Our Blog

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COME TRACKING LIONS

Alex explains why tracking is so important in our personal and professional lives. Leading a team on Zoom all day is challenging. Why not shake things up with a virtual adventure of a different kind? Come tracking lions with us. Following…
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THE INCONVENIENT ALARM CALL

Early in my career as a nature guide, Renias and I received a radio call that a female leopard was seen feeding on a bushbuck kill. The announcement was specific about the location. As we neared, Renias gestured for me to turn left. ‘That’s…
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THE HUNTER-GATHERER SECRET

Reading time: 2.30 secs Hunter-gatherers practised the most successful lifestyle strategy in human history - lasting some 200,000 years, so what is the Hunter-gatherer secret? The Ju/’hoansi trackers in north-western Botswana, with…
The power of diversity
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THE POWER OF DIVERSITY

Reading time: 1:45secs Humanity is furious - mostly with itself. We’re intolerant of our power of diversity. We tell ourselves stories about one another based on our individual and collective suite of evidence-free biases. This is creating…
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THE ORIGINAL LEOPARD TRACKERS

Reading time: 2:10 mins When Renias and I worked at Londolozi game reserve in the mid-1990s the leopard viewing was exceptional. We watched them drag kills up trees. And mothers tenderly nursing their young. On one occasion we even walked…
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HOW TO SELECT THE PERFECT KEYNOTE SPEAKER

How to select the perfect keynote speaker Your company is planning to hold a conference or some sort of corporate event, and you need a speaker. Knowing how to select an ideal keynote speaker is key to a successful event. Someone who will…
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5 STEPS OF RECONCILIATION

Reading time: 1.27 mins Today is the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa. The only country that dedicates a public holiday to promote social cohesion. And to celebrate our nation's unity, following a divided past. The verb reconcile…
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MESSAGE FROM A WILDEBEEST

Last month Renias and I helped a game reserve start a leopard habituation project in the Waterberg. A Tracker Academy project to track, find and form relationships with leopards. For the benefit of ecotourism lodges in the area. During…
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My Octopus Teacher – Are Animals Sentient Beings?

In the Netflix hit My Octopus Teacher, Craig Foster showed that a relationship with a wild animal can have a profound impact on the life of a human being. I observed with interest the public reaction to Craig’s relationship with that female…
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TRACKING SUCCESS

Tracking Success Use the ancient craft of wildlife tracking to get your team onto the path of performance.   Welcome to the world's first wildlife tracking interactive documentary. Leaders are searching for innovative ways to…
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BUILD A NATION: CHOOSE ONE PERSON

Build a Nation: Choose one person Reading time: 3.25 minutes “If you are not good, we are not good” – Renias Mhlongo. Most South Africans have little or no financial resilience. No savings that they can access. To build…
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Tracking Pumas in Patagonia

Renias and I stepped off the aircraft in Punta Arenas, the capital city of the area near the tip of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region, into a bracing 1ºC. As I got to the top of the stairs to disembark the aeroplane, a baggage handler…
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THE ART OF DECISION-MAKING

Part 1 Reading time: 2 minutes COVID 19 has thrust us into unfamiliar territory. How we make decisions during this time is vital. To emerge stronger we must be able to make good decisions despite the uncertainty. We have much to…
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WHAT EXECUTIVES CAN LEARN FROM EXPERT TRACKERS

I have lived and worked with the world’s top wildlife trackers since I was 19 years old. People such as Renias Mhlongo and Karel Benadie. I have been richly blessed. These are special people with unique skills and attributes. Their…
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Book extract: Changing a Leopard’s Spots

Alex with his book at Exclusive Books The book may be ordered on Takealot An extract from chapter called "Path of a tracker" "Eventually the day came for my second attempt at the trailing component of the evaluation and, by extension,…
The Power Of Trust - Alex And Renias
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THE POWER OF TRUST

Renias Mhlongo and I come from vastly different backgrounds. As a child, I ate three nourishing meals a day. Renias was malnourished until age 13. I went to a good model C school and qualified with a matric. Renias did not go to school.…
702 Interview Changing A Leopards Spots
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Alex & Renias 702 Interview: Changing A Leopards Spots

Alex van den Heever
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Changing a Leopard’s Spots: The Adventures of Two Wildlife Trackers

Alex and Renias’s new book about their relationship and adventures will be on the shelves in South Africa in the first week of March 2020, or pre-order it here ‘Entertaining and inspirational, a field guide to life.’ – TONY PARK, bestselling…
Renias Mhlongo - Master Tracker
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Renias Mhlongo – Master of Art or Conservation?

The title of master is bestowed often with scant regard for what it really means – mostly because those bestowing the title do not truly understand what they are witnessing. It is the sort of designation often given by inexperienced practitioners…
Alex And Renias Blog
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10 Ways to Create Diversity & Transformation in the Workplace

By Renias Mhlongo | Translated by Alex van den Heever Renias Mhlongo was born in what is today the greater Kruger National Park. As a young boy Renias was responsible for 17 head of cattle; protecting them from lions, hyaenas and leopards…
Alex and Renias Cultural Diversity Keynote Motivational Speakers
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Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

Introduction South Africa is a melting pot of many different cultures, which not only consist of different races, but also different religions, languages, customs, and values. While this may in many instances be a recipe for disaster, especially…
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Alex van den Heever and Renias Mhlongo Launch Cultural Diversity Presentation

The two speakers from very different backgrounds have come together to share their motivational talk, "The Power of Relationships," reports www.motivationalspeaker.co.za FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Johannesburg, S.A.)--Though the system of Apartheid…
DISSOLVING MY RACIAL PREJUDICE
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Dissolving my racial prejudice

The question of racism is a big one in South Africa at this time. It gets wide ulturaloverage in the news when a Durban estate agent says something disparaging about the people on the beach-front, or two Cape Town motorists fight it out over…