Meet Priscilla - queen of our desert!

Priscilla Boitumelo has wilderness in her blood. The daughter of a renowned safari guide, she was born and grew up in the village of Shorobe, 37km north of Maun on the edge of the legendary Okavango Delta, close to the Moremi Game Reserve. She started her career as a waiter before becoming a safari guide. Now she's the manager of Feline Fields Lodge...



It's a far cry from the vibrant 45-year-old single mum of two's humble beginnings in the industry she has come to love so much. "I always wanted to be a guide but when I left school in Shorobe I went straight into tourism, starting out at the bottom shadowing my uncle, who was also a guide at a lodge in the Okavango," she explains.

"He was sadly losing his sight and the managers wanted a member of his family to come and help him, so I accepted the role and got my introduction to tourism, doing a little bit of housekeeping and admin work, learning the trade as I went. When my uncle retired, I moved to a lodge in Khwai as a waiter and bar tender and worked hard, fully resolved to better myself as soon as I could."

Priscilla did a management course in her spare time and when the chance to change direction working for an NGO in Maun presented itself, she jumped at the opportunity, working with children at risk. It was here that she found out about the newly formed Feline Fields Trust and learned that they were looking for drivers, so she applied and got the job, becoming a school bus driver and working closely with Feline Fields founder Marjan del Sarte. 

The chance to branch out came when Marjan asked Priscilla to start doing transfers for guests, driving them from Maun to Feline Fields Lodge and to Feline Fields Vintage Camp in Khwai. Guest feedback made it obvious that Priscilla had hidden talents as a guide!

"I always wanted to be a guide," she laughs. "I was so inspired by my father and my uncle and dreamed of following in their footsteps. So when Marjan asked me if I'd like to train to be a guide I jumped at the chance, studying in Maun and passing my exams with flying colours, completing my license at the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute," she smiles proudly.

Priscilla also spent time in the Feline Fields office in Maun learning the admin side of the business, brushing up her management skills in the process before being promoted to guide at Feline Fields Lodge. 

"When I started guiding at the lodge I was also continuing to learn the management side of things so I could act as a relief manager when required," she says. In December 2023 her 22 years of hard work in the tourism industry paid off and she was appointed as the lodge manager, achieving a long-held dream of heading up a luxury safari lodge.

Leading the way

Priscilla has always been a trailblazer in an industry that's traditionally male orientated, and she's one of a vanguard of talented women guides and now managers who are steadily changing the face of the Botswana safari industry. 

"Women in guiding is increasing in Botswana with more and more women wanting to move into safari guiding," she explains. "This creates more opportunity for them to move eventually into management positions. When I was in guiding class there were six ladies learning with me, and only three, myself included, went on to get their licences. Many student guides realise during their work experience (called attachment in Botswana) that being in the wilderness surrounded by wild animals is not for them. 

"In the Delta now, we have around eight ladies guiding, so things are gradually changing and there are more opportunities for us. In the past it was sometimes hard to get lodges to hire women guides, but now people are looking specifically for women guides as they tend to be kinder to their equipment, especially where vehicles are concerned," laughs Priscilla!

So, what does the future hold for Priscilla? "I am so happy here at the Lodge," she says earnestly. ""Feline Fields is like a family, we all work so closely together and take care of one another. It's the best working environment you could wish for. I love being the manager here at the Lodge and love working with my team here and being part of the greater Feline Fields team. I plan to stay where I am until I retire. 

"I have two sons - aged 19 and 13," she says. "Their father passed away when I was pregnant with my second son, so I am a single mum supporting my family. My sons stay with my sister's daughter in Shorobe and I see them every couple of months when I am on leave. My youngest wants to be a guide, my eldest wants to join the Botswana Defence Force," she adds. So, there's a chance her son may follow in her footsteps? "Yes, absolutely, and nothing would make me happier. This is a fantastic place to work, and the safari industry is full of opportunity for those who want to put the effort in," she adds. "I could not be happier."