When every day is a school day – Renneck and Piet's powerful partnership

There's a wonderful sense of ease to going on a game drive with Piet Marimane and Renneck Tibane – they know each other so well that words are often not necessary. A slight nod indicates Renneck will search for leopard tracks on foot while Piet scouts the sandy roads from the game drive vehicle. Eyes glued to binoculars, everyone holds their collective breath. Before long, Renneck is back – a side-eye to Piet and the vehicle is snaking along the backroads. Moments later, an elegant leopard strolls by. She’s magnificent, on the prowl and alert – her shiny coat the picture of health. Guests on the vehicle speak in soft whispers of awe before the leopard disappears into a thicket and the moment is gone. A brief smile between the two indicates a job well done. Then, it's on to the next sighting.

"I don't need Renneck to say what he wants me to do. I can watch him and know," says Piet. "That's the two of us. He reads me – anytime he sees me, he can tell what I'm thinking. And it works both ways – when I see his signals, I know what to do."

There's something special about their partnership – a comfortable camaraderie that only really happens when people know each other well. Their friendship first began on the soccer field – they come from two (rival) villages nearby – and has been shaped by a deep love and respect for the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve and their passion for sharing it with Singita guests.

Piet had worked at other lodges and enjoyed his guiding career, but always wanted to return to Singita Sabi Sand, which he rejoined in 2017, pairing up with Renneck as a Field Guide and Tracker team. That was six years ago. These days, they spend long hours together on morning and evening game drives, showing guests the incredible wildlife of the Sabi Sand and telling meaningful stories of conservation. They know every track, tree post, lion, elephant, and leopard in the reserve and have stories for days about life in the bush.

There's a quiet joy to this working partnership – sharing knowledge with travellers from around the world, not only about the wildlife and nature but about history and local traditions. Piet’s reverence for the bush and encyclopaedic knowledge is matched by Renneck’s ability to read the landscape and listen to the cues from nature. Piet and Renneck love to talk about family, life, the state of the world – and their affectionate humour adds to lively debates on game drives and at sunrise and sundowner stops.

Piet says that while they spend so many hours in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, there is still so much to learn. "Every day is a school day when you are in the bush," he says.

After completing high school, Piet joined a luxury lodge in the Sabi Sand as a tracker in 1993, advancing to the position of field guide within seven months. He later became part of the Singita Kruger National Park team during Lebombo Lodge's construction phase. He says, "There was nothing except the old Sweni Camp. We started learning the roads and walked a lot – marking where the new roads should be for the grading team."

Having worked at Lebombo for several years, he eventually returned to the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve to freelance as a guide closer to home, having 'missed the river' (the Sand River – Manyeleti – that flows south-eastwards, eventually joining the Sabie River in the Kruger National Park).

Born many miles away in Mozambique, Renneck and his family had to leave in 1979 because of the civil war. "We walked from Mozambique to South Africa – I was just a boy then. I remember my uncle carrying me on his back as we made our way between Kruger National Park and the village."

He settled in the village of Tlhavekisa and matriculated in 1997, and then tried his hand at various jobs, including working in a mine and training to be a security guard. In 2007, he joined Singita as supervisor of the night porters but soon expressed a desire to learn tracking. A year later, he passed his level two FGASA assessment.

Their paths are intertwined in many ways, and Piet has encouraged Renneck to strive for what matters to him, by sharing his own story.

He says, "Before guiding, I was a tracker; and before that, I couldn't speak English. I was fluent in Afrikaans, but when I applied, they asked, 'How will you guide if you can't speak English?' I told them, 'Don't worry, I will get there.' I said, 'Give me a chance - let me work behind the bar, be a waiter, and be closer to guests.' Seven months later, I was speaking English, and I started guiding. That's when I realised if you're serious about something, you will achieve it. And I said to Renneck, 'One day you will be Head Tracker at Singita’.”

Piet’s words came true. Renneck was promoted to Head Tracker at Singita Sabi Sand in September 2024. "Working with Piet, I have learned so much," says Renneck. "I haven’t only gained knowledge about the bush, but about leadership. I am where I am now because of what he taught me," says Renneck. "We are a great team. We're like brothers – that's what we call each other."

While being out in the bush with this incredible duo, one wonders if there’s anything they don’t agree on. “Soccer,” says Renneck, “because my team is always the winner.” Piet’s laughter in response says it all.