Personalised
Professional
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Curated To
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About Us – The Ukhozi Story
David Forbes is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer,
a journalist and an artist. These interests have taken him
all over the world, through half of Africa, and pretty much all around South Africa.
But the global film industry has changed since he began
to make images in the 1970s, and his fierce independence
of spirit meant he had to finance his films himself,
in order to retain ownership of the copyright.
As the film industry became more commercial,
and with difficult conditions in South Africa linked
mainly to the weakness of our currency, David decided
to retire from the industry and pursue his own forms of
image-making, mainly in photography, and as a fine artist.
He realised he could share his passions
for South Africa with tourists, using all his experience
of managing international clients, project management,
wildlife expertise and flexible solutions to suit diverse needs.
STATEMENT ON SA-ISRAEL STANCE
The South African government is currently involved in a legal case at the International Court of Justice regarding certain actions by the Israeli government. This reflects their perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict, especially events in Gaza.
It's important to recognise that opinions in South Africa are diverse on this issue. While the government's position is clear, it doesn't represent the views of all South Africans. Many people here have different viewpoints – some argue for a more balanced approach to Israel and Palestine, while others question whether the government's current approach is effective.
Even with the government's stance, ties between South Africans and Israelis are still robust and diverse, including cultural, social and economic links. There is ongoing open engagement with Israeli society, which includes welcoming Israeli and Jewish visitors to South Africa. Our country is proud of its diversity and hospitality, and we assure all international tourists, including Israelis, that they are welcome here.
We understand travellers may be concerned about potential unrest due to these political issues. We want to firmly reassure everyone that South Africa remains a peaceful travel destination for Israeli and Jewish travellers.
Political debates like these don't lead to hostility or violence within our borders.
Our commitment to providing a safe and enriching experience for visitors remains unchanged.
South Africa continues to value dialogue and peaceful exchange.
Visitors from around the world, including Israel, can explore and enjoy the unique experiences we offer here.
SAFETY AND SECURITY MESSAGE
from Travel To South Africa
https://traveltosouthafrica.org info@traveltosouthafrica.org +27(0)83 449 4334
Given recent developments concerning international travellers, we want to reach out with reassurances around visitor safety and security in South Africa, which remains our utmost priority.
The South African Police Service has alerted us about recent kidnappings and robberies by criminals posing as officers in vehicles with blue lights. A manhunt is underway to apprehend them. There have also been concerning incidents of police harassment of tourists.
We strongly condemn these criminal acts and reassure tourists that the private and public sector have never worked as closely and as actively as we are currently to mitigate risks.
Several new safety initiatives:
Over 2 300 Tourism Monitors have been strategically deployed in high-density tourist areas across South Africa to provide visibility, guidance, emergency assistance, and to deter criminal activity.
We also urge extra vigilance around law enforcement interactions and advise the following guidelines:
Do not stop at a deserted spot or area to talk on your phone or even relieve yourself.
If someone tries to force you out of the road, don't panic, Rather, constantly hoot to draw attention.
You have the right to request a police officer who is not in uniform and an unmarked vehicle to identify themselves by producing their SAPS appointment card that would have their rank, date of service and picture on them.
While risks cannot ever be fully eliminated, our goal is to ensure travellers enjoy the length and breadth of our beautiful country safely. We are continuously looking at how we can enhance tourism infrastructure, technology, processes and multi-stakeholder coordination to achieve this. You can be assured that police and tourism stakeholders are working around the clock to put a stop to these acts of criminality.
Our vision is for all guests to continue experiencing South Africa's vibrant cities, captivating wildlife, our incredible adventure experiences and welcoming spirit while remaining safe.
To report an incident, contact the E2 National Monitoring Control Centre Hotline on 083 318 2475.
Ukhozi Tours uses the SECURA Emergency Network for
their clients, who are all comprehensively insured.
We've all had fantastic holidays.
That ONE we remember. Incredible, wasn't it?
We want to make your holiday one of those!
We deliver it, with care and passion.
We call this "The Ukhozi Difference"
Your Guide, David Forbes, is a professional, registered tour guide with the
Field Guides Association of South Africa. His company is a
member in goos standing with the SA Tourism Services Association.
These two associations give you peace of mind about the professionalism and
dedication to quality that David puts into his personalised tours.
He holds a Level 2 First Aid Certificate, and has a Professional Driving Permit.
His guests are insured through SATIB, a Lloyds of London subsidiary.
We treat all people, cultures, animals and the environment with respect.
We believe all animals are sentient beings. We will not participate in anything
relating to captive animals except those in rehab.
We try to avoid plastic at all costs, and work to reduce our waste
and carbon footprint where possible.
We have also signed the Four Paws Longevity Oath, whereby we have zero
interactions with any captive big cats, never take part in trophy hunting, never
support captive big cat breeders, and oppose cruel keeping conditions. We
also support ethical sanctuaries and never buy any lion or tiger products.
Below are some pictures of your guide David in action over the years.
Captions
From Top (L-R): David films Taureg tribesmen entering Timbuktu for a meeting with Gaddaffi
in 2006; with struggle stalwart Walter Sisulu and US filmmaker Connie Field; doing aerial
photography in the Drakensberg Mountains; in Paris to edit one of his films; filming runners at
high level in Iten, Kenya; filming on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya; taking a break
against a leadwood tree somewhere in the bush; being kissed by a giraffe in Kenya;
filming Lucy Liu in northern Cote d'Ivoire; filming recreations for one of his films in
Cape Town; busy with a dawn crane shot for a corporate film; smoking up the chapel
to create "spears of light"; doing the donkey work in Ethiopia for a CNN Heroes spot;
having my head examined (!!!) while having chemo; on the runway in Saudi Arabia during
Ramadan; and, finally, relaxing at home under a huge pin-oak tree!
