Our Journey
Born beside the crocodile river
Southern Stars Safaris was born beside the Crocodile River — not in an office, not around a business plan, but during a lion sighting in Marloth Park.
Marc and Travis met while doing what they had both spent much of their lives doing: quietly searching for the deeper side of the bush. Having grown up visiting the Kruger National Park and the Lowveld, they shared the same frustration with modern game drives — the rush, the radio chatter, the constant narration, and the pressure to move on to the next sighting.
Somewhere along the way, many safaris stopped feeling wild. The moments that stayed with them were never the rushed sightings.
They were the quiet ones. The sound of elephants feeding in the reeds.
Fresh spoor on a dusty road at sunrise.
Sitting in complete silence while lions watched from the long grass.
The feeling of earning a sighting through patience, observation, and time spent immersed in the bush. That became the foundation of the SLOWfari.
We believe a guide’s role is not to dominate the experience — but to protect it.
To create space for guests to fully absorb the emotion, sound, tension and beauty of a sighting as it naturally unfolds. There is always time to talk afterwards. Our safaris are intentionally slower, quieter and more immersive. We stop often. We listen. We track. We follow clues. We spend time with sightings instead of collecting them.
There is no better place for this philosophy than one of Africa’s most extraordinary landscapes, the Greater Kruger National Park — Where the boundary between people and wilderness feels beautifully thin.
Southern Stars Safaris is not about ticking off sightings. It’s about feeling the wild again.
the people behind the SLOWfari
Every safari is shaped by people whose lives have been deeply connected to the Kruger, its wildlife, and the unforgettable moments only the bush can offer. These are the custodians of the bush, storytellers of the wild, and passionate believers in the art of slowing down.
Marc Taback
Although Marc built a successful 25-year career in media and digital advertising, the pull of the bush never faded. Over time, he found a way to merge his professional expertise with his deeper purpose: protecting and sharing Africa’s wild heritage with the world.
Today, Marc plays an active role in conservation through his work with The Boucher Legacy, where he helps drive awareness, fundraising, and strategic partnerships focused on endangered species such as rhino, pangolin, and especially African wild dogs. His work is rooted in the belief that conservation succeeds when people form an emotional connection with nature.
As Chief Sales Officer at WildEarth, Marc also helps bring the magic of the safari experience to millions of viewers around the globe through live safari broadcasts from some of Africa’s most iconic wilderness areas. Through WildEarth, he has helped people experience the raw authenticity of the bush in real time — from dramatic predator interactions to quiet moments of connection that define safari at its best.
For Marc, safari is about far more than simply spotting animals. It is about slowing down, understanding the rhythms of the bush, and creating meaningful encounters that leave guests with a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Whether tracking wild dogs through the Lowveld, sharing stories around a sunset sighting, or introducing visitors to the smaller wonders of the ecosystem, Marc’s passion lies in helping others experience the Kruger as more than a destination — but as something deeply alive and unforgettable.
Travis Carreira
Although his professional career led him into the fast-paced worlds of global automotive consultancy, entrepreneurship and information technology, the pull of the Lowveld never faded.
Together with his wife Melissa, Travis founded Kruger Umoya, and alongside Marc, helped create the SLOWfari philosophy behind Southern Stars Safaris — a quieter, more intentional safari experience built around patience, presence and genuine connection to the wild.
For Travis, the greatest luxury in the African bush is not found in a lodge, but around a fire beneath the stars — somewhere between the crackle of flames and the distant call of a leopard in the night. His passion is helping guests leave with more than photographs, but with the spirit of the Kruger carried home with them.
Join Us for a Slowfari
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