Between us, we have guided overland trucks across dozens of borders, raised chimpanzees, kept elephants, paraded at the Rio Carnival, swum with whale sharks, slept under the Saharan stars with a Touareg family, and lost teeth on a waterslide.
We are based in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. We are founders, specialists, creative thinkers, writers, logisticians, professional photographic safari guides and the person who makes sure the finances work. We are a small team by design, because depth of care is not scalable.
We have spent a combined 100 + years building relationships across Africa with guides, conservancies, camp and lodge owners, community leaders and conservationists so that when you travel with us, every detail of your journey is held by someone who genuinely knows what they’re doing.
Here we are.
Jonathon Wilson
Jonathon’s spirit animal:
The lion. Strength, resilience, and an unshakeable commitment to family. Those are the things that carried me through the hardest times.
Co-Founder | MD | Africa Travel Specialist
- Guiding for 10 years
- Co-founded Encompass Africa with Danica in 2009
- Brisbane, Berlin, Chicago and London marathon finisher
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
In a team like ours, no day looks the same. One moment I’m designing a safari for a guest celebrating a milestone anniversary, the next I’m reviewing a new conservancy partnership or balancing the books. At the heart of it, I lead. I draw on everything I’ve learned across almost three decades in the field to make sure every journey we deliver is genuinely extraordinary. That responsibility never gets old.
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
In 2023 I had a near-death experience that changed everything, the way I see risk, time, and what matters. I came out of it with a renewed drive to push harder and live with more intention. A mate and I started a running club not long after, and I’ve since completed the London, Brisbane, Berlin and Chicago marathons. I also met my wife and business partner, Danica, on safari, which is perhaps the best argument for travelling with an open heart that I know.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Mali. The landscapes, the history, the music, it all draws me. My specific dream: a night under the Saharan stars with one of my favourite bands, Tinariwen, drinking mint tea by the fire. One day.
BEST PACKING TIP?
Dental floss. You eat a lot of good meat and biltong in Africa.
Danica Wilson
Danica’s spirit animal:
The chimpanzee. Social, easygoing, happiest with my people, always up for a good time, and deeply appreciative of excellent food. I think that’s a fair portrait.
Co-Founder | Marketing Director |Africa Travel Specialist
- Co-founded Encompass Africa with Danica in 2009
- Sold her house and bought a one-way ticket to Africa in 2003
- Former marketing and international business career, Brisbane | London
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
Like Jono, I wear many hats, which is honestly how I like it. I work directly with guests to design their safaris, lead our marketing efforts, and oversee guest services so that every person who travels with us feels looked after from first conversation to final landing. I also manage our internal processes, because none of the magic happens without solid foundations. And somewhere in between all of that, I’m raising two kids who love Africa as much as we do.
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I once lost my front teeth on a waterslide. It turns out keeping your mouth open on adventure rides is not the best strategy. Lesson thoroughly learned.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Madagascar is high on the list with its marine environments, unique species, namely the fossa and lemurs… there’s something about the sheer biological strangeness of this place! But Ethiopia pulls at me too, especially the southern regions with their vibrant cultures and living traditions. I’ll get to both someday soon.
BEST PACKING TIP?
Pack by outfit, not by item. You only bring what you’ll actually wear, in theory. In practice, I returned from my most recent trip with 50 kilograms of clothing, books and gifts. Do as I say, not as I do!
Patrick Clementson
Patrick’s spirit animal:
The leopard. Watching one stalk its prey, the patience, the precision, the absolute commitment to getting the detail right taught me more about my own working style than I realised at the time. It’s all in the details.
Sales Director | Africa Travel Specialist
- Formerly Head of Africa Product, Abercrombie & Kent
- Almost 30 years in luxury Africa travel
- Been to Timbuktu, genuinely!
- Gin collector: 50 bottles and counting!
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
I work with guests as an Africa specialist and am working closely with Danica and Jono to build our sales team. What I love most about this role is the obsession it demands. I am constantly learning about new camps, unexplored regions, and what’s happening on the ground right now. Africa changes, and I want to know exactly how and where.
