Segopotso’s inspirational Wilderness journey began at the age of 10 when he was given the chance to attend a Children in the Wilderness Eco-Camp. This greatly encouraged his passion for the wild and a career in guiding. He embraced all his opportunities along the way, eager to learn and progress. A true Wilderness ambassador, he is currently working at Wilderness DumaTau, sharing our iconic wildlife with his guests.
Segopotso Oja, known to everyone as See, was born and raised in a small village called Eretsha, located in the eastern Okavango Panhandle – referred to by locals as “overseas”. He grew up in a large family surrounded by 29 siblings. His friends like to tease him that his family forms half of the village’s population.
Eretsha offered limited facilities, so the people who lived there had to depend on the neighbouring village Beetsha for food, medicine, schools and other supplies. The long 17 km daily walk between the two villages meant that people often came into contact with wildlife along the way. As a result See learnt from a very young age all about these wild animals, their tracks and behaviour.
When See was 10 years old, he was given the opportunity to join a Children in the Wilderness Eco-Camp. Here he grew to learn about and love the wild, and recognise the importance of protecting our wilderness. He felt very fortunate to attend the camp, which inspired him to pursue a career as a guide.
The second stepping stone on his Wilderness journey came about in 2013, when he was offered a position as an escort guide by the Okavango Community Trust in partnership with Wilderness. He spent his days shadowing professional guides on game activities with their guests. He embraced the opportunity to learn and hone his own guiding skills.
In 2017, See officially joined the Wilderness family as a relief WOW Co-ordinator for Wilderness Mombo and Wilderness Vumbura, giving him the chance to further his learnings and passion for the wild. See progressed to Trainee Guide in 2021 and has since proudly qualified as a Professional Guide.
Currently based at Wilderness DumaTau, See is an inspiration to many and he is humbly grateful for the opportunities Wilderness has afforded him. “Indeed, my journey with Wilderness has changed my life, and now I am in a position to give back by sharing and introducing some of Earth’s ultimate, untamed places to my guests”, he says.
