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OUR STORY

Born out of a shared passion and love for the bush, Zali is a brand built by husband-and-wife team, Zaheer Ali and Asma Bava.

Jo’burg local, Zaheer, could be found with a camera in hand from a young age and, despite his long-standing reputation as a wildlife photographer, it was the city streets where he honed his craft, snapping locals, buildings, lightning storms and whatever else he set his sights on.

Asma, by contrast, was enamored with the wilderness from childhood thanks to a legacy of weekends and holidays skipping back and forth between Polokwane and the world-renowned Kruger National Park. As such, when the couple met in 2015, it was Asma who first turned Zaheer’s lens to the wilderness and they never looked back.

Five years later, two children richer and both brimming with field experience and a clutch of qualifications, they began Zali, intent on sharing the gift of Africa’s wild and beautiful places with the world.

ABOUT ZALI SAFARIS

If there is one thing that the COVID-19 lockdown has taught us, it’s that, there is no time in life for routine. We are not built to be robots, so why live our lives day in and day out without experiencing all the extraordinary?

It was during this lockdown period that a dream turned into reality.

With us, here at Zali, rest assured you will be able to experience extraordinary.

From underground hides to the exquisite cuisine and up-close encounters with wildlife you can be assured that the people at Zali are far from the norm.

We pride ourselves with having a team of experienced, ethical, and dynamic individuals. We strive and commit to keeping our staff motivated and dedicated to offering our guests and extraordinary experience.

Our drive to keep evolving and keeping up with current times allows us to keep growing and moving in an upward direction.

Our team not only boasts a team of naturalists with a passion for nature, but also, pride themselves in wildlife education and conservation. We make every safari an educational one as our guides are qualified in the relevant fields and are all passionate for wildlife, nature, and photography.

Here at Zali, we believe in empowering the future generation and as such, our guides take a keen interest in imparting their knowledge with this future generation. We love taking families on Safari.

We are affiliated with several non-profit organisations and are always willing to give back or lend a helping hand when it comes to preserving our wildlife heritage. 

We offer accommodation and safari opportunities to 90% of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, to name just a few of these outstanding lodges – Arathusa, Nkorho Bush Lodge, Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Silvan Safari Lodge, Dulini, Idube, Inyati, Lion Sands, Londolozi, Sabi Sabi, Savanna, Simbambili and Singita.

We offer luxury accommodation options, on a self-catering or all-inclusive basis in and around the Kruger National Park. We are affiliated with lodges near the various entrance gates into Kruger National Park such as Bucklers Africa Lodge, Elephant Point Estate, Kruger Shalati, and Leopard Sands. 

Whilst the majority of our safaris are based on photography experiences, we also offer a range of extraordinary experiences from family safaris to full on wellness and detox safari’s which can also be changed to a ladies only safari – the first of its kind in the industry.

The Zali experience is like no other. We pride ourselves with being different and hope that you will Experience Extraordinary with us. 

TAILOR-MADE ITINERARIES AND SAFARIS

There is no one-size-fits all solution to our safaris, they’re truly bespoke.

Not sure where to start?

How about a Technology Detox Safari, to replace the chatter of social media with the hum of cicadas?

Or why not share the magic of the bush with your family on a Child Friendly Safari?

Ornithologists can snap birdlife from concealed hides, whilst photographers, from total amateurs to experienced professionals, will get more from their time with professional trained photography guides, ensuring those iconic moments and memories are captured on camera.

ETHICAL EXPERIENCES

Whilst other safari companies might promise to get you closer to the wildlife…

For us and in our experience, if you take a step back you see a lot more.

As native South Africans we have a pride and passion in the environments of our motherland and a deep respect for the wildlife; whilst, as a family, we want to ensure these precious natural habitats are preserved for our children and our children’s children.

As such, we won’t promise to get you right next to a leopard and her newborn cub or encourage you to clap or shout at dozing lion prides to get a better photo.

What we will do is share insightful stories and expert information about the habits and habitats of the animals we encounter, resulting in a richer and more rewarding experience than a few close-up photos will ever achieve.

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