Breaking the Thatch Ceiling: Women are Taking Leadership Roles Throughout the Safari Industry

Imagine the challenges of running a luxury safari lodge.  Management must ensure each of their guests have a memorable experience, complete with fabulous animal viewing and guiding, elegant lodging, and exquisite dining that caters to the full range of dietary restrictions and preferences.

Derek and I were fortunate to visit The Hide Safari Lodge inside Hwange National Park this past March. For some perspective, The Hide is an hour’s rough drive from Hwange’s Main Gate – which, in turn, is 120 miles from Victoria Falls, or 180 miles from Bulawayo. The Hide is situated on a private concession – a five square kilometer area deep inside Hwange.  It is wonderfully remote.

We were delighted to meet and speak with The Hide’s senior management team– Kiera and Sue, two capable women who, like their colleagues across the industry, are breaking through the “Thatch Ceiling*” and making impressive strides in an industry filled with unique challenges.

The Hide’s 10 tented rooms accommodate a maximum of 20 guests. The lodge has undergone five major renovations since its inception in 1992, with the most recent reno completed just last year. 32 staff members attend to every aspect of their guests’ experience. Fresh produce, gourmet cuisine and impeccable service are on the menu at each snack and formal meal. Guides amaze guests with their deep knowledge of local flora and fauna. What’s more, the guides remain wonderfully personable – even when faced with the occasional “tough customer.” Safari jeeps are meticulously maintained. Common areas are both comfortable and beautifully decorated. Like the guest rooms, these overlook The Hide’s main watering hole, visited daily by a steady stream of elephants, lions and herds of Hwange’s diverse wildlife. The Hide even features a separate camp, “Tom’s Little Hide,” ideal for families with young children. Sue and Kiera oversee it all. Due in part to their passion, The Hide has been voted “Best Tented Safari Camp in Zimbabwe” 10 times since 1995. These women get it done.

In neighboring Botswana, the Chobe Game Lodge has the distinction of having the first and only all-female guiding team in Africa. These women, ranging from their early 20s to mid 40s, have made impressive strides in what has been a male-dominated profession. They’ve had to overcome some significant pushback. Male guides challenged their validity. Some guests had safety concerns and wondered about the women’s competence. But, the ladies prevailed, and quickly earned high marks from guests.

It all started around 2004, when the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute, the government-regulated college that provides safari guide certification, asked the Chobe Game Lodge to hire two young women who had completed their program. When these two exceeded expectations, the Lodge asked the Institute to send over future female graduates. At that time, there were fewer than 10 women guides in the entire country. In Botswana last year, that number has grown to 50 female guides.

Chobe Game Lodge’s decision to exclusively employ women guides was, quite frankly, based on the bottom line. The senior team noticed a pattern: vehicles driven by women used less gas, required fewer repairs and lasted longer on the road. Simply stated, the gals were saving the company money.

I asked The Hide’s Kiera and Sue if, as women, they had faced any special challenges. After careful consideration, they answered they really didn’t think so. These competent women possess the knowledge, professionalism and drive to handle the myriad challenges that arise.

*I coined this phrase, as safari bush lodges throughout Africa in the bush have thatch roofs.

The Hide Community Trust recognizes that local rural communities are in need of support, not charity. Its guiding principles are: Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce.

How To Support This Effort

If you’d like to donate to this program and you’re a US citizen, click Donate to The Hide Community Trust Beehive Fencing.

If you’re not a US citizen, then click here: The Hide Community Trust General Donation Page.

Your donation will go to providing materials to build beehive fences and education for farmers to adopt this smart practice.

If you’d like to stay at The Hide (which you’ll love), you can book directly at http://www.thehide.com/