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I was born 1968 in East Germany in a small town near Berlin.
After finishing high school in 1985 I started my apprenticeship
as a secretary. In 1989 I got married and our daughter Josefine
was born. I then stayed at home for about a year to look after
her. In this time the Berlin Wall came down and many positive
as well as negatives changes occurred in the lives of the East
Germans. The new circumstances, the high unemployment rate and
the lack of career opportunities made us decide to look for a
new life and new prospects. After some time of considerations
we chose to move to South Africa. I always had an unexplainable
feeling for Africa and its beautiful landscapes.
We
arrived in South Africa in 1993 and have since not regret one
day of it. As my English vocabulary was very limited at the time
we moved here I was unable to find a job right away. Some time
later I was working in an Italian Restaurant where one evening
Mrs Margit Pilz walked in. She was the Managing Director of Ilanga
Travel, an Incoming Tour Operator for predominantly the German
market. A company she founded in 1989. Noticing my German accent
she asked me if I would be interested to work in the Tourism |
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Industry.
With not much knowledge about South Africa I started my new
job at Ilanga Travel a few days later.
Due to my determination and willingness to learn and to my eagerness
and ambition to further my career I moved from a junior consultant
to a senior consultant and from there to assistant manager within
5 years. In 1998 I was promoted to the manager of the FIT Department.
During my 10½ years working for Ilanga Travel I have
gained a tremendous amount of experience, confidence and insight
into the tourism industry.
Furthermore
I had the privilege to travel extensively throughout South Africa
where I visited the most beautiful places. Some of the highlights
in my traveling include the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Timbavati
Game Reserve, Tswalu Game Reserve, Madikwe Game Reserve, Phinda
Game Reserve and the Shamwari Game Reserve. Even during our
family holidays I did not want to miss the opportunity to escape
the city and spend time in the bush. I also have been very fortunate
to take agents from overseas on trips through South Africa to
show them the magnificent beauty of our country. My journeys
did not only take me to the private Game Reserves
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but
also to many places in the Western Cape, Garden Route, Eastern
Cape, Nordern Cape, Kwa Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and
the Kruger National Park. Every place has a different beauty
and different atmosphere about it and I am certain that most
of our visitors go back home with an unforgettable memory. Due
to all my traveling I fell even deeper in love with this country
for which I have a great passion.
I
can not single out one specific or remarkable bush experience
because every time it has been an incredible adventure.
What
I like most about the job is to be able to organize unforgettable
holidays and to have the knowledge and experience to make it
a most memorable one for our guests. Every day is a challenge
and there are many opportunities to learn something new.
What
I like about the Tourism Industry is the working relationship
between the agents and the service suppliers. The determination
everyone has for promoting our beautiful country and our culture
and the commitment to wildlife conservation.
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