We recently connected with Mathew Dry and have shared our conversation below.
Mathew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of proceeds to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.
Charity is an ESSENTIAL part, not only in my business but my life as well. One of the things Africa will NEVER be short of is NEED. 10% of the money made by my books (THIS is Africa: True Tales of a Safari Guide Volumes I and II) goes to my favorite African wildlife charity called African Wildlife Foundation. They are an amazing charity that have realized that a holistic approach to saving wildlife and the environment is what is essential. That is, making sure that the PEOPLE surrounding these wild areas benefit from their stewardship as well as the countries within which these wild places are found. I also support a number of young people in their pursuit of education. I have met these young people in a number of ways. One place where I now stay in Nakuru, Kenya, called Ziwa Bush Lodge, was created in order to create funds for the preservation of the orphanage (EAMO – East African Mission Orphanage) that I have been supporting for over 15 years. I give a certain portion of my earnings to these orphans in order for them to go to school and survive. I also have a number of friends whose families I support whose jobs were lost due to COVID in Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. I know how incredibly hard life can be without a job in Africa so even small amounts of money can go a VERY long way while they continue to search for jobs in the travel industry.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Barry, a giant of a South African safari guide, says to me, standing in a bar on the bank of the Chobe River, Botswana. “YOU CAN GO TO SCHOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA, GET ALL YOUR CREDENTIALS TO BE A GUIDE AND DO EXACTLY WHAT I AM DOING EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE! YOU. FOLLOW. YOUR. HEART!” That is EXACTLY what I did. I quit my six-figure job as a director of a tennis club and followed my childhood dream of becoming a zoologost/ecologist with an emphasis on educating people and sharing with people the wonders of the greatest continent on Earth. At 36 years old in 2006, I found a school in South Africa that had a year-long extremely intensive program that would give me ALL my safari guiding credentials. I sold my house, my car, and gave everything I owned to charity except a backpack and went to Africa to live a second dream after my professional career in tennis. I have been a guide ever since, traveling and learning about Africa in every way from its fauna, flora and ecology to its people, culture, and history. I now operate my company TIA Safaris (.com) in 13 different countries in Southern and East Africa.
With TIA (THIS IS AFRICA) Safaris I concentrate on bringing my clients on the most enjoyable, educational, entertaining and horizon-expanding safaris possible. Having spent so much of early career (first three years after safari school) doing OVERLANDING (56 day trips through 11 different countries), I have learned so much about SO MUCH of Africa it has allowed me the privilege of being knowledgeable in ways most other travel companies that do Africa simply cannot be. Not only can I create the best trips possible, I can also offer an endless array of possibilities through so many different countries with their wild and cultural adventures.
What I can say that I am most proud of as a guide and businessman, is that I literally DO NOT have to advertise because my clients over the years have so enjoyed my trips, my books, and my trips AND books, that I fill my trips by word of mouth alone. That is the greatest recommendation I think I and my company can cherish. My focus is to bring my people to Africa and Africa to my people in such a way that they become what the French call “Tetes-Afrique” or “Africa Heads”. They become so enthralled with their experience of the continent that it stays with them their whole lives and I am also proud to say that a very large percentage of my clients return again and again to travel with me to all the other places they haven’t seen and sometimes even the same places. What inspires me even more is that when my clients come to Africa, they then make their own efforts to save African wildlife, educate their children about Africa, and some even sponsor children they meet at the orphanage for their WHOLE lives from Kindergarten to University! That is truly my greatest success….
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of the greatest difficulties in getting people to Africa is that Africa has had such a bad reputation in peoples’ minds. The first issue to bound over is that it is remarkable how many people refer to Africa as a “COUNTRY” as if all that is negative that happens there happens EVERYWHERE IN EVERY COUNTRY. It takes incredible patience to explain to people that Africa is made up of 54 countries with well more than 1000 languages spoken. Genocide, Ebola Virus, Political Strife, Corruption, and the list goes on and on as Media has sensationalized the negatives of Africa over the past 60 years where people can’t help but think of the old, politically incorrect term “Darkest Africa” when thinking about Africa. Africa’s countries that I operate in and have visited have more LIGHT and WONDER than any other place I’ve been on Earth. (Over 70 countries). One of the most important actions that I take when I am back in the States is to go to every type of organization and institution of education to educate and share the wonder of Africa with people and combat the ignorance that people have based on what they see and hear in the news. I am flabbergasted sometimes about how people perceive the continent, its countries, its peoples, its animals, etc. I make it part of my mission as a guide to bring to light all that makes Africa’s countries and their treasures not only places to visit, but also to cherish and support any way they can to ensure Africa’s future.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients, I am proud to say, is that my clients recommend me to their friends, families, and colleagues. I am always filled with the utmost pride and joy when I pick up the phone or find an email saying “Hi Mat, I got your name from so and so and they had such an amazing time with you that we want you to take us to Africa.”
Contact Info:
- Website: Tiasafaris.com
- Facebook: Mat Dry
- Linkedin: Mathew Dry
- Youtube: Mat Dry’s TIA Safaris