Passionate about Africa, people, and travel, Kirsty Gordon’s mission is to share the beauty of Africa with her future, past, and present clients. She believes, “If you live an ordinary life, you will tell ordinary stories. Live a life full of adventure and your life story will become extraordinary. ”
Kirsty enjoys travelling in Africa, and the following are some of her favorite places she’s visited: Rwanda, Botswana, Seychelles, and Tanzania. She asserts, “I love travelling myself, not only in Africa but overseas, and have visited various countries: America, UK, Holland, France, Italy, Australia, and the Caribbean.”
Kirsty used to ride horses professionally in South Africa before moving to the United Kingdom in 2006 for four years to try to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 3-day Eventing. Unfortunately, she fell a few months before the final trials and was unable to qualify, which was a great sorrow because riding for her nation, South Africa, had been one of her lifelong aspirations. Kirsty spent a year working in the United Kingdom before returning to South Africa in 2009 to launch Anywhere in Africa Safaris.
Since she was 21, Kirsty has worked in the tourism sector in a variety of capacities. Her initial employment was as a corporate travel agent, followed by incentive travel for large corporate groups, and finally event management for groups of 10 to 350 people. Then she launched two businesses, one an internet travel agency and the other a “glamp camping” overland company that specialized in Botswana tours. After that, she worked for a firm that specialized in YPO (Young President Organization) member travel, initially focusing on individual travel for YPO members and their families, and then moving into more specialized group travel for YPO members.
Then Kirsty started Anywhere in Africa Safaris, which is focused on creating a ”high-end bespoke concierge travel company”, specializing in niche travel. Kirsty and her team pride themselves on their in-depth knowledge and experience. They know and love sharing ”local secrets”. She shares, “We focus on taking you off the ”tourist” trail so that you get the ”real Africa” authentic experiences that encourage you to become an Ambassador for Africa.”
When not out in Africa checking out new properties and special locations or helping her clients plan their ”once in a lifetime trip” to Africa, Kirsty enjoys keeping fit: running, cycling, paddling, spending time with her incredible partner Rod Allen, socializing with friends and family, hiking up Table Mountain, sampling the Western Cape’s world class wines.
Anywhere in Africa
Anywhere in Africa, Safaris is not your typical travel company, since Kirsty and her staff focus on producing life-changing travel experiences that are unique, real, and tailored to the individual or group visiting. Because Africa is a huge and untamed environment, Kirsty has hand-picked an incredible team of specialists, including safari lodges, hotels, ground handlers, transport companies, and private guides, all of whom provide outstanding value and service. She says, “What is important to remember is that we are available 24/7 to ensure that each of our clients’ journeys is seamless and unforgettable.”
Over the course of her 30 years in this great field, Kirsty has had incredible interactions.
- Sitting under a starlit sky in the Namibia Desert, enjoying a romantic dinner
- Sipping wine at a century-old wine farm in Stellenbosch
- Being on a thrilling game drive in the middle of the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, Tanzania
- White water rafting down the Zambezi River
- Summitting Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world!
- Hot-air ballooning over the Okavango Delta in Botswana
- Shark Cage Diving in the Atlantic Ocean
- Coming face to face in Rwanda with a magnificent Silver-back Mountain gorilla
Learning as a Leader
After Kirsty left school, she went to do a diploma in travel and tourism and then got a job working for a travel agency called Wynberg Travel doing corporate travel. A few months later, she heard that there was an opening in their incentive division doing incentive group travel; she applied and got the position. She recalls, “We did various incentives for corporate companies for their sales teams- from 30 people up to 200 people.” “From Mediterranean cruises to European trips, safaris in Tanzania and Kenya, to island incentives in Mozambique and Mauritius.”
As a chief at Anywhere in Africa, Kirsty makes sure that her systems (quoting, costing, itineraries, recons) are easy and quick to work with so that anyone in her team can pick up and help the clients at any time effectively and efficiently.
Kirsty’s way of building a great team is to:
- Keep open communication.
- Choose people that are passionate and client-orientated.
- Be realistic about your goals and workload.
- Always be available to listen and direct as the owner.
- Train correctly so you can give responsibility and make the team proud of what they are achieving or the dreams they are creating.
- Focus on encouraging the team to be Ambassadors for Africa.
Getting Big, Getting Strong
According to Kirsty, Anywhere in Africa Safaris has weathered the storm of the previous two years of COVID and is still running strong. She also mentions that the company’s social media reach has increased by leaps and bounds in the last two years.
Website address: www.anywhereinafrica.com
Contact number: 0027 21 6712880
Mobile number/WhatsApp: 0027 794745119
Email: kirsty@anywhereinafrica.com
