The people in our team are what makes A Tent with a View tick. We are proud to say that all of our young managers are Tanzanian who joined us on our graduate recruitment program experiencing every aspect of the business before being given a management role with all of the responsibility that brings. The key to the longevity of the team we have today is loyalty and commitment. If we see that commitment, we give it back. It is no coincidence that nearly all comments that we receive from our guests refer to our fantastic team who constantly go the extra mile.
There are some 90 people these days in the team. Here we have selected key members from the office and across all of our camps.
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Peter Lapsansky
We’ve know Peter since the mid 2000’s after he, together with David founded a brown bear project in the beautiful High Tatras mountains of Slovakia which followed a European break taken by David and Tara whilst living in Tanzania. Today, the “Walking with Bears” small group tours continue to be led by David or Peter. Peter’s strong passion for wildlife took him to visit Tanzania and then on to joining our team. Peter brings with him a wealth of knowledge, particularly focused in the area of digital marketing. Peter is married to Joska and has one daughter, Emma. Peter is based close to Slovakia’s stunning Slovensky Raj national park.
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Helen Seiya
Helen graduated from Tumaini University in Iringa where she was on the same course as Praygod, being cultural anthropology and tourism. Born in Kilimanjaro, after several years on various medical research projects, Helen headed south and joined the sales and logistics team based at Simply Saadani Camp. Helen is on our graduate management scheme and is now looking after sales and reservations at The Zanzibari hotel. Helen enjoys reading and is a film addict when not wowing us on the netball court!
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Mzee Hoza
A Tent With A View would not be the same without Mzee Hoza. Mzee is a trained TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Authority) ranger and previous to that his considerable bush skills were all self-taught as he grew up in his village. Content to be alone, Mzee spends much of his time at Babs’ Camp even when there are no guests. Even when we try and tempt him to a night of social revelry at Simply Saadani Camp, he refuses, preferring to keep watch from the Babs’ Camp crow’s nest. You will meet Mzee Hoza if you visit Babs’ Camp as he will accompany you on foot safari with your guide. Mzee continues to learn English which he practices on guests whenever he gets the chance.
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Rama Pangala
Pangala is the Tanzanian “Terminator”. Incredibly strong and a very well trained guard from his army days, Pangala heads up our security at Simply Saadani Camp. He makes for an intimidating character when he wears his “guarding face” until he breaks out into one of his infectious fits of giggles. Pangala cares not only about his guests and his team, he also has a genuine love for the wildlife around him which was demonstrated when he gave support on our elephant collaring projects.
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Rama Mkundi
Rama is a fantastic member of the team, always willing to help in any way he can. Rama is a superb waiter and trained to be a chef with Mussa and Ema. You’ll find him now either waiting at Simply Saadani or preparing your food at Babs’ Camp. A keen birder, Rama has a pretty good idea of most of the birds you’ll see in Saadani.
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Mussa Machano
Mussa was our head chef at our Zanzibar hotel, The Zanzibari, before taking on the challenge of working in a five star hotel in the Middle East for a few years. On his return to Tanzania, Mussa returned to A Tent with A View for a roving role between each of our camps and hotels to train chefs and also act as a back up chef when required. Mussa brings with him an incredible knowledge and array of cooking skills and can cook food from all over the world.
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Emanuel "Ema" Masanja Kabelele
Ema started as the main pastry chef at our Zanzibari hotel. From here he went into the bush in Saadani National park at Simply Saadani Camp to head up that kitchen. With wife Basilisa and two children Veronica and Venuns, they moved to Mkwaja village next to our Simply Saadani Camp. Basilisa worked for several years as a waitress before the birth of their second child. Whilst Ema’s main talent lies in his amazing desserts, his main and fish courses are also something to behold!
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Edward Olemamba
Edo was a guard as part of our Maasai team firstly at our Zanzibar hotel and then at our Simply Saadani Camp. In Saadani, Edo trained under Tino as a waiter before heading north to our Little Okavango Camp where he took his new waitering skills. These days Edo is the assistant manager at Little Okavango Camp. You might also meet him occasionally at the Bush Rover Migration Camp.
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Charles Jisinza
Charles is a superb chef and these days is the head chef at our Bush Rover Migration Camp in the Serengeti. There is nothing that Charles won’t achieve in the middle of nowhere. It is quite remarkable. Charles constantly impresses our guests with what he produces from his mobile bush kitchen.
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Halfan Mbasha
We met Mbasha when we were building Sable Mountains Lodge in 1999. Mbasha started as a waiter and barman in the new Sable when it opened for the Millenium. From here he rose through the ranks quickly and took over as GM of Sable in 2010. You’ll meet him these days at Little Okavango Camp on Lake Victoria or at the Bush Rover Migration Camp in Serengeti. Mbasha is our main tour leader for tours.
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Rama "Tiso" Muhando & Hamisi
Tiso has been with us in Saadani since the early noughties and now heads up our guide team at Simply Saadani Camp and Babs’ Camp. Tiso is short for “Matatiso”, Swahili for “trouble”. Clearly he has stayed out of it enough to mean he is still with us and continues to grow in reputation as a guide in Saadani. It’s remarkable how Tiso never appears to age! Here he is with Hamisi who runs the Green Turtle project in Madete Marine Park which forms part of Saadani National Park. We employed Hamisi back in the year 2000 to start the turtle project. After years spent working with TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Authority), Hamisi is now back working with us and gives talks to our guests on his work with turtles as well as conducting visits to see them hatching if the right time of year which is an incredible experience in itself.
