WE DON'T SELL SAFARIS - WE
DO SAFARIS
Alex Smit was born on the 7th April 1960 in Windhoek – the capital of the then South
West Africa. He grew up in Upington in the Northern Cape – a semi-desert region in the northern part of South Africa,
bordering Botswana and Namibia. He spent many years in the Kalahari and he is a specialist on the plants, birds and animals
of the Kalahari Kgalagadi, the red sand dunes and the well known Springbok and the Oryx better known as the Gemsbok.
The Kalahari is the place where many tourists visit, to see South Africa’s splendid bird-life and to follow the tracks
of the rare Bushmen in Botswana.
Alex was a senior officer in the Infantry in the South African Army for seventeen
years. He represented South Africa for three years as a Springbok Shothist in 8 tests against different countries like Israel
and the Republic of China but that is days long gone and from
1990 he and his wife are serious nature/wildlife guides in Africa. A total of 12 African countries.
Alex by
experience knew a lot of the great outdoors but that was not enough for him and he has done formal training to become a professional
in wildlife and nature guiding. He obtained the government THETA accreditation NQF Level 4 National Certificate: Tourism –
Guiding. After this course he done the Professional Overlanding Course and qualified to guide “Overlanders” from
here to London via Africa and back. Alex is also a member of the Field Guide Association of South Africa. Alex is an accredited
nature and cultural tour operator GP 2227 as well as a Level 3 - 4X4 instructor. Alex is proud to be a member of several
nature committees and is also a researcher on the African Lion while on his trips to the Kgalagadi Kgalagadi and Serengeti/Kenya.
Alex is also a keen rock and surf fisherman! Like any normal angler he is
not shy to tell you about the time when he caught 5 Cobs in a row within 30 minutes, averaging 12 kilograms each!. “That
happened in December 2001 at Mile 108 in Hentiesbay (Namibia)...in the middle of the day” he says, with a dreamy look
in his eye.(because he is a born Namibian)
Alex is an animal lover and a conservationist and he loves the outdoors,
camping, photography and to entertain guests around a camp fire. His safaris take him from the beautiful Table Mountain
in Cape Town to the highest mountain in Africa – the mighty Kilimanjaro. From the Kalahari Kgalagadi dunes to the
grass plains of the Serengeti where Wildebeest roam over the Savanna plains. From Kruger National Park to the white Etosha
in Namibia. From the wet Moremi in Botswana to the stone dry desert in the Namib in Namibia.
If Alex is not in the office, you will find him hunting in the Karoo - or will be busy informing
tourists about the feeding habits of the Cape Wild Dogs while on safari. He will explain passionately to you the difference
between gha(Pronounced : “gha”) or ntjama’s.(“n” + click your tongue while you say the “n”
+ -amas – a Bushmen word for a type of water melon).
Alex is married to Alta and they have
three daughters. They run a very successful stationery business in Pretoria with their eldest daughter, Wilma as the
manageress. The other 2 daughters, Karin and Doreen are also involved in Tourism. Alta is totally involved in the Eco
Business and is the co-guide while they tour in Africa. She is also the financial director of Eco4x4Africa CC.
The company specialties are the following
Guided safari with your own or rented 4x4,s in Africa
Guided tours with your own vehicle or guided tours with my 4x4's / tour bus
Guided tours by road or air to Serengeti, Zanzibar, Angola, Namibia, Botswana
Passengers Service in South Africa to all tourist attractions with guiding if
needed and with catering
In-depth knowledge of nature
in the Kalahari - Kgalagadi and Namibia
Present Eco training
for students, do 4x4 courses for drivers - sand driving
Present
Field cook lessons for self drive guests and overland students/guides
Family orientated safaris for the whole
family as drive-in of fly-in tours to Africa
Guests self-drive safaris
to Serengeti in Tanzania
Passenger service for guests with vehicles from Eco4x4Africa
Catered safaris/tours for the guests to experience the South Africa cuisine
Wildlife and nature safaris/tours to all SADEC countries
Short weekend tours to a lion breeding farm where I study the lions
