Botswana’s Best G&TS
At the heart of the Kwando Wildlife Experience are the Kwando Guide and Tracker teams (G&Ts). The Kwando Guides and Trackers are not just wildlife experts, they are storytellers, stewards, and interpreters of the wild. Their unique skills and years of experience will leave you feeling confident and reassured during your safari.
Our guides are widely regarded as some of the best in Botswana — and across Africa — for several key, standout reasons that combine expertise, collaboration, ethics and experience.
Botswana’s Best G&Ts
Kwando is one of the only safari companies in Botswana that uses a two-guide system for off-road, action-packed safaris. Our dynamic duos offer guests double the skill, double the eyes and a deeper understanding of the bush:
A professional safari guide drives and interprets the wildlife experience.
A local tracker, often from the surrounding community, sits on a tracker seat and focuses entirely on spotting fresh animal signs.
Veteran Knowledge Meets Youthful Passion
Kwando invests in long-term guide development. Many guides have decades of experience and mentored younger trackers into full-time roles. We’re talking about the local heart and global standards. This continuity builds trust, storytelling tradition, and an unmatched ability to connect with both guests and wildlife.
Ethos of Unscripted Wilderness
Kwando guides are taught not to “chase sightings” for show but to immerse guests in the natural rhythm of the bush. This means you get guides who are deeply respectful of animals, won’t pressure or crowd them, and understand that small moments — like dung beetles or bird calls — can be just as magical as the big predators.
Any experienced safari-goer will tell you that the guide (and his tracker) truly defines the safari.
Meet the Kwando Private Guides
Kwando built its reputation for having the best guides in the industry. And any of our guides can be hired as a Private Guide. We also have several guides who have specialised in areas like family safaris, photographic safaris, birding safaris, etc. Check out our Specialised Safaris section and get in touch with us for the most up-to-date info.
Below is a selection of Kwando guides that are revered by our loyal fans and repeat guests. These guides embody our spirit of adventure and connection with the wild. They have all shown remarkable dedication and earned consistent rave reviews, inspiring unforgettable Kwando Wildlife Experiences.
Spencer Mathambo
Spencer, born near Francistown into a large extended family, speaks English, Setswana, and Kalanga. He has over 15 years of guiding experience and studied at the University of Natal before joining Kwando Safaris.
Spencer’s personal interests include videography, educational lecturing to local wildlife clubs, reading, listening to music, hiking, and herding cattle when he goes home on leave. He has travelled throughout Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Popular with staff and guests alike, Spencer has a keen sense of humour— albeit a very subtle one. He has a quiet confidence derived from years of bush experience and is well-known by all our repeat guests.
Thomas Nkwazi
Thomas was born in a small village called Liyambezi (100 kilometres west of Kasane) and is proud to say that he grew up in the magnificent Chobe region. He is no stranger to the elephants of Chobe — on more than one occasion, he could not get to his primary school ten kilometres away because of these large roadblocks!
Tom grew up in a large family — his parents were farmers and fishermen, and they raised ten children! His tribal language is Sesubia, and he also converses in English and Setswana.
After graduating from high school in Kasane, he started off at a lodge inside the Chobe National Park as a trainee cook. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to cross-exposure with the guiding team. Equipped with some practical experience, Tom chose to follow his love for the bush and obtained his license.
TJ Ketshabile Thamaga
Birding Specialist Guide
TJ started guiding in 2008 and joined Kwando Safaris a decade ago. Born at a small settlement in the Okavango Delta, he is immensely proud of his heritage and will tell you on safari, “I am a bushman from the Delta. I am a Basarwa”.
Growing up, TJ admits he was far more interested in wood sculpture-making (an art passed down through the men in his family) than the bush. From a young age, he was a member of the art club, and his paintings still sit in pride of place at school.
As a San man, he feels at home in all environments and is well-versed in traditional botanicals and medicinal plant use. Birding is also something that runs through his blood. He birdwatches from his home on off days, locating buntings, warblers, queleas, chats, and calls Lake Ngami one of his favourite outings. However, he is most effusive about the Carmine bee-eater gathering that assembles on the sandbanks of the Kwando River at Lagoon Camp each year.
Kelvin Zemwana
Born in Maun and raised in Boro, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, Kelvin has been surrounded by wildlife — elephants, hippos, lions, and impalas — since childhood. He grew up with his grandparents, learning about farming, fishing, and life along the Boro River.
Fluent in English, Setswana, and Seyeyi, Kelvin trained as a professional safari guide and has over 10 years of experience. He joined Kwando Safaris in 2023 and loves sharing his knowledge of wildlife, tracking, plants, astronomy, and local traditions with guests.
Kelvin’s favourite moments are around the campfire or dinner table, telling stories. He enjoys spotting baby animals, unusual wildlife interactions, and sharing the magic of the Okavango Delta at sunrise.
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Ryder Tirelo
Born in the heart of northern Botswana near Etsha 13 village, Gaolatlhe “Ryder” Tirelo is a proud member of the Bayei tribe.
Fluent in four languages — Seyei, Setswana, English, and Sembukushu — Ryder began his formal guiding journey in 2006, earning his Specialist Guide certification, and followed it with his Professional Guide License in 2013. Over the years, he has honed his craft with some of the most prestigious safari operations in Botswana, including with us at Kwando Safaris, where he continues to excel.
Photographers praise Ryder for his remarkable ability to position the vehicle perfectly during sightings, ensuring unforgettable views and snaps while always respecting the animals and their space.
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