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Oloiteeyo Lerug Mbekure
Ole started with us on our graduate recruitment programme in the office. We quickly realised that Ole’s passion was for wildlife and with Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), a park the size of Switzerland, as his back garden, this is absolutely the place where Ole can show our guests his guiding skills and love of this part of the world.
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Alfred Pius Mganga
Freddie is in charge of food and beverage at Sable Mountain Lodge from making sure you get ice in your G&T (it sounds simple but can present a challenge with solar powered camps!) to getting bacon with your eggs in the morning. Together with Shaban and Ole, they are the management team at Sable.
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Shaban Yasin Saidi
Shabani was assistant to Mbasha for several years at Sable Mountain Lodge before taking on the role of GM. Today he manages Sable with Freddie on food and beverage and Ole on safaris. Between them they bring a wealth of experience and compliment each other well.
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Joseph Olesabore Ndimo
Joseph started as a guard at Simply Saadani Camp after guarding initially at our Zanzibar hotel. We soon realised that Joseph was capable of much more and was keen to learn more about the safari industry and hospitality. Joseph was one of the stars during a highly intensive emergency first aid course run specifically for Rangers. You’ll find him working front of house at Simply Saadani Camp backing up Johnny & Tino in the management of the camp.
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Agostino "Tino"
Tino started as a waiter at Simply Saadani Camp in 2011 and today is our food and beverage manager. Tino is one of our most popular members of the team who clearly loves his job, particularly creating cocktails for happy hour. The “Tinotastic” is a fantastic cocktail which tastes divine but creeps up on you and can knock a full grown man down after the 3rd! Tino loves people and is fantastic with our younger guests playing cards, football and flying kites on the beach with them for hours. We are very lucky to have someone as dedicated as Tino as part of our Simply Saadani team.
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Johnny Giles
Johnny Giles or “JG” is one of our longest serving members of the team. Johnny started as a barman and waiter in the original camp in Saadani National Park back in 1996. From here Johnny spent time behind the bar in Selous at Sable Mountain Lodge and moved on to assistant camp manager at Sable before heading back to Saadani where he is the general manager of Simply Saadani Camp and Babs’ Camp. Johnny loves getting out into the bush and can often be found guiding safaris with some of our guests. Johnny is Dad to 3 lovely daughters who live further north from Saadani along the coast in Tanga.
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Fabiola Mukungu
Fabiola known as Fabi has been a member of the team since 2015. Fabi was literally thrown in at the deep end when she took on the challenge of becoming part of the management team at our Zanzibar hotel. After a couple of years at The Zanzibari hotel, Fabi moved to the office to take on sales and was based with the office team at Simply Saadani Camp waking up each morning to stunning Indian Ocean views and a walk through the bush to her office. These days the sales and logistics team are based in Dar es Salaam and Fabi heads up the sales team with Rey.
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Praygod Mamuya
Pray has quickly worked his way up the ladder on our graduate recruitment programme and has had experience in just about every area, except being a chef! Pray started in the office on logistics and then sales. From here he moved on to camp management at Little Okavango Camp as well as overseeing the logistics for the Bush Rover Suites. Pray has also increasingly been gaining experience in the area of tour leading some of our groups. We have high hopes for Pray!
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Rehema Kilanga
Rehema, affectionately known as Rey, is the 3rd eldest daughter of Masa and a key member of our team. Rey did her degree in accounting and is now using these considerable skills for the benefit of our company and is in training to eventually take over the FD role from her dad. You will also meet Rey in sales as she works closely with Fabiola putting together super tour presentations. Rey got married just last year and is mum to a gorgeous little girl. It’s remarkable to think that Rey was just a baby herself when A Tent With A View began.
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Mrisho Kilanga
The brother of Masa, Mrisho has been with the company for many years. Mrisho is responsible for the management of The Zanzibari hotel as well as being on charge of all personnel and government issues. Mrisho also has a role in the accounting for the company. Mrisho is a busy man being dad to three daughers and one son as well as being in the heart of the day to day operation of the company.
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Tara Guthrie
Tara is responsible for marketing the Tent with A View portfolio. Tara spent ten years living in Tanzania, first as a lawyer, before joining the Tent With A View team. These days, as well as the marketing, Tara works closely with the sales team and is also responsible for the health & safety procedures within the safari camps, hotels and tours, contractual negotiations and the company legal work. Tara knows Tanzania inside out and there are few places there that she hasn’t visited.
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Masoud "Masa" Kilanga
Masa is co-founder of A Tent With A View with David and is our FD as well as chief architect responsible for the building of all of our safari camps. There is little that Masa can’t achieve, even the maddest of ideas that some out of David’s mouth! Masa spends his year in Tanzania with occasional visits to the UK to support marketing campaigns. Father to 5 daughters and 2 sons and grandad to 7 grandchildren, Masa is kept busy when he manages to get home too! You are also likely to meet Masa out on safari when he guides.
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David "Babs" Guthrie
David “Babs” Guthrie is our MD and one of the founders of A Tent With A View. David has spent half his life in Tanzania and relishes the chance he can head off on foot or car alone making new safari routes away from the crowds. These days David splits his time between Tanzania and the UK where his wife Tara and daughter Lili are based.