Let the celebrations begin! Desert & Delta’s very first female tour guide, Florence Kagiso, has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘The Innovator’ at the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards 2021. At this year’s sixth annual Reader Awards, the public was invited to vote for who they considered to be the best ‘Innovator’ at this year’s awards with the polls opening on 3rd June 2021 and closing on 30th September 2021. Florence Kagiso is a true inspiration for women and girls across Africa being the first female tour guide in not only Botswana, but across the entire continent and has since paved the way for other women. She now mentors and leads the first all-female guide team in Africa affectionately known as Chobe’s Angels. After judges created a shortlist of nominees, over 7,500 readers voted in 15 different award categories. It is a truly wonderful celebration of the astonishing work Florence Kagiso has done for Desert & Delta Safaris and for all women in Africa.
At Desert & Delta Safaris’ five-star Chobe Game Lodge, female empowerment and promoting gender equality is at the core of their CARES philosophy. Having joined in 2004, Florence Kagiso is an integral member of the management team at Chobe Game Lodge, which now has 50% female representation, a huge accomplishment in female empowerment. The consequences of Florence Kagiso’s revolutionary career have been extraordinary for the local community. Not only has she been an inspiration for young women and girls across Africa to strive for successful careers, but the money generated at Chobe Game Lodge has trickled down to the community and has boosted the local economy.
“We are incredibly pleased that the fantastic work Florence Kagiso and the Chobe’s Angels has been recognised and celebrated at the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards 2021. We would like to thank everybody who voted for her in ‘The Innovator’ category and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for her and the remarkable work she will continue doing for all African women.” Enthuses James Wilson, Marketing Director at Desert & Delta Safaris.
Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent game lodge located within the Chobe National Park, on the Chobe River in northern Botswana. Each of the 44 luxurious rooms has wonderful river views and is a haven of peace and tranquillity. Chobe’s diverse wildlife is the highlight of the region, including elephants, lions, buffalos, and giraffes, and can be viewed from their fleet of solar-electric powered safari boats and their electric-powered game drive vehicles.
ABOUT DESERT & DELTA
One of the original safari operators in Botswana, founded in 1982, Desert & Delta Safaris eight camps are set in prime locations in northern Botswana’s famous game reserves and national parks with one just across the Chobe River in Namibia’s Eastern Caprivi Strip. Together these luxurious lodges offer an outstandingly diverse safari experience whilst providing the personalised service and attention to detail for which Desert & Delta Safaris is known. Guests are immersed in a safari experience which develops an understanding of the animals, people, and geography of this magnificent country.
