Ananda van der Merwe was born in Johannesburg, but it was her years in the Kalahari Desert where she developed an interest in the human history and wildlife of southern Africa. After qualifying as a National Tourist Guide, her dream of sharing the diverse cultures and landscapes of this region with visitors came true. As part of the A&K Southern Africa team, her guiding areas of expertise include photography, history, flora, fauna and viticulture.
Ananda van der Merwe spent most of her formative years in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Here, she developed an interest in anthropology and the hardly flora and fauna or the region. Before embarking on a career in the tourist industry, she worked for the Independent Electoral Committee during South Africa’s first democratic election. She also learnt Dutch and Flemish whilst living in Europe. Ananda later went on to qualify as a National Tourist Guide, enabling her to share that early passion for the nature of southern Africa with our clients. Her areas of expertise include photography, anthropology, history, flora, fauna, viticulture, the arts and culture.