Trevor and Tasmin Savage met in the bush; it's a shared love of all things wild and wonderful that has stayed with them throughout their careers working in luxury lodges in South Africa. Between them, they've got over thirty years of high end hospitality experience; from guiding to staff management to guest-centered special occasions, and everything in between. They've even raised their two children in the bush; more comfortable on the back of a Land Cruiser in the presence of big game than they are in a shopping mall. When Trevor's not on game drive guiding guests, you'll find him behind the lens of his Nikon photographing the subjects he loves most; South Africa's incredible wildlife. With an incredibly discerning eye for detail, Taz takes care of things behind the scenes; typically a quiet step ahead of everybody else. Kateka is the ultimate expression of their combined experience and passion; a five star home where guests will return again and again, as family.

Sean Savage’s passion for conservation started early, on treasured family holidays to the Kruger National Park. Just as soon as he finished school in Johannesburg, all his efforts were focused on building a life in the bush. Sean has been guiding in various game reserves since 2007, including the Timbavati, Sabi Sands, Thornybush, and now to his delight, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Though he loves spending time with South Africa’s incredible wildlife, it’s meeting people from all corners of the globe that makes Sean love his job as a guide. Enthusiastically sharing his knowledge of all aspects of the bush, big and small, Sean’s guests take home incredible memories and safari stories, and often return for more. Between game drives, Sean fuels his other passions: sport, photography, spending time with his wife and daughter and making sure his dog Champ stays away from troops of monkeys.

Originally from the coastal parts of KwaZulu Natal, Darryn’s passion for wildlife and the outdoors brought him to the Lowveld eight years ago. Since then, he’s become intimately acquainted with Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Every spare moment of Darryn’s time is split between riding his enduro bike in the surrounding mountains, doting on Nala and Rigby, his bushwise beagles, and photographing Klaserie’s incredible wildlife. He especially enjoys getting to explore the reserve on foot; taking time to appreciate the finer details of the African bush. Darryn can’t wait to welcome guests to Kateka, and looks forward to showing them the diversity and exceptional wilderness of Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

Shane Johnson is the Executive Chef at Kateka Safari & Wellness Spa and Ronelle Johnson oversees the Operations. Shane’s 20 years’ experience as a chef, was kicked off with an exciting era at Disney World Orlando. Returning home to South Africa, he moved to the Sabi Sands where he fell in love with nature. After his migration to island life in Mozambique, he later returned to his first love, the bush. Ronelle, who was a senior tour operator consultant for almost 10 years, fell in love with the chef and later moved from tour operating to hospitality. She, too, has a profound love for the bush and nature. Over the years, Ronelle specialised in various areas of lodging, ranging from administration to front of house and beverage management. Together, they made their mark in the Sabi Sands and then Botswana. 10 years down the line, they returned home to the Lowveld, and joined the Kateka Family. This power couple’s core values are built on respect and kindness. Their love for service excellence is prominent in all areas of their work and a jovial energy earns them a special place in the hearts of others.

Mama Gift, as she is affectionately known, has been in the lodging industry for over 20 years. Her roots in hospitality stem from her father who worked for multiple lodges and hotels close to the Kruger National Park. Mama Gift's career started as a housekeeper at a lodge in the Timbavati in the early 2000’s and has always had a passion for preparing meals. She would shadow the lodge chefs in her spare time, soaking up as much information as possible. Convinced that the kitchen was where she belonged, she signed up for a professional cooking course and was later employed as a Chef De Partie at the lodge.
Gift has grown tremendously over the years, crafting and producing 5 star meals for her guests. She is now the Sous Chef at Kateka Safari & Wellness Spa and we are so blessed to have her calm, nurturing soul around the lodge.

Makoena Molokomme. I am 25 years old, born and bred in Polokwane. I am a qualified chef and my culinary journey started in 2021 when I attended the HTA School of Culinary Arts and acquired my diploma in professional cookery. My style is rooted deep in the villages of Moletjie, cooking for my family and loved ones inspires me as that’s where my love for food comes from . Working at Kateka Safari & Wellness Spa as a Chef De Partie has been an amazing journey for me. I am inspired by the guidance of Chef Shane Johnson and Chef “Mama” Gift. I look forward to growing with the team and serving our guests memorable food.

Natalie Howes has over 20 years’ experience in both spa and hospitality. Her love for travelling and meeting new cultures has seen her sail across the Atlantic ocean to the US, travelled & worked across Europe, lived in the Serengeti as well as various islands around the world and even to Asia most recently. Growing up in northern Natal she developed a love and affinity for adventure, the bush and nature from a young age. Natalie always knew she wanted to help heal people, “Nature was and still is magical to me, it has everything we need, and it’s no surprise that nature & biology were my favourite subjects growing up, leading me to study microbiology which ultimately changed to a degree in somatology. Today the human body still fascinates me and everyday I learn something new and interesting about how we function and relate to stress in our modern society. We are all so unique and we need unique ways of coping with the world we live in”. Natalie believes being able to combine her love of nature, yoga, spa, and hospitality into a wellness journey at Kateka Safari & Wellness Spa and being blessed by all of it, is the key to your unique stay here with us.