About Us
About Us Description. Sydney based African safari expertsMeet The Ubuntu Team
Cuan McLaren
Although born and raised a city boy in Johannesburg, the thrill and experience of being in the African bush has been an obsession of mine from a young age.
Travelling to game reserves on family holidays as a child are some of my fondest memories, and I spent hours pouring over Wilbur Smith, game ranger and wildlife books. From early on I knew I wanted to be involved in the African safari industry in some form.
After a stint of travelling overseas and studying at university back in Joburg, I was fortunate enough to work as an overland safari guide covering Southern AfricaSpending 24 hours a day guiding and caring for tourists through various African countries, I learned a huge amount of what travellers are looking for from their African holiday, and also gained firsthand extensive experience of a large range of destinations and activities.
After marrying an Australian, and moving to Sydney, I now love being able to share my passion and experiences with others, and hope to help you have one of the most unbelievable travel experiences of your life. I will be intimately involved in your travel arrangements, and am happy to chat with you to work out exactly what you are hoping for.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Paul Tyler
Growing up in South Africa, in small town called Centurion, just south of Pretoria, I developed an avid interest in wildlife, especially birds, from a young age.
Family holidays to the Kruger National Park ignited this interest further, sparking a lifelong love for safaris and the natural world.
Following high school I studied Travel and Tourism at the University of Pretoria, and after graduating in 2002 I began my safari guiding career, starting off in the Kruger National Park and surrounding reserves.
In July 2005, I left South Africa to explore the world, and was attracted to the bright lights of London. After initially working in a payroll department at a south London hospital for a year, I decided to return to my passion, and found work agin in the travel industry, this time as a safari specialist.
While living in London, I worked for some of the most highly respected tour operators specialising in Africa, and in doing so have been fortunate enough to visit some amazing countries. These include Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique and of course South Africa.
In August 2023 my family and I moved to Australia, where I now live in Geelong with my wife and two young children. In March 2024 I was lucky enough to join the team at African Ubuntu!
I look forward to helping you with creating life long memories and incredible African journeys!
Gerald and Louise McLaren
Gerald and Louise, who take care of our South African office in assisting with accommodation information on the website and acting as a local contact for both operators and clients, instilled a love of the African bush in their children from an early age, with family holidays in South Africa's game reserves.
Whenever they find the time, they enjoy spending weekends in the Drakensberg Mountains, or Limpopo game reserves, or exploring elsewhere in South Africa, and are always on the lookout for new and exciting locations and accommodations to promote.
Having spent a lifetime driving throughout South Africa, especially along the Garden Route and around Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, there are not too many areas in South Africa they haven't visited, and they are immensely keen to promote their beautiful continent to Aussies.
During your travels in Africa, they will be on hand to help you within African timezones, and in this way African Ubuntu Safaris can provide 24 hour assistance to any of our guests.