A Twist of Fate: My Journey into Travel Design

They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Looking back, I’d say my journey into the world of travel design was anything but planned—but that’s what makes it such a great story.

I originally had my sights set on studying landscape technology. I loved the idea of working with nature, creating beautiful spaces, and immersing myself in the great outdoors. But at that point in my life, I was also sailing the Caribbean on a yacht—an adventure of its own! I was so caught up in the moment that I completely missed receiving my acceptance forms. By the time I finally saw them, it was too late to respond, and the course had already begun.

So there I was, back home, completely at a loss. “Now what do I do?” I remember thinking. I had no backup plan, no clear path forward. But as fate would have it, a casual trip to my local grocery store changed everything.

I bumped into a friend’s mom, and as we caught up, she mentioned that her daughter was studying travel and tourism. It sounded fun, so I thought, Why not give her a call and find out more? When I did, my friend told me that the course in Cape Town was starting in just a week’s time and suggested that I sign up for the first six months to see if I liked it. If it wasn’t for me, I could always move on to something else.

So, on a whim, I went for it—and I absolutely LOVED it. Those six months turned into the foundation of a lifelong career.

As part of the program, I had the opportunity to do a two-week work stint at a place called Wynberg Travel. It was an incredible experience, and at the end of my internship, they offered me a job! That was the true beginning of my career in travel design.

I was lucky to work under the guidance of Sally O’Molony, who owned Wynberg Travel. She became my mentor, and I had the privilege of working with her in the group incentives department, handling large corporate groups, two of our big accounts in these years were Ernest and Young and Norwich Life throughout Cape Town. She was a true inspiration—passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to creating exceptional travel experiences.

Looking back now, it’s incredible to think that a missed acceptance letter and a chance encounter in a grocery store set me on this path. I’ve since built Anywhere in Africa Safaris with that same sense of adventure, curiosity, and love for travel that started all those years ago. And while my journey into this industry wasn’t conventional, I wouldn’t change a thing. After all, the best adventures are often the unexpected ones!