Meet Sibs – Imvelo Safari Lodges

It is Imvelo’s firm belief that travelers are seeking the luxury of exclusivity, of remote places, of small intimate camps and unique, authentic interactions with nature and local people, and that is Imvelo’s sweet spot. Guests with Imvelo will enjoy a Zimbabwe safari in new and unique ways: from the one-of-a-kind Elephant Express rail safari, bush yoga and underground blinds to biking, walking and even canoeing safaris! Coupled with their incredibly impactful community and conservation programs and immersive cultural activities, Imvelo truly does things differently and offers a totally unique safari experience.

Zimbabwe has the most stringent guide licensing regulations of any country in Africa, with a series of challenging theoretical and practical exams, and Imvelo’s guides are widely recognized as the best in the country.

Here we meet Sibahle “Sibs” Sibanda, one of Imvelo’s top-notch guides.

Born in 1974, Sibs qualified as a professional guide in 2000. Before joining Imvelo, Sibs spent five years in Hwange and Mana Pools in management roles. He also spent two years in Matetsi as a pro guide and a year in Botswana as a cultural guide working with San people of the Kalahari desert. He started his career with pioneering Hwange safari operator Alan Elliott and Touch The Wild. Having spent most of his career in the area, he has an outstanding practical knowledge of the people, parks and ecosystems of western Zimbabwe. Imvelo guests remember Sibs best for his winning manner and infectious sense of humor.

What is one of your ‘must do’ activities for Zimbabwe travelers?

Walking and tracking elephant on foot is an absolutely thrilling experience and with Hwange having over 45000 elephants, to see the large herds from ground level is exceptional and of course spending time with and learning the deep culture of our Zimbabwean people.

What’s your most memorable moment with guests?

Every interaction is memorable – either seeing guests’ ecstatic faces if it’s their first time seeing all our wonderful wildlife or if its more experienced Africa travelers, having in-depth days of discussion during our activities together. But I do remember one very special moment for me in my guiding career where my guests and I crawled close to and spent a large amount of time with a pack of wild dogs over the railway line and my oldest son was with me (as he is a learner guide), so I was proud that he got to see his dad in action and share that moment with us.

Watch this video to meet the Imvelo guides and learn what drives them to help make every safari magic.