Meet the team

Growing up in Kwa-Zulu Natal, on the East Coast of South Africa, I spent most of my former years connected to the ocean – surfing, fishing, paddling and learning. Besides the ocean, some of my fondest memories growing-up were over-landing, camping and hiking trips with my family. Travel was a big part of my childhood and has had a great influence on where I am today. I came to Cape Town to continue my travel dream by qualifying as a guide and using this opportunity to explore more of this incredible city. Even with 34 countries ticked off my bucket list, Cape Town is still an incomparable place. This focal point of South Africa, where oceans meet, cultures collide and beauty transcends, calls to be discovered – at least once in your lifetime. To me, South Africa is a world in one place with a mosaic of culture, history, landscape, wildlife and adventure.

At the beginning of 2018, I started Saffa Tours, an authentic and immersive travel company, offering private guided services and tailored travel. I created Saffa Tours because I want to give people a customized, local experience of South Africa. I strive to ensure we go beyond the tourist traps to allow people to leave with more than just photographs and souvenirs.

Growing up along Cape Town’s picturesque West Coast, Jaryd was immersed in a world where oceans and mountains were his constant companions, shaping his days with boundless exploration. The most cherished memories of his formative years include campfires in remote havens, bonding with his father through shared fishing and culinary adventures, and the exhilaration of surfing South Africa’s incredible coastline with his closest friends. Jaryds weekends were always an exciting expedition, rejecting the mundane in favor of embracing the spirit of adventure. 

After navigating the corporate realm for some time, Jaryd made a pivotal decision: discarding most of his material possessions, he shouldered his backpack and set off to see the world. It was during these transformative years that his affinity for travel blossomed into a deep passion. The cultures he encountered and the people he met inspired him, and he found it to be true that the greatest luxury of all is experience.

Returning after an enriching three years, Jaryd was greeted by the undeniable truth that Cape Town stands unrivaled and he once again decided to call it home. The convergence of majestic mountains and the vast ocean expanse, interwoven with an intricate tapestry of cultures, sets Cape Town in a league of its own. Here, Jaryd can travel an hour in any direction and encounter a myriad of landscapes that span his wildest dreams. Whether Jarryd is catching waves, embarking on hikes, reveling in the simplicity of camping, savoring the world’s finest wines, indulging in exquisite cuisine or sipping on the best coffee in town, and The Cape always holds the ideal backdrop for his passions to unfold.

The adoration Jarryd holds for his city has seamlessly turned into a profession. His truest joy is in imparting this love for the Cape Town and South Africa to others, as he guides them through a tapestry of experiences.

Jaryd relishes unveiling the Cape Towns charm, unmasking the oceans and mountains that cradle it, celebrating its culinary treasures, and above all, introducing the vibrant souls who breathe life into its vibrant streets.

Born into an adventurous German family of seven and as a diplomat’s child, Nadia spent years travelling the globe and being exposed to several different cultures, people, scenery, and languages. Fuelled by this international exposure from such a young age, she grew up with a thirst for adventure and a desire to connect with people from all corners of the globe. She naturally branched into the study of languages, as well as music and marketing to satisfy her cultural and creative desires.

After her studies she packed her travel bags again in search of more majestic landscapes and interesting people. A year had passed and once she returned home again she finally concluded that no place is like her home in Cape Town – a melting pot of cultures, serene beauty, diverse landscapes, and mouth- watering cuisine.

Nadia’s interests and hobbies are an extension of her desire for adventure and her love of all things beautiful – everything from hiking, walks in nature, cycling, running, swimming, art, photography, reading, and anything creative in nature.

Being a part of the SAFFA team gives her an avenue to be creative, to be a passionate advocate for Cape Town and surrounds, and to connect with people across the globe and unite them in the love of travel, adventure, culture, and cuisine.

Paul grew up in a small town, based in Kwa-Zulu Natal – an area where the mountains, bush, and the sea are all in close proximity. Having access to the Great Drakensberg Mountains, the Zululand Bush, and the East Coast of South Africa is what started his ongoing love affair for all things nature, history, and people.

Growing up in these environments gave him the opportunity to really explore and get lost in a region so rich with African culture and history. Over time he started to enjoy sharing these places and experiences with friends and family, and found a love for sharing unique experiences with people – most importantly for him seeing the joy it brought them.

After a 3-year stint working on the superyachts, and a full year traveling the globe, Paul returned home and continued his love affair for nature and finds himself either exploring the beautiful Cape region, eating his way through its delectable cuisines, meeting new people, and making them laugh or reading books about our diverse culture and history. South Africa sits at the forefront of where nature, culture, history, and food all collide, and for Paul, this is his bread and butter, he could not be more suitable to a region if he tried.

SAFFA is proud to have such a genuine person on their team, and as a private guide, he looks most forward to hosting you in our beautiful country, sharing it with you, and the many stories that go along with it.

Originally from Germany, Max’s family settled in a small coastal town in South Africa called Plettenberg Bay when he was a child. Here he grew up in nature’s playground. In 2015, adventure called and he joined the tourism industry where he travelled Southern Africa through overland tours as a tour guide and translator.

To name a few of the life changing experiences he had whilst touring, he would have to say white water rafting at Victoria Falls, camping with giraffe and elephant encounters, flying over the Okavango Delta, scaling the great sand dunes of Namibia and most recently, paddling with penguins would be some of his highlights. For him this goes in hand with getting to know the locals.

