We kept going back. So we built a way to stay.

WHY DOES SIMAKADE EXIST?

If we’re being honest, Simakade didn’t start as a business idea. It started because we wanted to be in the bush. We were just looking for a way to spend more time out there in Africa. To build a life that didn’t feel like we were waiting for holidays to happen.

That came first.

Only after that did we start noticing how hard it actually is for people to plan a safari. There’s too much information, with most of it written, and almost none of it helps you understand what it actually feels like to be on a safari. Then comes the next question — who do you trust to bring it to life?

So we thought — what if we just showed people? What if we stripped it back, made it easier to understand and showed what a safari is really like. And then pointed people in the right direction when they were ready.

That’s really where Simakade comes from. It’s a way for us to stay close to something we love — and to help other people experience it for themselves.

We’ve spent time in the reserves, stayed in the lodges, and sat with guides at the end of long days. We’ve seen what makes a safari unforgettable

A NAME WITH A PURPOSE: THE REASON WE CHOSE OUR NAME

Simakade is the Zulu word for the connection between all living things. It’s not something you learn. It’s something you feel. It’s the invisible thread that runs through Africa — between the land, the wildlife, and the people who move through it. It’s felt in the experiences you’ve had. Given meaning by the relationships you’ve built. And carried forward by the stories you tell.

When Simakade was founded, the name just felt right. It reflected what we were trying to build. A platform designed to help you experience Africa. To form a lasting connection with it. And to carry that experience with you long after you’ve left.

Simakade is built by a team of people who keep finding our way back to the bush. We built it to help you experience Africa. To show you what it’s like, and to make it easier to take that step yourself. If it inspires you to go and see it for yourself, then we’ve done our job.

We’re not a platform built on filters and endless choice. We’re a place to understand the experience — and follow what feels right for you.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

At the core of Simakade, we believe that everyone should experience Africa because it has the potential to change the way that you see the world.

HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO

We go. We visit the places we write about, and we build travel guides around what we see and experience. Some of it is visual. Some of it is written. All of it is there to help you understand what a place is actually like before you go.

WHAT WE DO

We connect you to the people and places that can bring your safari to life. Simakade is home to a carefully selected group of safari operators and lodges across Africa. Not everyone is listed. Only those we trust.

The travel guides help you understand what you’re looking for. The platform helps you take the next step. So when something feels right, you can follow it through — and turn it into something real.

OUR MISSION

Over the next 100 years, we want to help one billion people experience Africa.

In doing so, we aim to protect over one million square kilometres of wilderness, support the people who live and work within it, and play a part in safeguarding Africa’s wildlife for generations to come.

And if we’re being honest, over the next 10 years, we want to visit every national park, private reserve, conservancy, and wilderness area we set out to from the beginning.

OUR VISION

We see a world where Simakade becomes the most trusted name in safari. A place people turn to when they want to understand it, choose it, and experience it for themselves. And in doing so, help protect the land, support the people, and keep Africa’s wilderness alive for generations to come.

OUR COMMITMENT

We only work with people and places we believe in. Every lodge, operator, and partner on Simakade is there because we trust them and what they stand for. We care about the land, the wildlife, and the communities that exist around it. And we believe tourism should play a role in protecting all three. As we grow, we’ll keep building in a way that respects that.

HOW IT STARTED

Before Simakade became what it is today, it went through a few different ideas.

Conner and Devryn were working in insurance just after COVID, and they knew they wanted to build something of their own. The first idea was to create sculptures that lodges could give to guests. They designed one and had it made, and it actually turned out really well. But when they looked at how much it cost to produce and what lodges would realistically pay, it just didn’t make sense.

After that, they looked at starting a wilderness apparel line. It was something they were excited about, but once they got into the details, the logistics and competition made it difficult to see how they would do it properly.

What stayed the same through all of it was the reason behind it.

They wanted to build something that would keep them close to nature, give them a way to spend more time in the bush, and allow them to carve their own path in the world. And they wanted to make a positive difference in the world in doing so. 

So whenever they came up with a new idea, they checked it against that. If it didn’t fit, they knew it wasn’t the right thing to pursue.

Before Simakade took shape, Conner and Devryn were both really into birding. It turned into a bit of a competition between them [with Devryn slightly ahead — and no, he did not write this ;) ], and became the start of a really solid friendship. 

They used apps, kept life lists, and always compared what they’d seen. That’s where the idea of a field guide came from. They started thinking about what it would look like if there was one place that covered everything — not just birds, but wildlife, destinations, lodges, the whole experience.

They started working on that idea. Building one digital product that could showcase everything they loved — wildlife, accommodation, birds, tours.

But it came with its own challenges. They couldn’t quite figure out how they were going to fund it.

Fast forward a few years, and Devryn was working for a tour operator listed on a safari lead generation platform. The way it worked was simple. The platform connected travellers with operators, and then stepped out of the process. It was the first time they saw a model that made sense.

But it also highlighted something else.

On this platform, and many others like it, there was too much to read, and too many options. The only real way to compare anything was on price, and even then, you still had to work your way through hundreds of different choices.

That’s when things started to come together.

If people could see what it was like, they wouldn’t have to read through everything. And if, once they were ready, there was a place to go with a small number of trusted people to bring it to life, the whole process would feel a lot simpler.

The field guide could help people understand where they wanted to go, and the marketplace could connect them to the right people when they were ready.

Now they had a plan.

The only question left was how they were going to fund it.

Not long after that, Conner introduced Devryn to Tom. They spoke through the idea with him, and decided to build it together.

It took time to get the first version of the site up, and even then, they were still figuring things out.

But one thing stayed the same.

At the core of it, they wanted to show people what it’s like — and give them the tools to go and experience it for themselves.

If people could see it, it would make more sense. And if they were shown the right places and the right people, everything else would follow.

So that’s what they’re building now. A way to understand a safari, and then find the right people to experience it for themselves.