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Our Trainers

Alex van den Heever

Alex van den Heever

General Manager

Alex spent his formative years growing up on a cattle farm in the Western Cape, South Africa. After completing his studies in Marketing and Business Management, he joined Londolozi game reserve in 1995 as a game ranger.

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During his 23 years living at Londolozi, Alex worked as a guide and environmental manager and ultimately general manager of Tracker Academy.
He has dedicated most of his life to learning the ancient skill of wildlife tracking, eventually qualifying as one of six Senior Tracker evaluators in 2003 – the youngest ever to achieve this distinction. Over the course of three decades Alex has tracked jaguars in the Amazon jungle, bears in California, grizzlies and wolves in Montana, and Pumas in Patagonia.
In 2008 Alex approached Mrs Gaynor Rupert, the Chairperson of the SA College for Tourism (SACT) in Graaff-Reinet, with a the view to establishing an institution where the fast disappearing traditional art and indigenous knowledge of tracking animals could be taught in a formal education and training environment. In 2010, with the encouragement and support of Mrs Rupert, Alex co-founded the Tracker
Academy.
Renias Mhlongo

Renias Mhlongo

Trainer Mentor

In 1963, Renias Mhlongo was born in the southern greater Kruger National Park. The Mhlongo family sustained themselves by growing vegetables, tending cattle, hunting and gathering.

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Renias is one of the last people alive to be raised on the original traditions of a Shangaan hunter-gatherer.
Renias worked at Londolozi game reserve as a professional tracker, trainer and evaluator for the past 36 years. He played a pivotal role in habituating the now-famous leopards of Londolozi. Renias was certified as a Senior Tracker in 2002. In 2010, he became the principle trainer for the Tracker Academy based at Londolozi. In 2013, he qualified as a CATHSSETA-accredited Lead Tracker (NQF4).
Renias has conducted tracker training workshops in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Australia, Brazil, Chile and North America, teaching people the traditional skills of tracking animals. Renias has touched many with the gracious manner in which he teaches people about the African landscape, its culture and indigenous knowledge.
Janetta Bock Benadie

Janetta Bock Benadie

Operations and Internal Moderator

Janetta was born in Namaqualand in Northern Cape and educated at Steinkopf Secondary School where she matriculated in 1988.

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Realising her dream to work in the tourism industry, Janetta joined the Karoo National Park where she completed a qualification in hospitality and reception.
Her diligence and commitment propelled Janetta into the positions of receptionist, food and beverage assistant and finally manager.
In 2010, Janetta accepted the position of camp attendant at Tracker Academy based at Samara game reserve. In 2011, she completed the FGASA Level 1 (CATHSSETA NQF 2) guiding qualification. Janetta has subsequently qualified as a FGASA Level 2 guide, Tracker Level 3, CATHSSETA assessor and internal moderator (NQF5). In her position as Operations Manager, Janetta oversees all administration, logistics, facilitation and assessment relating to the Tracker Academy training skills programme – for all three training sites.
Most importantly, Janetta is ‘mother’ to all Tracker Academy’s students. The Academy considers itself privileged to have this ambitious and talented woman as part of the family.
Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie

Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie

Trainer Mentor

Karel (Pokkie) Benadie was born on 24 July 1963 on the farm Stoltzhoek in the Beaufort West district, now known as the Karoo National Park.

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At a very young age Pokkie joined his father tending their sheep and setting traps for jackal and caracal – a sheep farmer’s scourge at the time. He learnt the ancient skills of tracking from his father, including the medicinal qualities of the Karoo plants.
Pokkie joined SANParks as a general worker at age 14 where he worked as a field ranger, researcher and tracker at the Karoo National Park for 33 years. Using the Cybertracker data-capture device, Pokkie collected the information for the publication of a scientific paper which described the feeding habits of black rhino in the Karoo. All the data collected was by means of tracking. Pokkie was certified as a Master Tracker in 2007 via Cybertracker.
In 2010, Pokkie became the principle trainer for Tracker Academy based at Samara Private Game Reserve, some 150 kilometres from his birthplace. Not only is Pokkie a deeply experienced tracker, but also a patient and dedicated teacher. He believes he is living the dream by teaching young men and women wildlife tracking skills.
Tracker Academy - Innocent Ngwenya

Innocent Ngwenya

Trainer: Londolozi Game Reserve Campus

Innocent Ngwenya was born on 17 May 1991 in the Village of Utha situated north of the Sabie Sands game reserve. He grew up with his grandmother and three siblings

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The family sustained themselves on his grandmother’s monthly pension payment, and tendered vegetables on a small piece of land owned by the family. Motivated by hunger Innocent and his siblings began trapping birds and small mammals for food. Despite his circumstances Innocent completed matric in 2009.

