Gesa and Frank’s Story

Gesa & Frank

Gesa and Frank first met in South Africa during their safari guide training. At first only good friends, they explored the African bush together as walking guides encountering lions, elephants and buffalo on foot. Today, happily married, they spend their time between Australia and travelling African dirt roads in their Land Rover, finding hidden gems for SAFARI FRANK’s clients.

Frank Steenhuisen

Originally born in Pretoria Frank spent the first half of his childhood in South Africa. At the age of 5, his family acquired a holiday home situated in the open wildlife system of the Greater Kruger National Park. The frequent visits to their home in the bush sparked his passion and curiosity for all things wild and natural. He spent many weekends on the tracker seat, behind the wheel, and flicking through reference books learning as much as he could about the fascinating Lowveld ecosystem.

At the age of 12 he immigrated with his family to Australia, where he completed his high-schooling and enjoyed a totally different lifestyle for a while. But his love of Africa never dwindled – and neither did his visits to Africa as he grew older. Twice a year his family would return to South Africa, from where they would overland across to neighbouring countries. It was during this period that Frank developed his love of Botswana.

Many years down the road, Frank realised that University and a career in Australia wasn’t for him and decided to return to South Africa to pursue his passion: to become a professional safari guide. An intensive year-long practical training course in South Africa and Botswana ensued. During this training, Frank met his wife – Gesa. What a life altering decision that was.

Fast forward to today, Frank is now a founder of SAFARI FRANK. He’s a qualified field guide in both South Africa & Botswana and a specialist Photographic & Birding Safari Host – accompanying guests to some of the finest safari destinations across Africa on privately guided safaris. These destinations have included South Africa‘s Greater Kruger National Park, Botswana‘s Okavango Delta & surrounds, Zambia‘s Liuwa Plains – South Luangwa – Luambe & Lower Zambezi National Parks and Zimbabwe‘s Gonarezhou & Mana Pools National Parks.

Gesa Neitzel

Gesa worked as a television editor in Berlin before the call of the wilderness lured her to the African continent. After several long-term trips around the globe, she discovered her love for the African bush and decided without further ado to plunge into a fulltime writing career and make the African wilderness the topic of all her writing. Her book about this bold career change “Breakfast with Elephants” became a bestseller shortly after publication. Gesa’s second book “The Wonderful Wild”, also a bestseller, was published in 2019. She is currently contracted to write three more books and supports SAFARI FRANK as brand ambassador.