The people who make Chitabe home

The Hamman’s belief in care extends into every area of staff wellbeing. Education has always been close to their hearts and this passion led to the child education support contribution every staff member receives, regardless of position. Chitabe also covers employees with 24‑hour insurance, recognising that accidents often happen away from work but still affect livelihoods. Profit sharing reinforces an environment where success is shared, teamwork is rewarded, and waste is discouraged because everyone benefits from doing well together.

‘We feel it is our duty to make a difference in the lives of those we employ,’ says Helene.

If you added up all the staff’s years of service, the total would be well over 500. Two staff members have called Chitabe home for more than 25 years. Nine others have been here for two decades or more. Two more for over 15, and 18 for a decade. In an industry where movement between camps is common, these numbers tell a story that goes well beyond loyalty. And when your ‘office’ is one of the most remarkable corners of the Okavango Delta, why would you ever leave?

Josephine ‘Mama Jo’ Ndana says it herself, with a laugh: ‘I am part of the furniture.’ She began her career in Wilderness training, was posted to Chitabe, later took a six-year break, and returned 11 years ago. Since 2017, she has been the camp's General Manager – and in many ways, its keeper of culture. Her philosophy of leadership is built on a single conviction: staff first. ‘They are the ones who are guest-facing. They are the ones doing the work. So, build your team. Communicate first and all will be okay.’ The pride Mama Jo carries is collective; it belongs to every person under her watch.

Phinley Mwampole first encountered Chitabe not as an employee, but as a visitor. He knew immediately that the Delta was where he wanted to work. Helene saw something in him and extended an invitation. That was 1998. ‘I never wanted to move around,’ says Phinley. ‘It feels like home. We share ideas, we work together as a team – it means a family, more than a working place.’ The land also keeps Phinley at Chitabe. The concession is renowned for its density of predators and for the kind of wildlife encounters that exist nowhere else in the Delta. ‘I hope my guests leave with a good memory,’ he says, ‘and come back and request me as their guide.’

Joseph Kandjii's path to Chitabe began after his flight to another camp was rerouted there. He never left. ‘Someone had to stay, and it's me,’ says Joseph, followed with his infectious laugh. ‘This is like my home. The relationship between the owners and the staff, and the culture is good.’ Twenty-seven years after he joined as a tracker, Joseph is now the head driver. Out on the floodplains, he witnesses what draws guests from across the world: lion, wild dog, leopard – predators in abundance in a landscape that constantly surprises him.

One of Chitabe’s most remarkable stories of growth comes from Chef Kebope Tikologo, who joined in 1997 as a housekeeper. Through training, encouragement, and a natural talent, she grew from housekeeping to waitressing and eventually into the kitchen. Over her three decades, she has seen the dining experience change and improve, but the ‘taste’ of Chitabe remains: ‘Fresh. Seasonal produce. Local ingredients.’ Her favourite meals to prepare are traditional ones built around fire, from boma dinners under the stars to bush brunches in the wild.

Boitshepile ‘Tshidi’ Gabantsikgosi approaches each room as if it were a small act of devotion. ‘I am passionate about my job and strive to do it to perfection,’ she says, adding that it’s the element of surprise that defines her work. She has noticed over her 20-plus years at Chitabe that guests often remark most on the beds – the precision of the linen, the care of the turndown. For honeymooners and special occasions, she goes further, placing gifts and arrangements so that the moment a door opens, ‘they are treated to a surprise.’

For Kewame Dishone, who has been at Chitabe for over a decade, the dining room is a place of exchange. She came to Chitabe when meals were buffet-style; today she enjoys working around harvest tables – a shift that mirrors the broader evolution of the camp toward something more intentional. The training she has received over the years has shaped her into a confident and skilled host. But it is the human connection she values most, she says. ‘I love sharing Botswana's culture, and learning about the cultures guests carry with them from the other side of the world.’

Albertinah ‘Wada’ Mosokomane joined Chitabe in 2000, gaining experience in a variety of roles from scullery and housekeeping to waitressing and bar tending. Wada has been running the curio shop since 2014 – the perfect fit as she has loved selling things since she was young. ‘I enjoy the business side of the shop and the interaction with the guests, and it’s so special when repeated guests come visit me in the shop.’ The most popular purchases are the baskets, wood carvings and the Chitabe branded clothes. ‘I love the camp and the way the owners run it and their kindness to us.’

As a general assistant, Olefile Molebatsi’s work spans the visible and invisible: game drives, cleaning the boardwalk, collecting supplies and luggage from the airstrip, maintaining the pool, laying the fireplace. ‘Chitabe is home,’ he says simply of why he is there after more than 10 years. ‘It’s not just a workplace, it’s part of my family. It supports me, and has given me the opportunity to grow. I am proud to see how far I have come. My children are where they are today because of my job.’

One of the key figures keeping Chitabe running smoothly for over 20 years is Kushatha ‘Shaa’ Thela. She began as a camp manager before transitioning into a crucial administrative role in Maun. Shaa never sits still – constantly on the move, always doing something useful. When Chitabe needed more support in town, she stepped into the role with enthusiasm. It quickly became clear that this was her calling. Dedicated, loyal, and incredibly organised, Shaa is the steady force connecting the camp with the wider Wilderness systems.

Great safaris are remembered for the wildlife, the landscape, the food, the stillness. But the experiences that lodge deepest are often human ones. A guide who knew exactly when to speak and when to let you bask in the silence of the moment. A housekeeper who turned a room into a surprise for a special occasion. A chef who shared her heart through a meal on a plate. At Chitabe, these small touches form the heartbeat of the home Helene and Dave envisioned.