Travel Expert

Steve Meinhold

Born and raised in Cape Town, one of the world's most scenic cities, it is no surprise that Steve has a natural infatuation with the great outdoors. His love of the wilderness shaped his early career direction when he guided in various river locations across South Africa and Namibia. His quest for more adventure saw him spend 15 years overseas, which was a perfect base to indulge his love of travel and explore a diversity of regions and cultures.

Returning to his native South Africa, Steve has been focused on Safari Africa travel working with one of the largest specialist tour operators in the industry. Steve brings a wealth of expertise and first-hand knowledge to the Mahlatini team of travel experts, yet still has a genuine passion and excitement when creating tailormade trips for every new and returning client.

African Destinations Visited

South Africa
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Namibia
Mozambique
Zambia
Kenya
Mauritius
Seychelles
Tanzania

MOST MEMORABLE TRIP

I've enjoyed many up close and personal encounters with wildlife that had the adrenaline flowing, but one particular face-to-face experience with a hippo on the banks of the Zambezi at Sindabezi Island is a vivid memory. Their cute, almost cartoon-like appearance does little to help their reputation as one of the most unpredictable and dangerous safari animals.

TOP OF MY BUCKET-LIST

It's ironic that the more places I visit, the longer my bucket-list becomes. In Southern Africa, my top picks are Central Kalahari, Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi and the list for East Africa has simply too many to mention!

Favourite Safari Animal

"The honey badger, noted as the most fearless animal on earth, has my utmost respect."

Sundowner Of Choice

"The ever refreshing rock shandy. It's the perfect sugar-boost ahead of dinner."

Favourite Property

"For different reasons, my current top three are Londolozi Tree Camp, Sandibe and Somalisa Camp."

TOP TRAVEL TIP

A few items I never leave behind are my buff , sunglass and cap. A power bank is also super useful for charging cameras and phones when on the move.

the best part of my job

I love the fact that I am with my clients though the entire process. From the first introduction until I welcome them home... it is quite unique to Mahlatini. Creating life charging experiences never gets old, and hearing about them when clients return is the best bit.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Perfect

"Our trip was amazing from start to finish. Steve went above and beyond during the planning to make sure everything was perfect and kept me informed the whole way."

Alice Hall, London
Honeymoon to Kenya and Tanzania, 2023

Spectacular

"Steve was amazing and helped guide us to a truly spectacular honeymoon experience. We knew it would be great but the entire trip exceeded all of our expectations."

Matthew Baffa, USA
Kenya and Seychelles, 2023

Amazing

"Steve really put together an amazing trip for us. Everything was handled remarkably from start to finish and made for an incredibly stress-free experience."

Peter Bolaji, USA
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, 2023

Very responsive

"Every detail was absolutely perfect and we had not one hiccup along the way! We had a wonderful experience working with Steve, he was knowledgeable and very helpful."

Michelle Borrero, USA
Honeymoon to South Africa, 2023