Contact Number 1: 083 661 0980Contact Number 2: 012 345 5197Email: spzeeman@gmail.comQualification: FET: Tourist Guide NQF 4
Provinces/Site: National (all 9 provinces)
Type (Culture / Nature / Both): Culture & Nature
Badge Number: GP 5336
Speciality: History, Battlefields, Birding, Wildlife
Languages: Afrikaans, Dutch (basic), English
Guide Profile:I took early retirement from the South African National Defence Force with the rank of Colonel. Due to the different posts I served in, I was sporadically transferred and thus, resided in six of South Africa’s nine provinces and Namibia. During my last ten years of service, I directed Corporate Communication in the South African Army (public relations, marketing and media management) and regularly interacted with Military Advisory and Attaché Corps. In this capacity, I was also responsible for the media planning during the funeral of the late President Mandela.
As Commanding Officer, I often hosted national and international groups visiting the battlefields of the South African Anglo Boer War. This awakened in me a profound interest in tourism as a profession. I started guide training in 2000 on a part time basis with the view of taking early retirement and re-establishing myself as a tourist guide. I realised that my military background would serve me well in the application of leadership and other management skills related to human resources, logistics, procurement, finance, crisis management and the maintenance of sound interpersonal relations.
Outside the military, I served as Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School and as Trustee for several years. I also received national and provincial colours in some sporting codes.
I am currently a freelance tourist guide accompanying groups or family tours throughout Southern Africa. To this end, I am registered as a tourist guide with a renowned Dutch Tour Operator for inbound tours to South Africa. I am also a private tour operator and my Registered Company (Cross Roads Exclusive Tours and Tour Guiding) focuses on tailor made itineraries for small groups.
My interests include history (battlefields), nature at large (birding), photography, the social fabric of our country, various sport codes (including rowing, cycling and fly fishing) and motor bike tours as an accomplished rider. My greatest love is however to see expressions of wonder, joy and fulfillment on the faces of the special people I have the privilege to accompany as a tourist guide.
When I am not involved with tour guiding, I am the chief instructor for a company that presents courses in Game Farm Management – or I hang out with my grandchildren. The latter obviously the more pleasant of the two!
My wife I am blessed with is of Dutch origin and we occasionally visit family in the Netherlands. As a result, I fully understand Dutch and have a basic ability in speaking it.
