Growing up in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Eric was fortunate to have the wilderness, the Drakensberg Mountains and the Midmar Dam as his childhood playground. He spent his youth exploring these wide open spaces, from hiking and rock climbing, to swimming and sailing, and these adventures all contributed to his lifelong passion for the natural world.
One of Eric’s earliest and most cherished memories is of him pretending to be a game ranger in his family’s garden. In fact, this dream would continue to linger in the back of his mind for many years to come. Upon completing high school, Eric spent his gap year abroad working on a private air field in the UK, but Africa’s vast landscapes and wildlife soon drew him back.
Eric returned to his homeland in 2013 and, while studying for a Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Physiology and Psychology at the University of Pretoria, he realised it was finally time to follow his childhood dream of becoming a guide.
Eric enrolled at &Beyond’s Inkwazi Ranger Training School at Phinda Private Game Reserve and upon graduating, began his career as an &Beyond guide based at Phinda Mountain Lodge. For the next few years, Eric guided out of five of Phinda’s six lodges, then took on a new challenge in 2018 as a guide at &Beyond Ngala Private Game Reserve.
Eric is currently based at &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge and is also responsible for mentoring our trainee rangers. An outdoorsman at heart, Eric loves tracking, nature walks, trail running, camping and birding.
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