africa through many chapters including political shifts, environmental challenges, extraordinary conservation successes, and deeply human stories of incredible perseverance. Now that I have more time to devote to my philanthropic interests, I appreciate more than ever how meaningful it feels to be here, to support these people and places through presence, commitment, and care.
Therefore, I can say this with confidence and conviction: there has never been a better time to go on safari, not because Africa has changed, but because we have, and we need what it offers more than ever.
