Get to know Escape

About Us

Every journey shaped by people who never stopped exploring.

OUR STORY

Escape Safari Co. is born out of the shared adventures and an unquenchable passion for Africa and global exploration by long-time friends and seasoned nature enthusiasts, Don Heyneke and Mike Sutherland. Their insatiable curiosity and love for travel have seen them traverse the breathtaking diversity of the African continent and guide expeditions to various corners of the world, amassing over three decades of experience as safari guides and travel specialists.

people are at
the heart
of what we do

Their fervour for responsible travel, authentic experiences and a genuine human connection was the catalyst for everything Escape has become. But more than that, it was a shared belief — that a safari, done properly, has the power to change the way you see the world — that made starting their own safari company feel less like a business decision and more like an inevitability.

A Lifetime of Experience

With a combined experience exceeding 60 years in the safari industry, our team brings an understanding of the lodges, landscapes, conservation and logistics of Africa that is genuinely difficult to replicate. We know these places not as destinations on a map, but as living, breathing environments that we’ve guided in, slept under the stars in, protected and returned to time and time again. It is this depth of knowledge that underpins every safari we plan.

Rooted in Conservation

At Escape Safari Co., our commitment goes beyond curating immersive travel experiences. We recognize our role in preserving the vulnerable and remarkable wildlife in Africa and across the globe. That’s why our operations are deeply rooted in conservation and environmental protection, transforming our presence into an essential and nurturing force.

Safaris Tailored
to our Guests

Our love for people ensures a warm, familial environment where every guest feels cherished, and each safari or expedition sets the stage for building new relationships. We go beyond the ordinary, guaranteeing each guest experiences the African safari adventure that’s uniquely suited to them.

INSPIRED BY CURIOSITY

Embark on an adventure with Escape Safari Co. where an escape isn’t just a getaway, it’s a path to a deeper connection with the world around us.

Be inspired by your curiosity and escape with us.

The best safaris are shaped long before you set foot in Africa. They are shaped by the people on the other end of the conversation. The ones asking the right questions, listening carefully, and drawing on years of firsthand experience to make a series of decisions that will define your journey. That’s who you’ll find at Escape Safari Co.

Welcome to our team of passionate and dedicated professionals, each bringing a wealth of first-hand experience as safari guides and travel planners. This exceptional team is the backbone of Escape Safari Co., instrumental in designing and delivering unforgettable safari experiences tailored to each guest’s desires.

Our team is made up of guides, explorers and expedition leaders who have lived and worked across the African continent. They know the difference between a good camp and an exceptional one, they understand how the seasons shape the wildlife, and have the relationships and the instinct to put together a safari that goes well beyond what any website could show you.

Our team’s personal approach ensures that your safari isn’t just a trip, but a dream brought to life. From your first conversation through to the moment you set foot on African soil, our team takes the time to understand not just your travel preferences, but what you’re hoping to feel, what you’re wanting to learn, and what you’re longing to experience. And then we build your African safari around that.

MEET THE TEAM

– the architects of your dream safari or expedition.

DON HEYNEKE

FOUNDER & SPECIALIST SAFARI GUIDE

Don’s journey into the wild began at an early age. For him, family fishing and camping trips meant growing up visiting wilderness areas across Southern Africa. This had a profound impact on Don and his natural inclination for all things wild began to blossom.

MIKE SUTHERLAND

FOUNDER & SPECIALIST SAFARI GUIDE

Mike’s journey with the bush also began when he was very young. Like most young South African families, the Sutherlands often visited the Kruger National Park and other reserves around the country. Here, they spent time with loved ones around the fire, telling stories and learning the beauty of the nature we have on our doorsteps.

CARMEN VAN WYK

RESERVATIONS MANAGER

Carmen is a Johannesburg girl at heart. She grew up in the city, studied there, and then did what many young South Africans dream of doing: spent a year travelling Europe on next to nothing, seeing as much as she possibly could. At 29, she made the move to Cape Town, fell for it immediately, and hasn't looked back since.

SARAH FAWCETT

SAFARI COORDINATOR

Sarah first fell for Africa at eight years old, when her family's two-year posting to Tanzania stretched into eight, and the game parks and open landscapes of those years never really let her go. She spent the next decade travelling aboard superyachts, but as she puts it, Africa eventually always calls you home, and now she brings that restless, well-travelled eye to planning safaris across the continent she never stopped belonging to.

CLICHAY KELLERMAN

SAFARI COORDINATOR

Born and raised in Cape Town, Clichay brings a lifelong love of exploration and authentic experience to the Escape Safari Co. team. Passionate about culture, nature, and the connections that travel creates, she believes every great journey begins with the courage to answer the call.

AMY CAVELL-CLARKE

MARKETING MANAGER

Amy grew up in in the green hills of KwaZulu-Natal, before moving to Cape Town to study and never quite finding a reason to leave. From as early as she can remember, she was outside with a racquet, a stick or a ball in hand, and that instinct for the outdoors, for open space and movement, has never left her. Africa, it turned out, would simply deepen it.

LAURA BUNTING

WELLNESS SAFARI PLANNER

Laura has never really stayed in one place for long. She's been to New Zealand to Dubai to Scotland, and spent summers camping in the wild, and winters in snowy mountains. She now lives in Kenya, on the border of Tsavo National Park, with her partner Taru, a conservationist, and their dog Dingo. It is about as far from a conventional address as one can get, and entirely fitting.

GUY BRUNSKILL

PRIVATE SAFARI GUIDE

Guy's connection to the wild began early. Growing up in Durban, family holidays meant a simple but formative choice: the Klaserie Private Game Reserve on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park, or the beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. More often than not, the bush won. It was here, alongside his father, that a quiet but lasting passion for wildlife and the natural world took root.

LUCIEN BEAUMONT

PRIVATE SAFARI GUIDE

Lucien's love of the wild began young. Growing up on a wine estate in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley of the Western Cape, the surrounding mountains and rivers were his playground, and family camping trips to some of Africa's more remote corners did the rest. Long before he ever held a pair of binoculars professionally, the natural world had already claimed him.

MATT MURRAY

PRIVATE SAFARI GUIDE

Matt's relationship with the outdoors started early. Growing up on a dairy farm in the Natal Midlands, he spent much of his childhood exploring the bush at Zuka Private Game Reserve in Northern Natal. Those early years in the wild left a mark that a business degree at Stellenbosch University couldn't quite overwrite, and by the time he graduated in 2012, his path was already clear.