For Max, it is all about the experience the environment is able to give and it is about the people we meet along the way, hearing their stories. This makes Max the perfect fir for SAFFA Tours.

In 2017, Max met the love of his life and relocated to Cape Town where he married her, and the Mother City at the same time. Max says, “There are not many places where you can visit a Wonder of the World, go for a surf, hang out with a couple of penguins, see an array of wild life and enjoy lunch in the winelands all in a day! Cape Town has it all!”

Whilst Max has a love for adventure, he also loves good food, wildlife, photography, history, culture and all things fun. Being a family man, he has an impressive list of fun experiences that will entertain you and your family all day, everyday. Embracing the history and exploring the hidden gems of beautiful Cape Town is Max’s passion. For him, there is no place quite like it and he is always so excited to show you why.

I was born and raised in Cape Town and grew up in the southern suburbs. Really loved sport and fishing and spent a lot of time out fishing and diving with my family. I lived in the UK for 3 years after matriculating and worked in a hotel for most of it. That’s really where I found my love for hospitality and have pretty much been in hospitality ever since.

I completed my guiding qualification in 2010 at Livingstone Tourism academy and have been guiding ever since. I would say that as I have progressed in the industry I have developed a passion for our wine industry and showcasing and showing off our beautiful winelands. I always strive to make it the best experience for each guest, depending on their wine knowledge and interest.

That being said I also have a deep love for nature and the outdoors. My dad grew up in Still Bay and my mom on a huge sheep farm in the Groot Karoo and we spent nearly every school holiday at either place growing up. My folks were real nature lovers and they instilled that into us at an early age. So I love to hike and participate in adventure activities with guests as I also feel that it’s a nice way of getting to know each other.

When it comes to touring I would say that I love to give guests as much of a unique experience as they are comfortable with. I like to keep things light and easy and I don’t watch the clock. Unless I have to be somewhere at a specific time of course. Essentially I get a lot of energy and fulfilment out of sending our guests back with a real sense of feeling very well looked after and having had a unique and local experience.

Born and bred in Cape Town South Africa, Dan was brought up exploring all that this incredible city and country has to offer. His outgoing personality and active lifestyle has continuously encouraged him to keep exploring new and exciting ventures, from overnight hikes, trail running routes and stand up paddle boarding, to immersive experiences within diverse cultures, nature and Africa’s wildlife.

After completing a Postgraduate in Sports Management at the University of Cape Town, Dan took the opportunity of traveling abroad, backpacking through Europe, South East Asia, and America as well working at a summer camp in Wisconsin. These experiences provided great insight into the different cultures and environments he found himself in. Having traveled abroad as well as Southern Africa rather extensively, he came to know and appreciate this beautiful part of the world that we get to call home. His passion and enthusiasm to meet new people and share his home with foreign guests is what influenced his decision to become a Private Guide. Dans approachable nature and extensive knowledge of Southern Africa makes him an exceptional Private Guide and invaluable to the SAFFA Team.

Jason simply loves being a ‘Capetonian’, exploring his beautiful city from mountain to shore, together with everything in between. Food, wine, nature, and culture, he enjoys dipping his toes into a little bit of everything that Cape Town has to offer. He calls the exquisite Cape Peninsula his home, and when not hosting a memorable SAFFA experience, you will find him enjoying the local coffee and croissant culture, trail running and beach walking, together with his lovely wife and border collie.

He fancies himself as somewhat of a globetrotter, being fortunate enough to venture through much of Asia, South America, and Europe, with a couple of more trips currently in the pipeline. These adventures fueled a desire to join the hospitality industry where he now focusses his energy, striving to host the most treasured of experiences for his guests. Always warm and welcoming, and never shying away from a laugh, he’ll have you feeling like you’re a local Capetonian yourself in no time at all.

With a commercial background in real estate and being an admitted attorney of the Western Cape High Court, he still takes a keen interest in the commercial, socio-economic, and political landscape of Cape Town and South Africa. He is also an enthusiastic golfer, despite an alarming lack of success out on the course.

Whilst growing up, Moeketsi was surrounded by incredible geographic features found in the Free State province of central South Africa. These features piqued his interest in nature along with the rich history of the inland area.
Moeketsi was then given the opportunity to travel as a young child with the Kids in Parks project, where he would explore the most beautiful parts of South Africa and experience all its different cultures and wildlife. Through this program, a passion for the South African outdoors was born.

Once Moeketsi graduated from school he immediately knew that he wanted to be a part of the tourism and hospitality industry so that he could share his incredible home that he is so passionate about with others. Moeketsi went on to study a diploma in hospitality management followed by his Tourist Guide course, and if that wasn’t enough to show his passion for guiding, he went on to learn sign language allowing him to conduct tours for people with impaired hearing. After his time studying, working in National Parks, and exploring South Africa further, Moeketsi was allured to Cape Town, The Mother City, and all it has to offer. Inspired by the city’s incredible fauna and flora, various cultures, and stunning landscapes, Moeketsi’s dream of being a tour guide in the Mother City came to life.

Moeketsi is incredibly passionate about what he does and giving outstanding customer service comes naturally to him. For Moeketsi, sharing a story is like leaving a special memory for people to remember for the rest of their lives. SAFFA is humbled to have someone like Moeketsi that is so passionate about what they do, and so committed to it.