Your Abu Hosts and Guides

Thapelo – Head Safari Guide

Thapelo Sebetlela grew up on the southern part of Botswana in a place called Molepolole where farming is the main way of life, allowing for him to experience the bush at a young age. He completed his guiding course with Botswana Wildlife Training Institute in 2006, where the Chobe National Park and Central Kalahari were his learning grounds, before he moved to Seba Camp in the heart of the Okavango Delta for his first permanent position in 2008.

All throughout his guiding years, his biggest passion were elephants, so after three years as a guide at Seba he was afforded the opportunity to move to Abu Camp. His past four years at Abu has been the most fulfilling years of his life and has been very fortunate to have walked thousands of kilometres with the Abu herd and connected with their great spirits.

Three years ago, he was promoted to the Head Guide of the Abu guiding team allowing him more responsibility and chance to a team that lives up to the standard and uniqueness of Abu. The walks with the elephants have given him the chance to guide more of the small things that can be missed guiding from a vehicle. His other great passion is photography, which he wholeheartedly supports its use for conservation.

BT – Safari Guide

BT was born and raised in a small village in Ngarange in the northwest panhandle of the Okavango Delta where he completed his schooling at Etsha 6 Secondary School. Growing up as a young boy, BT would trap birds and hunt small game like steenbok or duikers with his older brothers. This is how BT started his knowledge of tracking and identifying birds and animals. However with time and adult learning, his childhood skills changed into passion for wildlife conservation. He went onto pursue a career in the tourism and conservation industry.

In 1999, BT was employed by CC Africa (now &Beyond;) at Sandibe Camp where he worked as a tracker and a poler, and now he could share all his learnings with his safari guests. BT received his Professional Guide’s License in 2002 and was sent to Inkwazi Phinda Training Course of CC Africa to gain more knowledge on safari walks and rifle handling. He has worked as a Professional Safari Guide ever since.

BT was honoured to join Abu Camp in 2013 due to its highest service standards and unique safari offering. He is passionate about elephants as the largest land mammal of the bush environment he loves so much, and he is excited to learn more (and share more) about this majestic animal on a daily basis.

Lettie – Safari Guide

Lettie was born and raised in Gumare Village in the north-western part of Botswana. Gumare Village lies along the western edge of the Okavango Delta, and so Lettie is no stranger to the beauty of the Delta. After falling in love with wild animals and gaining some tracking skills and animal behaviour understanding from his father, who was a professional hunter, Lettie joined Wilderness Safaris in 2004 as a Trainee Guide.

In 2005, Lettie received his Professional Guide’s License and worked at Little Vumbura Camp up until August 2006 when he was promoted to a guide at Vumbura Plains, one of Wilderness Safaris’ Premier Camps. In 2008, Lettie was given responsibility to head the Vumbura Plains South Camp guiding team, which he headed until January 2010. He then joined the Botswana government working in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. He even coached and led a young choir group to the Presidential National Finals where his group scooped up first place. The choir went on to accompany the President on many of his official visits outside the country.

In October 2014, Lettie joined the Abu Concession first working as a guide at Seba Camp and has since transferred to Abu Camp as the newest member of the Abu guiding team. He is very excited to come and share his experience gained from previous camps and as well as to be a part of the Abu herd.