Innocent’s father introduced him to a project that he was running called the Ntlaweni Wildlife project – a non-profit endeavour that teaches children methods to care for nature. As a guide, his father also introduced him to the knowledge and techniques of nature guiding.

In June 2010, Innocent enrolled at Tracker Academy where he graduated as the top student of the year.  Upon graduating he found employment at Ngala Game Reserve as a Tracker. In 2013 Innocent was invited to undergo the intensive 8-week Lead Tracker programme at Tracker Academy, finally passing in 2015 as the youngest Lead Tracker in South Africa. A year later Innocent was selected to start a leopard habituation project in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana.

In addition to his tracking accolades, Innocent holds a Field Guide level 1, Trails Guide and CATHSSETA assessor qualification. He is currently the Trainer at the Londolozi campus for Tracker Academy.

Renias Mhlongo

Amos Mzimba

Head Trainer: Sandringham Nature Reserve

Amos Mzimba was born on March 10, 1960, in the village of Maplangweni, Mozambique. He spent his early years farming and guarding cattle as a shepherd.

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After completing his studies, he joined the Mozambican army, where he served for several years. In 1985, Amos moved to South Africa and began his career with SANParks in the Kruger National Park as a field ranger.

During his 27-year tenure at SANParks, Amos honed his skills as a tracker, gaining significant recognition for his expertise. His outstanding performance led to a promotion to Corporal in 1997 and later to Sergeant in 2004. Amos was also a member of the Special Ops unit in the Kruger Park, where he was responsible for rhino protection efforts in some of the most vulnerable areas of the Kruger Park.

Amos remained dedicated to his role until his retirement in 2017, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional service in wildlife conservation.

He is currently the head trainer of the Rhino Guardians programme based at Sandringham Nature Reserve.

Janetta Bock Benadie

Excellent Mkhabela

Assistant Trainer: Sandringham Nature Reserve

Excellent Mkhabela was born on November 11, 1993, in the village of Justicia, near Sabi Sands Game Reserve.

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He grew up with five siblings under the care of their grandmother, who supported the family as a traditional healer (Sangoma). Excellent spent much of his childhood assisting with farming duties.

After completing his matric in 2013, Excellent worked as a shopkeeper in 2014. In 2015, he undertook a learnership to study boiler-making, followed by further studies in 2017, where he achieved N1-N3 qualifications, CAT 5 certification, and CHIETA Level 2 in Chemical Boiler-making.

He worked as a general worker at SANParks in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, Excellent began studying for the Rhino Guardian course at Tracker Academy. In 2023, he worked as a field ranger at Bhejane 360 anti-poaching unit.

In 2024, Excellent joined Tracker Academy as an assistant trainer, contributing his skills and dedication to wildlife conservation and training.

Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie

Walter Shikwalakwala

Trainer: Sandringham Nature Reserve

Walter Shikwalakwala, born at Punda Maria Gate in the northern part of Kruger National Park, has overcome significant challenges to become a respected figure in wildlife tracking and tourism.

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In 2011, Walter began a career in emergency services, completing Firefighter 1 and Hazmat Awareness training with Matjhabeng Fire and Rescue Centre. The following year, he advanced his qualifications with Firefighter 2 and Hazmat Operations through LO Tantsi Fire Consultants and completed a Basic Ambulance Assistance course with Impact Technology.

Encouraged by his sisters, he enrolled with EcoTraining, achieving FGASA Level 1 and Trails Guide certification. Walter’s commitment continued at Tracker Academy, where he attained Trailing Level 3 and Level 4 in Tracks and Signs.

In 2023, Walter joined Tracker Academy as an intern. Due to his exceptional skills and dedication, he was promoted to Head Instructor at the Londolozi training base in January 2024. Currently, he is pursuing a qualification as a Lead Tracker (NQF4) and Tourism Management through UNISA, continually enhancing his expertise and contributing to the field.

""Our committed and highly experienced group of trainers form the backbone of Tracker Academy’s credibility". Alex van den Heever

Professional trackers trained

%

Graduates deployed into conservation jobs

Hours logged tracking per student

Enquiries and Contact Details

SA College for Tourism - Tracker Academy

Magazine Hill
PO Box 314
Graaff-Reinet
6280

 

 

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