The stories we carry: Patrick Kepe’s journey from bartender to guide

For Phumzile Patrick Kepe, the journey to becoming a professional guide began long before he ever climbed into a safari vehicle.

Growing up in Uitenhage, Patrick was fascinated by the natural world from an early age. He remembers spending Sunday afternoons glued to nature documentaries on SABC 3, captivated by the wildlife and stories unfolding on the screen.

“I think that is where my love for natural science sprouted,” he recalls.

Patrick later moved with his mother to Despatch, where he completed his secondary education and matriculated. In 2009, his journey into the safari industry began when he joined Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, initially working as a bartender. It was behind the bar, listening to guests recount their safari experiences and watching his guiding colleagues turn the day’s sightings into memorable stories, that something began to change.

“Each story told left something behind me. It is as if, with every tale, a quiet fire was being lit inside me.”

Then came his first game drive. “When I returned, I knew I had found my passion, and life in the bar was never going to be the same again.”

Patrick was fortunate to have access to a fully qualified FGASA assessor at Shamwari, Andrew Charles Kearney, who trained and mentored him throughout his journey. For Patrick, mentorship has been an important part of becoming the guide he is today. It is also something he believes aspiring guides should actively seek.

His own experience has taught him that professional guiding is a journey of continuous learning. In the early days, one of his greatest challenges was finding the confidence to speak in front of guests.

“I worried about saying the wrong thing or not knowing every answer.”

With time, study, practice and the willingness to ask experienced guides questions, that uncertainty became confidence. Patrick realised that guests do not expect their guide to know everything. They value honesty, enthusiasm and a genuine willingness to learn.

He also discovered that guiding is not about delivering a lecture filled with facts. It is about connection.

Instead of trying to impress guests with knowledge, Patrick learned to tell stories, encourage questions and create meaningful moments.

That approach has become central to his philosophy as a guide.

For Patrick, guiding is about far more than showing people wildlife. “I enjoy creating moments that people will carry with them long after they leave.” The bush can offer something that many guests desperately need: a chance to slow down.

Patrick describes guiding as helping people find peace in the silence of the wilderness, particularly those who arrive carrying the weight of busy lives. One experience, in particular, has stayed with him.

A guest with a serious medical condition had been told that she had only a few weeks to live. Her lifelong dream was to experience an African safari, and Patrick happened to be her guide. One morning, he switched off the vehicle and invited her simply to listen.

To listen to the birds.

To smell the air.

To be still.

She told him that, for the first time in her life, she felt completely at peace.

“That moment taught me our responsibility is more than showing wildlife. We create moments that reconnect people with nature and, most importantly, with themselves.”

It is perhaps no surprise, then, that storytelling has become such an important part of Patrick’s guiding.

At this year’s Safari Guide of the Year (SGOTY) competition, Patrick won the Storytelling category, an achievement that speaks directly to the way he understands his profession. Storytelling is more than entertainment. It is how knowledge is remembered, how experiences are shared and how a connection to place is created.

And during Heritage Month, Patrick’s story reminds us that heritage is also carried through stories: stories about people, places, wildlife, culture and the experiences that connect generations.

A skilled guide does not simply tell a guest what they are looking at. They help them understand why it matters.

Patrick entered SGOTY with a simple objective: growth. He wanted to step outside his comfort zone, challenge himself and measure his skills against some of the finest guides in the industry.

Winning the storytelling category meant far more to Patrick than a title or trophy. It was a reminder that years of hard work, dedication and passion had been worthwhile. It gave him greater confidence and renewed his determination to continue learning, mentoring others and creating experiences that connect guests with nature.

But perhaps most importantly, it reinforced something he already understood: Guiding is not about being the best. It is about striving every day to become a better guide than you were yesterday.

Patrick sees guides as a bridge between people and the natural world. “Conservation is not only about protecting wildlife; it’s about helping people understand why it deserves to be protected.”

Every game drive provides an opportunity to inspire that understanding.

Through stories and interpretation, guides can help guests understand ecosystems, animal behaviour and the challenges facing wildlife, from habitat loss and climate change to poaching. But the guide’s responsibility extends beyond interpretation.

Responsible tourism, ethical wildlife viewing and respecting animals and their environment all contribute to protecting the places guests have come to experience.

Patrick also sees guides as the eyes and ears of the bush, noticing changes in animal behaviour, reporting injured wildlife, identifying invasive species and sharing observations with reserve management and researchers.

For him, conservation ultimately begins with wonder.

“When a guest leaves not only with beautiful photographs but with a deeper appreciation for the natural world and a desire to protect it, I know I’ve done more than guide a safari, I have helped create another ambassador for conservation.”

Patrick’s advice to young people dreaming of becoming guides is simple: **Never stop being curious.**

And, perhaps most importantly: **Find yourself a mentor.**

During Heritage Month, we celebrate the heritage that makes our industry unique; the landscapes we protect, the knowledge we share, and the people who carry those stories forward.

Patrick is one of those storytellers.

And through every story he tells, every guest he inspires and every young guide he mentors, he is helping ensure that the story of guiding continues into the next generation.