Guides

At the age of fourteen, Benson had to attend a school in the nearest town. His rural school had been closed due to Zimbabwe's war of Independence. That was the first time he saw a flush toilet and a television. This was "civilisation" he guessed! He found a place in a military run school, where corporal punishment was the rule of the day and was imposed unstintingly. Because of his rural village background, the teachers believed that he had to be "urbanised" quickly.

The macho thing at that time was to join the school's Boy Scout Movement*, which of course Benson did. In this club, he was given the opportunity to do a lot of camping, wildlife tracking and viewing in one of the nearby National Parks. The seed for his love of animals and conservation of wildlife was sown here. (*Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, learned his scouting in this same part of Africa).

After completing his 'A' Levels, Benson had to put tertiary education on hold: financial pressure and family loyalties forced him initially to work as a temporary teacher, teaching 'O' levels. During the school breaks, Benson's brother, a professional Hunter/Guide who has always been a role model and inspiration, would invite Benson to help out on safaris. Benson disliked the amount of "blood" involved in the hunting trips, much preferring the photographic safaris. Soon Benson had decided where his future lay and, assisted once more by his elder brother, he began the long and challenging process of becoming a qualified professional guide. Benson's first position in the industry was as a trainee guide at the original Fothergill Island Lodge on Lake Kariba. By the end of the year he had his National Courier's License and a Coxswain's License, which allowed him to take guests game-viewing by boat on the lake. In 1992 he qualified as a Zimbabwe Fully Licensed Professional Guide. This is Zimbabwe's (and probably Africa's) highest and most respected guiding qualification.

Benson left Fothergill Island at the end of 1993, by which time he had risen up the ranks to Camp Head Guide. His industriousness in this camp had earned him the name "Chitu" - short for dung beetle, that busy and hardworking creature. That year he joined a new operation and helped open Detema Safari Lodge near Hwange as Estates Manager. When he left at the beginning of 1996 it was with the same nickname but in the Shona language - "Ngoko" meaning dung beetle.

Benson then returned to Lake Kariba for a season as camp manager at Sanyati Safari Lodge. Now very experienced, it was time for Ngoko the ball-roller to move on to new pastures.

At the beginning of 1997, Wilderness Safaris Zimbabwe was recruiting - and one of the feelers they put out hooked Benson, who had always held a high opinion of Wilderness as a well run outfit. He was to spend the next 8 years with them, firstly collaborating on the construction of the 16-bedded Makalolo Plains Camp at Hwange National Park. He took part in the official opening and helped guide for a few months, setting up the routes and the standards before he started construction of the 10 bedded Little Makalolo in July 1997. Once both camps were completed, Benson alternated in managing each of them, whilst continuing to establish an ever-growing reputation among the visitors as top class guide.

During this time, Benson also helped train guides in other regions. After one of these many coaching sessions he decided it was time to gain additional experience outside Zimbabwe and he joined Okavango Wilderness Safaris in Botswana in 2001 as a Guide trainer and coordinator. He soon realised that he missed the interaction with guests, and he took over management of the small, luxury Savuti Bush Camp in the Linyanti, home to the famous Elephants of the Savuti. Here he added his own professional touches to the camp. It was Benson who created the now famous walk-in hide called the "Woodpile" at the waterhole, giving guests the breathtaking experience of being close to the elephants as they drink.

Benson has always believed that each of his guests should experience a unique and personal wilderness experience which will leave them enriched. He increasingly felt constrained by what was becoming a mass-market safari industry. His desire to be true to what he believed led him to start his own safari company in 2004. There was no debate about the name of that safari company - what else could it be, other than Ngoko Safaris?

Apart from Benson's encyclopaedic knowledge of the wilderness - he will constantly point out an unnoticed bird or animal, identify it and tell you some interesting facts or story about it - his most endearing features are his cheerful nature and sense of humour. Benson is a wonderful and colourful character, befriending the guests who respond in kind. His many repeat clients attest to this.

Benson is passionate about the wilderness and much of his spare time is spent in the bush, in particular travelling through other African countries in a quest to learn more about their ecosystems and endemic wildlife.