Cobus Calitz and Jil Gerard-Calitz are based in Maun, Botswana and are the owners of the new Qorokwe Camp, set to open in the Delta on 1 December 2017. With a combined 25 years’ experience in the safari industry, they are excited to take on this new challenge and make Qorokwe a success, especially in terms of exceeding guests’ expectations with both the in-camp offering and service, as well as a spectacular and unprecedented wildlife experience wherever possible.
After completing his BCom Degree in Marketing in 2005 at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, Cobus moved to Maun to join his father in the safari industry in Botswana. He grew up on a farm in the Free State, South Africa and spent most of his childhood and teens in the small town of Kroonstad, developing a love for the outdoors, exploration, adventure and wildlife from an early age.
During his move to Maun he met Jil, who was on a round-the-world trip after finishing high school in Germany where she was born and raised. Sharing a love of adventure and a sincere appreciation for nature and wildlife, they both decided to stay in Maun and make Botswana their home. They continued to study through the University of South Africa – Cobus added a financial degree to his name while Jil started out with a BCom in Business Management before moving to Australia for a year in 2010 to complete her Masters in International Business at the University of Sydney.
Cobus and Jil’s love for nature, adventure and wildlife is the foundation for their excitement to get Qorokwe on the map and to showcase this pristine wilderness concession to discerning safari-goers. In their spare time and on weekends, Cobus and Jil enjoy travelling to and exploring new wildlife regions and countries, such as Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Although Cobus and Jil will be based in their Maun office, they will frequently visit the camp to assist the General and Concession Manager, Daniel Crous, and the Qorokwe team to ensure that the standards they are striving for will be met on a daily basis.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Wilderness to market and sell Qorokwe to the world”, said Cobus. “The Qorokwe Concession is a highly productive game-viewing area, one that has been unutilised for the past four years, and we cannot wait to reveal the beauty of its landscapes to our guests who can look forward to truly exceptional wildlife experiences, in addition to a world-class and original luxury safari offering”.
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