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ZAHEER ALI

FOUNDER

Zaheer was a prominent businessman in the security industry for over a decade. After leaving the company in 2017 he sought to pursue his passion for wildlife photography. In 2018 he completed his FGASA and began freelancing and hosting photographic safaris. Zaheer is the heart and soul of the Zali brand, and it is with his knowledge and insight of business and a passion for wildlife that has allowed him to be so successful in this highly competitive industry. As a prominent figure on social media, Zaheer has managed to capture the world with many of his images going viral. Zaheer’s knowledge of photography is phenomenal and as such, he heads up our team of photographic guides. Zaheer will often go out of his way to assist with photographic knowledge on safaris and loves hosting amateurs to impart his knowledge that leaves a lasting impression. Zali, was created with a dream of Zaheer’s to one day own his own photographic reserve. 

ASMA BAVA ALI

CO-FOUNDER

Asma grew up in Polokwane, South Africa. The Kruger National Park became her second home away from home, as her and her family would visit the park at least twice a month. Photography was always part of her life, with her father being an avid photographer. Her father purchased a camera as a way to assist Asma to escape the mundane of everyday life and to capture moments in wildlife in her second home, the Kruger National Park. Asma and Zaheer meet doing what they both loved, visiting the bush. Asma and Zaheer started Zali Safari’s as a way to express their passion for the bush and its wildlife and as a way to teach South African’s youth about, what is, the South Africa heritage, wildlife and nature. Asma focus is on child friendly, family based and educational safaris in which she aims to share and instill a passion in wildlife for future generations.

MOOSA VARACHIA

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Born and raised in the busy suburbs of Johannesburg, I found my true calling in the wild. Being a wildlife photographer has made me appreciate all aspects of nature. My aim is to show the world the beauty of our nature reserves and national parks and ensuring that my guests get those magical photographs that will live on forever.
Join me as we dive in to the adventures of the natural world.

EMMA GATLAND

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Emma was born in Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa and travelled between both countries through her childhood, fuelling a deep connection with the African landscape. Emma is a right-brain creative photographer, with the ability to combine her creativity with the technical know-how to achieve her desired effect -being story- telling through the lens. Emma’s creative eye bound to her emotive connection to the subject has the ability to pull one’s audience into the image and experience the moment in time. Emma is excited to share her experience behind the camera with you on safari. Leading safaris that will combine her passions of the visual with outdoors, exploration, discovery and nature. Her work has been published on CNN, BBC, Nat Geo Online, Caters News and many local magazines throughout Southern Africa.

MATTHEW UYS

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Matt Uys was born in the beautiful lowveld, a passion for wildlife and nature was from a young age. After school he went on to pursue a corporate career and after seven years of the city life, he decided its time to pursue what he really loved. It was only recently that Matt found a passion for photography too which aligned perfectly with his love for wildlife and nature. He spent two years of his professional career at Londolozi in Sabi Sands capturing wildlife, both in photography and videography and since refined his skills in both shooting and editing for the likes of Adobe Lightroom and Premiere Pro.

RICCI GOLDSTEIN

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Ricci is an experienced and enthusiastic wildlife and landscape photographer who has travelled all over South Africa in search of beautiful and unique moments in nature to document. His wildlife photography is easily recognisable for its atmospheric and vivid style. He is perhaps best known for his passion for sharing his photographic knowledge. He can now share in the joy of capturing the world’s most unique wildlife with like-minded photographers.

VILLIERS STEYN (THE SAFARI EXPERT)

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Villiers has been leading photographic safaris since 2009, but his love for nature and wildlife in particular started as a toddler. When he would visit the Kruger National Park with his family during the holidays. After school he studied nature conservation and he had the privilege of studying leopard movements in Botswana’s Mashatu Game Reserve for four years as part of his masters degree. After that, he spent nearly a decade crisscrossing the African continent as a travel writer, visiting some of its wildest and most beautiful national parks and game reserves. His photographic guiding career started in his home away from home, Mashatu, and expanded to the Sabi Sands when he and his wife moved to the lowveld town of Hoedspruit in November 2013. Since then, he has frequently lead photo safaris to amazing destinations like Mala Mala, Elephant Plains and Djuma, but he has also taken guests further afield to more remote places like Northern Botswana, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and even the jungles of india. Most recently, Villiers started a YouTube channel called the Safari Expert, on which he shares a host of safari-related videos.

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