Donovan Van Staden
General manager - South Luangwa
Don grew up in a small town in South Africa where from an early age food was a big passion. He worked as a Chef in a variety of areas throughout South Africa including the exclusive Sabi Sands Game Reserve. In 2005 he moved to Zambia and then joined Sanctuary in 2008 with his wife Suku as management couple. Since March 2009 he has also been managing Puku Ridge Camp with overall responsibility for the Sanctuary Luangwa operations.
Suku Ncube van Staden
Lodge Manager
Suku who was born in Zimbabwe decided she would follow a path into sales & marketing which led her to a career in Tourism. In 1999 she worked for one of the biggest adventure companies in Victoria Falls and then graduated into operations where she had the opportunity to visit & experience lodges and camps in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. She and Don joined the Sanctuary team in 2008 and her dream is to one day become a travel writer - for now she is eagerly gathering material!
Prince Mutale
Guide
While his name suggests he was meant for great things, Prince never believed he would one day be escorting foreign guests through the bush. Weekend trips with his family to local game reserves gave him a passion for the bush. Now he’s been with Sanctuary for just over two years and he loves the sense of space and peace he gets from the bush. There are two things important to Prince. Firstly to constantly strive to improve his performance and secondly to hear the laughter of his guests.
Roy Kaputo
Head Chef
Roy loves the creative process of cooking, saying “It makes me happy when people tell me they like my food”. Before he moved into the kitchen almost two decades ago, he was a porter and then a housekeeper. Now he’s been with Sanctuary for five years and he’s not only responsible for all meals, but also for training up new chefs. The kitchen staff knows when Roy is happy because he breaks out into song while he works. In the future Roy would like to attend a cooking school in Lusaka to learn more skills.
Misili Phiri
Head Waiter
Misili joined Sanctuary five years ago. He loves singing – in particular the praises of his colleagues, who he says helps him to be the best he can be. When Misili was young he would see game vehicles going into the South Luangwa. Soon, he saw an opportunity to work at one of the lodges. He studied in South Africa while working as a dish washer and now with loads of hands-on experience he is the head waiter at Sanctuary Chichele Presidential Lodge with a passion for training new team members.