Your Hosts & Guides

Jason Mott left Australia and his business degree on a one-year ‘round the world’trip in 1996. Whilst surfing the coast of South Africa, an opportunity presented itself to help set up a new safari camp in Zambia – Sausage Tree Camp.
During the course of building the camp, Jason fell in love with the beauty the fishing and game of the Lower Zambezi. He stayed at Sausage Tree Camp as a trainee guide and soon became qualified. Jason then expanded his experience in the industry by building and managing Sausage Tree’s sister camp, and then leading mobile safaris into the Okavango Delta, Botswana. In 1999, Jason returned to the Lower Zambezi to manage Sausage Tree Camp and continued to play a strong role in the guiding field. In January 2001, Jason, with a business partner and friend, purchased Sausage Tree Camp and its sister camp, ‘Old Mondoro’.

Dave and Tash Dower joined us at the beginning of 2006, from South Africa. They have both been in the game lodge industry for some years. Dave spent 9 years as a specialist guide in South Africa, whilst Tash came into the industry as an executive chef after finishing a 4 year chef’s training school at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl. Dave met Tash at a game lodge in South Africa and after a few years, they both teamed up as a management couple and have worked in various lodges and areas, including Botswana’s Okavango Delta. With their combined working experiences, together they form a great team who are dedicated to making the Sausage Tree Camp Team, the best in Zambia

The Guides

The guiding is led by Moses and Steve.

Moses Chiguta, indeed a water babe, found his love for the Zambezi in the form of mobile canoeing safaris. In 2004, after completing all the various exam disciplines of guiding activities: drives; walks; boats; and canoe safaris, he then attended a field guides course in the Kruger National Park to supplement his Zambian experience. He did both the camp and country proud by coming first on the course – well done Moses! A local legend of the valley, and highly respected as one of the top Zambian guides

Steve Cunliffe, like all great guides, found his love for the bush at an early age. This life-long dedication and keen interest in all aspects of natures wonders, has resulted in a wealth of knowledge; and a passion that is as infectious as it is inspiring. After working in the Zambezi valley a few years ago, Steve moved up to Uganda for three years to guide in Gorilla wildlife areas. His combined experience of working in some of South Africa’s finest lodges, Zambia and Uganda, brings a new dimension to the guides team and a new perspective to any safari.

Sebastion Sakala, became a qualified guide through our in-house training. After first coming to Sausage Tree and realizing his desire to be a guide, Seb soon built up the necessary experience and training. We are all holding thumbs for him next year when he sits his final exam in the Walking Safari discipline. With Seb’s wit, gumption, and a great sense of humour, he has fast become one of this area’s great guiding assets.

Victor Kanzala, very much like Sebastion, came to work at Sausage Tree Camp around 5 years ago as a Barman. Now, after also finding his passion in life, and after 4 years of guiding and studying, can whip up a cocktail and serve up a lion sighting like no other can. Known by the other guides as the one with the most luck for finding action-filled Big Cat sightings, we hope that his luck also carries on through to his final Walking exam next year. Victor, with his humble outlook and mature temperament brings with him a detailed history of the local area and its customs. An altogether African experience, with a “G&T” thrown in for good measure.

Patrick Angola, joined our team last year. After spending many years working in various National Parks of Zambia, as a Zambian Wildlife Officer and anti-paoching specialist, Patrick left for the big city of Lusaka. Not surprisingly, Patrick came back to the bush and started incorporating his extensive experience as a Wildlife Officer with the book knowledge needed for guiding. Within a year of hard study and learning the tricks of the trade from the senior guides, Patrick wrote both his Driving and Canoeing…and passed brilliantly. As with Vic and Seb, we wish him all the best for his final walking exams in April next year.

Charles Chanetsa, our newest trainee guide, has been at Sausage Tree Camp for many years as a boatman and fishing guide. Charles also comes from one of the closest villages to the Lower Zambezi national Park and has therefore local knowledge of the river that few have ever been able to amass. His anecdotal stories of the river, the valley, its’ people, and the relationships between them, make for awesome fire-side listening.

During 2007, working with the other guides, Charles will no doubt become qualified in his Driving, Canoeing and Walking disciplines. “From Flyfishing to Folklore.”

The Boatmen and Fishing Guides

At Sausage Tree Camp, not only do our guides take river activities, we also have three qualified and very experienced boatman and fishing guides to show and to unfold the beauty of this amazing river.

Tryford Chiawa; Francis Nguni and Friday Chilikeni

The Chef

Honore Kabongo, from the Congo, heads our team of professional chefs. Honore did his apprenticeship as a chef at an international hotel in Kinshasa before moving to Paris in 1992 where he opened a restaurant and worked for two years. Honore then returned to the Congo as chef/manager in a guesthouse until 1997 when he and his family were forced to flee the Congo. Settling in Zambia, Honore worked in an exclusive restaurant in Lusaka before joining Sausage Tree Camp as Executive Chef in 2000. Honore’s passion for his job is evident in both his smile and waistline!