Brad Roberts spent most of his career as a graphic designer for advertising agencies and corporates before taking on the role of Corporate Imaging for Rockjumper. Brad has accumulated a wealth of computer knowledge, and in addition to being involved with the visual aspects of Rockjumper’s marketing material, he also plays a key role in managing our IT. Conscientious and with an understated sense of humour, Brad is always willing to help out in any way he can!

After completing her studies in Hotel Management, Candice moved to the United Kingdom to further her adventurous travel spirit. Having travelled widely, she returned home and has spent the last 10 years working as a travel consultant. Candice is based at our head office where she helps in the operations department.

Growing up, Clayton developed a strong interest in birding after initially dabbling in butterflies and reptiles. A career as a field guide in South Africa’s megafauna reserves concluded when he emigrated to the United Kingdom. After spending close to a decade in the ophthalmic private medical sector, he decamped to South America and embarked on a year-long cycling and birding journey across the continent. After reaching the Caribbean coast of Colombia, he flew back to South Africa to join Rockjumper as a tour leader. His time is now spent behind a desk handling the operations and logistics of Rockjumper’s many tours. His guiding is now limited to nurturing and growing his family’s global birding interests and experience.

Crystal Brook has long nurtured a passion for nature and the outdoors. Crystal will be the first member of our team that you communicate with when booking a tour. You can be rest assured that she will handle your booking inquiry in a friendly and efficient manner. When she takes a break from making the tour of your dreams a reality, she will be found travelling and adding new destinations to her list. Antarctica, Madagascar, Uganda & Tanzania are ranked as her most memorable and favourite destinations.

Daniel Danckwerts has a PhD in Zoology and worked as a Tour Leader for Rockjumper for 5 years before assuming his role within the Tailor-made Tours Department. His first-hand guiding experience, paired with his extensive birding and travel knowledge are the perfect ingredients for helping you to design your dream tour.

Hayley grew up along the north coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal and began her working career abroad, working in Belgium and Denmark. Her return to South Africa placed her at a private game reserve in northern Zululand where she worked, started a family, and lived for nine years. Hayley and her family immigrated to East Africa in early 2022, where they spent 6 months living in the Masai Mara and a remote corner of the Serengeti before settling for the next leg of their journey, in the small town of Usa River, Tanzania, between the slopes of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro.

Upon completing her education, Karina earned a degree in Business Administration and has since accumulated over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry. Throughout her career, she has managed logistics and operations for tours to various destinations including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In her leisure time, Karina loves travelling with her family, particularly to the highlands of Ecuador. She is now a valued member of the Rockjumper team, serving as the Latin American Tour Consultant.

Keith resides in the country town of Howick, South Africa, where he is raising his beautiful family. After completing his travel and tourism diploma in 2008, he went on to develop himself as a passionate and experienced travel consultant. Keith loves being a part of guests travel arrangements, and making their travel dreams come true. In his spare time, Keith enjoys fishing, the outdoors and watching sport.

Keith Valentine is the Managing Director of Rockjumper Birding Tours. Before joining Rockjumper he completed a degree in Financial Management. While Keith still guides a few tours a year, the majority of his time is focused on the office and day to day running of the company.

After completing her degree in Dietetics, Kelly practiced as a clinical dietitian at a large government hospital. After more than a decade in that environment, it was time for a change and to try something new. Her interests include gardening, health and a love for wine.

At the young age of eleven, Laverne was bitten by the travel bug on an international flight, when she decided with absolute certainty that she wanted to pursue a career as an air hostess. After finishing school Laverne went on to live in Dubai for 9 years, working for one of the world’s most prestigious air lines. Settling down to start a family has seen Laverne living back home in South Africa, where she gained a further 7 years of expert knowledge as a travel consultant before joining our Tailor-made tours department.

Lisa Darden, US Receptionist, has over 15 years of receptionist and hospitality experience. She lives in New York with her husband. She loves visiting Central Park which is emerging as an exciting location for birding. 

Lubeynah hails from Mauritius and is an ACCA Affiliate. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Financial Management and brings a passion for the tourism industry together with a full accounting skillset to our team. She is passionate about travelling and discovering countries and their gastronomies. She finds adventures in nature are a great way to rejuvenate herself.

Meg is fortunate to call the KZN Midlands in South Africa her base, she is passionate about travel and birding adventures with her family and loves coming home to her animals who are affectionately referred to as “The Zoo”. After joining Rockjumper’s finance department in 2014, Meg soon found herself drawn to the human element of this progressive team and is now the proud and agile head of all things HRM. Meg spends her days working closely with our Core and Senior Management teams, providing creative and holistic initiatives to foster collaboration within our remote group.

Niki Stuart, the Managing Director of Rockjumper Birding Ltd Mauritius, is a seasoned professional with a diverse skill set. Armed with a degree in Financial Information Systems and holding prestigious qualifications as a CIMA fellowship member (FCMA) and Charted Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Niki seamlessly integrates her technology and financial prowess with her passion for wildlife and nature. Niki’s commitment to excellence is evident in her dedication to corporate governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Working in tandem with the board of directors, she upholds rigorous standards that contribute to the sustained success of the organization.

Reece grew up on a farm, spending as much time as possible in nature. After leaving school he worked as a field guide in various game reserves, where he developed a great passion for conservation, wildlife photography and filmmaking. Whilst spending time outdoors with experts in the industry he also discovered a great appreciation for birding, reptiles and insects. Reece is excited to be taking on a new adventure, where he will be putting his experience and expertise to good use, creating captivating content within our marketing department.

Before joining Rockjumper, Sarah obtained an Honours Degree in Accounting, completed her articles, and then worked in revenue recovery. Sarah has always had a passion for nature and the outdoors – be it plants, animals or birds and enjoys gardening, sewing, cooking and reading in her spare time. Sarah’s attention to detail has seen her involved in multiple roles at Rockjumper, including pre and post-tour support as well as planning and executing our large and logistically complex ABA tours. She now handles all our tour invoicing and makes sure all our clients’ accounts are up to date and accurate.

Sue’s love for travel began while working as a radio operator for an international airline. Sue moved to South Africa in 1981 where she worked at a private game reserve, before settling in for a rewarding career with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Birdlife South Africa furthering Sue’s love for conservation. Several years at the Oribi Gorge Hutted Camp on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast sparked her interest in birding, and in 2009 she joined Rockjumper. Sue now plays a critical role in our Operations department keeping on top of all our scheduled tour planning and logistics. SUE IS NOW BASED IN THE UK

Tarryne graduated with a Masters degree in Animal Behaviour, and spent 13 years in various reserves across South Africa studying elephants. She relocated to suburbia when it was time for her boys to start school, and now lives in Pietermaritzburg. Tarryne is passionate about conservation and wildlife, and is dedicated to providing clients with exceptional experiences as Rockjumper’s SA Operations Consultant.

Innocentia Mkhize (known as Tia) was bitten by the travel bug during family holidays in her youth, her curiosity for all things travel grew to the point that she now describes her passion for making guests dreams come true as an obsession. Tia has spent a solid number of years gaining experience in the travel industry, including her own trips to India, Mauritius, France and Amsterdam, and has lived abroad in the UK as well as in the USA. Now based in South Africa with her fiancé and young daughter, Tia is very excited to embark on this new journey with the Rockjumper Team.

Wasseemah Pheerunggee graduated university with a BSc Honours Accounting and is currently pursuing her ACCA to become a qualified accountant. Wasseemah enjoys reading and baking during her free time.