Justine Ryan

Justine once tried accounting. It didn’t last. Spreadsheets, as it turned out, were no match for travel, and she found her way back to the industry long before Rhino Africa was the company it is today. Twenty years later, she still has the same appetite for discovering Africa firsthand, whether that means gorillas in Rwanda, cycling through Damaraland or somehow ending up surrounded by 40 wild dogs on a hunt in the Lower Zambezi. She’s also very good at picking up what sits between the lines. Tell Justine what excites you, what you hesitate over, even what you don’t say, and she’ll start connecting the dots. Her favourite moment is when a guest looks at the itinerary and asks, “How did you know this was exactly what I wanted?” Some of those conversations have turned into friendships that have lasted well beyond the trip. Cape Town is home, and she makes full use of it: early-morning beach walks and ocean swims, long lunches and live music. Her other happy place is the bush, where she has developed a mild bird obsession and an uncanny talent for producing completely random safari facts. She has also learned one lesson the hard way: never choose the spa over the game drive. She once did and missed a pangolin sighting. Needless to say, she won’t be making that mistake twice. Justine’s Safari Snapshot - Safari Anthem: “Another Universe” by Arno Carstens - Instantly Africa: Fish eagle calls and the scent of potato bush - Top of the Wish List: Madagascar and all its wonderful weirdness Unsung Favourite: Gorongosa and its remarkable comeback story - Plot Twist Sighting: One lion, one road and a very sensible reverse