Zuri Collective is a luxury travel and safari company based in Cape Town, South Africa. Our name Zuri comes from the Swahili word, meaning beautiful, which is a word you’ll end up using multiple times a day while you’re here.
We specialize in travel to Africa’s most sought-after destinations, and we’ve spent years travelling these places, staying at the lodges, and getting to know the people that run them.
The lodges and hotels are a big part of every trip, but the experiences in between often matter just as much. A rhino notching with the conservation team, a private wine tasting with the wine maker, a private art tour with the local artist, a picnic set up on the mountain with no one else around. This is the difference between a good and great trip.
The rest happens behind the scenes. The VIP meet-and-greet on arrival, restaurant reservations, a flight rebooked at midnight when plans change. Concierge support throughout your trip, with someone reachable any hour.
Hi, I’m Alex, the founder of Zuri Collective!
Growing up in South Africa, from a young age, I was lucky enough to spend time in some of the Africa’s wildest places. By the time I’d finished university, I was itching to explore the rest of the world. I did a ski season in Aspen, followed by over eight years in high-end private hospitality, managing yachts and homes for American families across the globe. Zuri Collective is the meeting of those two worlds: a lifetime of African experience, combined with a standard of service shaped by years at the highest end of private travel.
Alex Blyth
Some people discover Africa. I was raised in it.
My first safari wasn’t as an adult, camera in hand. It was at six months old, strapped to my mother’s lap in a microlight piloted by my father and we were headed to Botswana. My childhood was spent flying over the Okavango Delta, tracing the Zambezi, and sleeping under canvas in the middle of nowhere. We stayed at legendary lodges before they were legendary, like Jack’s Camp in Botswana, when I was one years old. Sometimes we camped, sometimes we stayed in lodges, but we were always out there, deep in it.
My father was wildly adventurous, and my mother brought a sense of comfort to every experience. Together, they gave me an upbringing that blurred the line between everyday life and the extraordinary. We spent endless days in the bush and I got to know the rhythms of safari long before I understood the mechanics of travel.
Zuri Collective was born from this foundation, from a lifetime of travel through Africa, not just as a destination, but as my home. That perspective shapes everything we do at Zuri today.
The start of my African adventures at the age of 6 months old.
Wild Dog Research Camp, Botswana.
We stayed here for 4 days while my father tracked African Wild Dogs, living alongside the researchers and trackers.
En route to Botswana.
We flew through Botswana and Zimbabwe, as I was strapped to my mother’s lap in a microlight.
Botswana.
Our family flew to Botswana and were met by friends with a safari vehicle at the runway.
Waterberg Reserve.
We landed in the Waterberg Reserve and camped nearby.
Wild Dog Research Camp, Botswana.
Camp set up near the Wild Dog Research Camp, where we stayed again while my father tracked African Wild Dogs.
Okavango Delta, Botswana.
My first Mokoro in the Okavango Delta at the age of 6.
Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Attempting to cross the Thamalakane River and getting stuck.
Zambia.
I experienced my first walking safari at the age of 7 years old, guided by a local.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
I experienced many scenic flights from a young age over the stunning Victoria Falls.
Namibia.
We spent many vacations adventuring through African countries in a renovated Land Cruiser, fondly called ‘The Desert Shark’.
Okavango Delta, Botswana.
When not going the commercial route, we continue to fly to visit our favourite destinations and lodges.
At Zuri Collective, conservation and community upliftment is at the heart of what we do. We believe that sustainable tourism is not just about exploring Africa’s beauty but also about actively contributing to its preservation. Our commitment to conservation extends across three key areas: wildlife protection, sustainable practices, and education.
We are proud to partner with the Tracker Academy, an organisation dedicated to preserving the ancient art of tracking. Through their fully sponsored training programs, unemployed community members gain the skills needed to pursue careers in eco-tourism, anti-poaching, and wildlife monitoring, critical fields for safeguarding Africa’s iconic wildlife. By supporting education and empowering local communities, we aim to foster long-term conservation and sustainable tourism.
Your journey with Zuri Collective helps support these initiatives, ensuring that future generations can experience Africa’s wild beauty. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.
Start your journey by reaching out to us with your travel ideas and preferences. Whether you have a clear vision or just a few thoughts, we’ll arrange a call to discuss everything with you, ensuring we understand exactly what you’re looking for in your upcoming adventure.
Most of my earliest memories are of the bush. My dad was a private pilot, and while most of my friends spent their holidays skiing or at coastal houses, mine were spent flying (and driving) through Africa with my family in the plane. There was always a mix of lodges and wild camping, with me in the back seat trying to navigate a map. There are some wild stories that came out of those trips!
By the time I’d finished university, I was itching to explore the world. First a ski season in Aspen, followed by over eight years in high-end private hospitality, managing yachts and homes for American families across the US, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Maldives, and the UAE. That world exposed me to a level of service I didn’t know existed. The skill of making everything work seamlessly behind the scenes so the people you’re looking after never have to think about it. It’s a level of service that’s hard to describe until you’ve seen it up close.
Eventually I came full circle and moved home to Cape Town. Zuri Collective is what came next, an industry I grew up in without ever thinking of it as a career, combined with everything I learned working at the highest end of private service.
That’s the foundation we work from. Lived experience across the continent, real relationships with the lodges and partners that make these trips possible, and a standard of service shaped by years of looking after people who expect the very best.
There’s so much this continent has to offer, and I can’t wait to share it with you!