our story a journey with purpose

A 29 year legacy of conservation and communities

Our Story

The founders and owners of Isibindi Africa Lodges, Brett & Paige Gehren, both come from a strong conservation background. With twenty-nine years of pioneering sustainable wildlife lodges, all built on the bedrock of including and empowering our neighbouring communities. Together, they run a collection of unique luxury wilderness lodges positioned in exceptional ecosystems in Southern Africa.

“We aren’t just offering the safari of a lifetime, we’re offering a future”

The Isibindi Family

A family business, we don’t operate lodges that we don’t own, every one of our camps we have built and we run. It starts as an Isibindi vision, it evolves and unfolds into somewhere special, an exceptional location with considered spaces, which we would have chosen for our honeymoon or wanted to take our children to holiday. Having happy staff is an integral part of our business, we have a lot of fun at Isibindi doing what we do and we want to share that with you. We live by the motto courage & fun.

“Our natural responsibility,
JOURNEY WITH PURPOSE

The Isibindi Foundation

The Isibindi Foundation was established in 2019 to consolidate our 23 years of community and conservation projects, and to also create a purpose driven entity to assist these initiatives. The Foundation allows our guests to be philanthropic travellers and to journey with purpose.

Travel is powerful when it connects us to a purpose and a community.”

- Tom Brown Jr.

6 core values of isibindi

community • respect • integrity • courage • love • fun

our family at Isibindi Africa Lodges

Driven by conservation our purpose is stronger than ever today to contribute to protecting wilderness areas whilst including local communities; making conservation worthwhile for them. As we grow our conservation projects inside our protected areas alongside our socio-economic projects on the periphery, we see a future for Africa's wild places. We are a passionate group of individuals both at our head office and in our lodges who love what we do and the beautiful places we live in. We endeavour to make all our guests feel like family by abiding by the 6 core values of Isibindi which are community, respect, integrity, courage, love and fun!

Brett Gehren

Founder & CEO

Brett Gehren completed a B.Comm degree at Stellenbosch University, but his love for the outdoors…

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The early days

at Isibindi Africa Lodges in the 1990's...

This luxury lodge company has its roots in a river rafting company on the Buffalo…

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Paige Gehren

Founder
Marketing and Sales & The Isibindi Foundation

Paige Gehren practiced as an Environmental Economist for 9 years working for the Bureau of…

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Graeme Mann

Business Manager

Graeme was born and schooled in Durban, after which he left KZN to study a…

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Heinrich Röntgen

Group Operations Manager

Heinrich has always cared for nature and wildlife; being involved in the hospitality industry gives…

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Lucy Cooke

Group Marketing Manager

Lucy grew up on a farm in the Dargle area of the KZN Midlands, and…

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Bronwyn Doidge

Group Financial Manager

Bronwyn Doidge hails from Mooi River and completed her schooling at Estcourt High School before…

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Pamela Sindane

Human Resources Manager

Pamela Nosipho Sindane graduated with a 4 year Diploma in Human Resource Management. After ten…

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Carl Moller

Group Executive Chef

Carl Moller is group executive chef for Isibindi Africa Lodges and is based in Durban,…

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Kerin Cope

Reservations Manager

Kerin is no stranger to the Isibindi Family, having worked for Isibindi for 14 years…

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Gill Thorpe

Sales Manager

With over 30 years experience in the travel industry, in both the inbound and outbound…

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Luke Martin

Manager of The Isibindi Foundation

Luke Martin attended St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg and then went on to complete his…

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Blessing Mngomezulu

General Manager - Kosi Forest Lodge

Brett Gehren was driving along the road looking for people to assists him with the…

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Matthew Steyn

General Manager - Thonga Beach Lodge

Matthew was raised and schooled in Johannesburg and every family holiday was spent on the…

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Dries Lloyd

General Manager - Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Dries was born and spent his childhood in the Western Cape before enrolling at Pieter…

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Thami Nsele

Lodge Manager - Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Thami was born in Matubatuba area and is the father of 3 kids – 2…

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Nunu Jobe

Director - Isibindi Africa Trails

Nunu Jobe has journeyed from being a poacher as a young child living alongside Mkuze…

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Michell Jewaskiewitz

Reservations Assistant

Michell joined the Isibindi team in November 2014 and has loved every minute of it….

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Yolande Hay-Buchanan

Sales & Marketing Assistant

Yolande was born into a family of hoteliers and grew up in the KwaZulu Natal…

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Audrey van Tonder

Senior Bookkeeper

Audrey is our Senior Bookkeeper at Isibindi which she joined in 2017.  “I am so…

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Lynette de Meyer

Financial Assistant

Lynette is a born and bred Eshowe girl who completed her schooling in Durban she…

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Ntombi Mkhize

Creditors Controller

Ntombi Mkhize was born and raised in Stanger. With no kids and only one older…

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Kelly Coates

Operations Assistant

Nothing makes Kelly happier than being with family, walking barefoot, and having a clear filing…

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Andy and Denise Higgins

Partners

Andy and Denise’s love for travel and scuba diving is what first brought them together….

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Some fun facts about Isibindi

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