tsessabe is owned and run by, Tessa Bott. Tessa was born and raised in Durban in South Africa and here she studied Hotel Management. Tessa was offered a job at Kirkmans Kamp which was then part Mala Mala Game Reserve and she worked here for 2 ½ years as caterer, receptionist and housekeeper. This is where Tessa's passion and love for the bush was established and her appreciation of running lodges and camps to a very high standard was recognised.

Tessa moved up to the Okavango Delta in Botswana with Wilderness Safaris where she worked as a chef on mobile safaris and assisted in running the camps in the Okavango Delta. After her time with Wilderness Safaris Tessa settled into a more permanent role with Hartley's Safaris in their camps for a further 2 ½ years.

Tessa moved to Maun doing freelance work for a couple of years and during this time Tessa obtained her Botswana Professional Guides Licence. Whilst doing freelance work she was contracted as General Manager of Desert and Delta Safaris.

When Tessa's contract with Desert and Delta Safaris ended she saw a gap in the market and started her own safari staff recruitment agency and work permit consultancy. This business did very well and Tessa sold it in 2000 when she moved to the UK. The company is still running in Maun, Botswana and still doing very well!

Tessa moved to the UK permanently in 2000, where she worked for Southern Skies Marketing who had won the tender to run the Botswana Tourism account in the UK. This was Tessa's introduction to the UK Africa travel industry. Since then Tessa has worked in other representation companies and has also promoted and worked with the Caribbean market. Tessa has recently left her position as Sales and Marketing Manager at Alpha Travel (Pollman's Tours and Safaris in Kenya and Ranger Safaris in Tanzania).

Tessa's story will explain that she has worked in every aspect of the safari travel industry and knows how it works from the ordering of supplies for a safari camp to putting a safari together to checking tour operator's contracts. Tessa feels because she has gained a vast knowledge over the past 20 years and she is able to offer a service with all the necessary understanding to make it a success!