Bruce & Judy Meeser founded Transfrontiers Wildlife Walking Safaris in 1997. After more than 20 years of working and living in the bush, they sold Transfrontiers in February 2007 to Ian Kruger & Maggie Messitt. Ian started as a guide for Bruce and Judy at Khoka Moya Safari Lodge in 1996 during which time they became both friends and colleagues. More importantly, their greatest connection has been an equal love for the bush and passion for walking safaris.
There is something very special about Transfrontiers and its product created nearly a decade ago. Ian and Maggie are committed to keeping the historic magic of Transfrontiers alive, while also bringing it into the future...
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Ian Kruger, Co-Owner
Ian Kruger has worked within the Safari & Wildlife Industry since 1994 as a training instructor, field guide, trails ranger, head ranger, camp/lodge manager, and operations manager. Ian has worked and gained knowledge in South Africa’s Zululand and Lowveld regions; Namibia’s Chobe and Kwando regions; and Botswana’s Chobe, Savuti, and Moremi regions.
Returning to the Lowveld in 2004 meant returning to his love of walking safaris and guiding domestic and international guests through Greater Kruger National Park. Ian believes in providing an experience that leads each guest towards capturing the spirit of the African bush and local culture. He seeks to embrace the history of traditional
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safaris and tracking experiences—a practice that gets people in touch with each aspect of nature and oneself. Ian embraces time honored tracking methods in search of Africa’s wildlife and enjoys exploring the relationship between the bush and man, cultivating an understanding of medicinal and traditional uses of plants and animals.
“It is in the still moments of the trail, that we find balance within, that we embrace the environment and our cultural heritage, that we discover our niche in life.”
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Maggie Messitt, Co-Owner and Business Manager
American writer and editor Maggie Messitt has lived and worked in the South African Lowveld since 2003. While first traveling through Southern Africa to write and explore, Maggie fell in love with the Rainbow Nation’s land and people. As a result, she quickly returned to further her experience as a journalist on the African continent and continue the adventure she started as a backpacker, eventually, owning and managing Transfrontiers.
Maggie is currently hard at work on her second book — a multi-threaded narrative illustrating the complex story of today’s African elephant. This immersion reportage juxtaposes the issue of culling inside South Africa’s Kruger National Park, where elephant numbers have reached a destructive state, against the issues of poaching and
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elephant-human conflict in Kenya’s Amboseli National Reserve, where mortalities are overwhelming. Maggie is also the Founding Director of Amazwi, a non-profit media arts organization for African women, and the editor of its publications.
Ian Kruger and Maggie Messitt are also co-owners of the Kruger2Canyons Safari Company, providing niche itineraries and a unique team of specialist guides throughout the Lowveld. Kruger2Canyons provides a wealth of information on our beautiful corner of the Republic of South Africa, the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere. This UN-designated area incorporates the Nation's premier tourist destination-- world-renowned Kruger National Park--and straddles the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces in the north-eastern corner of our glorious country.
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Heather Kapp, Reservations and Operations Manager
Stephen Kapp, Camp and Operations Manager
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Ingrid Geertsema, Marketing Manager and Relief Operations Manager
Born in the Netherlands, Ingrid grew up living in the Hague for 26 years. Her desire to travel was strong even in high school, after which she struck a balance of traveling Europe and working in the Netherlands to pay for her travels. In 1996 she decided to go back to school and studied Communication Management at the University of the Hague, where she also joined an exchange program with the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay (USA). Two months after getting her degree in 2000, the travel bug once more hit home, and Ingrid traveled to South Africa for a holiday. This time, there was no returning home. Working as a tour guide for Baobab Reizen for three years, Ingrid traveled extensively throughout Southern Africa before she finally settled down in Hoedspruit in 2003 where she joined Transfrontiers. Having worked in the safari and lodge industry for nearly 4 years now, Ingrid understands the varying |
needs of independent travelers that come to Africa on holiday, to work, study, or sometimes fulfill a dream. Ingrid combines her love and passion for travel and Africa with a personalized approach and a 100% commitment to not just meet but to exceed the expectations of all who walk with Transfrontiers.
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The Transfrontiers Team of Guides
Transfrontiers’ Team of Guides who reside to be in the bush amongst the fauna and most of their lives in Madach and Tusker (our bush camps) deserve a lot of credit for the success of Transfrontiers, always looking after our guests and their safety in sometimes very harsh conditions. They’re lots of fun and all share one great love: the bush.
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