Craig Leaver Academic Programs & Operations Manager

Profile Picture: Craig Leaver

I was born and raised in South Africa, and I was lucky to be able to experience its wild places throughout my childhood and teenage years, spending many holidays in the Okavango Delta and Kruger National Park. As I learnt more about the challenges facing conservation in southern Africa, I developed a particular interest in how ecosystems and socio-economics need to benefit one another for sustainable development to be achieved.

After a gap year in which I obtained guiding qualifications and worked at a safari lodge, I enrolled in a BSc in Zoology and Botany at Rhodes University. I completed a postgraduate degree in African Terrestrial Zoology and Ecology in 2015, before working in wildlife research for two years in which I was involved in a broad variety of projects and topics, from insect and small mammal studies to large predators and elephants. I then moved to the guiding industry and worked at a five-star reserve for three years.

Having recently completed an MBA from the University of Cape Town, I am now excited to work with African Conservation Experience, assisting with our travel operations and building relationships with our projects and wildlife conservation partners, continuing to increase my knowledge. I’m currently living in Johannesburg, and spend much of my free time travelling and playing various sports.