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I’ve visited six of the seven continents. The one I haven’t reached is Europe, which consistently surprises people. I’ve also slept on the sand in the Sahara Desert with a Touareg family, and I collect gin wherever I travel. Fifty-plus bottles and counting.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania, specifically Greystoke Mahale, which offers what I believe is the finest chimpanzee viewing in Africa. The fact that it sits beside a gin-clear lake may also have influenced my interest.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
I’ve known Jono and Danica for years through the industry and always admired what they were building not just the travel, but the ethos behind it. Nearly three decades in luxury travel, the last 20 of them at the very top of African safari, and I left the comfort of corporate for the freedom of a family business. That was not a decision I made lightly, and it was not one I regret.
Faye Hubbard
Faye’s spirit animal:
A lioness. Fiercely protective, gets things done, feeds the family, and genuinely enjoys an afternoon nap. I see myself in all of that.
Guest Services Officer
- Former pachyderm keeper, South Africa
- Hand-reared a chimpanzee
- Builder of itineraries, preparer of travel packs
- Master of coffee making
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
I’m part of the behind-the-scenes team that makes sure every Encompass Africa journey runs without a hitch. I build detailed itineraries, prepare travel packs, and handle the operational details, which means guests can travel with complete peace of mind. And yes, I also make the coffee; someone has to!
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I used to be a pachyderm keeper in South Africa. Elephants, up close, every day. It gives you a particular kind of perspective on scale. I also hand-reared a chimpanzee, which gives you an entirely different kind of perspective, mostly on patience.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Crater, the Great Migration, I want to see all of it, and ideally in the same trip.
Matthew Yardley
Matthew’s spirit animal:
The elephant. I love my herd. I move slowly, I rely on wisdom, and I snack more than I should. There’s also a remote chance I’m more akin to the blind naked mole rat, but let’s stick with the elephant for now.
Photographic Safari Guide | Africa Travel Specialist
- Fifth-generation South African, raised in Zululand
- Trained at &Beyond Phinda; Field Guide and Professional Dangerous Game certified
- Guided across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya to name a few
- Award-winning wildlife photographer
- Sound engineer, guitarist, and devoted snacker
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
I’m leading the development of our Group Tours collection, journeys where you travel with one of us, in Africa, properly. It’s the work I’m most excited about right now, and I can’t wait to be your guide on the ground. Alongside that, I’m designing safari holidays for guests who come to us directly wanting a tailormade adventure whether solo, couples, families or groups of friends. Two sies of the same coin: getting you there, and being there with you.
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I studied sound engineering in Melbourne for nearly two years, and music has been a passion ever since. I play guitar, though I’ll be the first to admit I’m more enthusiastic than accomplished. Photography and music aren’t so different, really. Both are about learning to pay attention.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Three, if you’ll allow it. Gabon, Ethiopia, South Sudan, in that order. I have a genuine hunger for places that are still off the radar, where the light is different, and the story hasn’t been told a hundred times. I’d love for you to join me and photograph it all together sometime very soon!
Romi Scarcelli
Romi’s spirit animal:
The elephant. Independent but deeply loyal to their family. Brave, especially when it comes to protecting what matters.
Finance Officer
- Has swum with a whale shark
- Is afraid of magpies
- These two facts exist in the same person!
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
I manage the company’s cash flow, processing payments to Africa, sending invoices to clients wherever they are in the world, and making sure everything is financially in order so that guests can focus entirely on the adventure ahead.
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU
I swam with whale sharks one of the largest animals on the planet, without hesitation. I am, however, genuinely afraid of magpies. I’ve made peace with this contradiction.
THE ONE PLACE IN AFRICA YOU HAVEN’T BEEN BUT NEED TO?
Literally, Africa is the one continent I’ve yet to visit, so the list is considerable. I’d start in Kenya for the Masai Mara during the migration, continue to Amboseli for the view of Kilimanjaro, and finish in Egypt for its history. That seems like a reasonable beginning, don’t you think?
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT ENCOMPASS AFRICA?
The team, and the genuine dedication everyone brings to what they do. The passion here is real, you feel it in every conversation.