Rifumo grew up in an impoverished area near the Kruger National Park. He completed the Wild Shots Outreach course in 2016 when he was still at school. Seeing wildlife for the first time changed his life. He began volunteering with WSO, loved the teaching, took on more responsibility and was promoted to Programme Director in 2020.  As well as managing the WSO workshops in the Greater Kruger Area, he has also delivered the WSO programmes in Botswana and Namibia, working with local communities living alongside Protected Areas.

International and national awards in recognition of the impact of his work include:  

• 2023: “30 under 30" Global Environmental Education Leaders (North American Environmental Education Association)

• 2022: Young Environmentalist of the Year Award (from London-based Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) 

• 2022 “Greening The Future Champion” by South Africa’s national newspaper, Mail & Guardian.

Photography transformed Karabo Magakane's life. After taking the WSO course in Feb 2020 when she was unemployed, she began assisting with photo assignments and community programs. Karabo’s ambition is to fly for conservation.  She has already gained her pilots licence, thanks to help from the WSO Bursary Fund. Her next milestone is to gain her Commercial Licence.

"Through the lens, I am changing the narrative. I want to break ground in the world of aviation and photography and do things that no black female has ever done, inspiring young South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds to follow their dreams".

Wisani was WSO’s first young person to be supported by the Bursary Fund, studying at AFDA Media College for 3 years. Graduating with a BA with Honors in Filmmaking, Wisani is now running a successful media production company. In between commissions he helps teach some of the photography workshops. Wisani’s portfolio of powerful images documenting life in his community during lockdown, together with the moving poem he wrote to accompany the images, ended up being used as a public information film about the pandemic on TV, commissioned by Brand South Africa, which was viewed over 6 million times in South Africa.

Previously unemployed, Vinolia is the latest former WSO student to become a Programme Assistant. Vinolia’s dream is to work in hospitality within the safari industry.

“Wild Shots Outreach motivated me to want to do more in life. My dream is to inspire other young black girls like me to never let their background be their limit.”

Mike is an experienced senior leader in education, and formerly a life sciences and photography teacher. For over 25 years, he has specialised in teaching students from disadvantaged communities.  In the UK Mike was Assistant Head of an inner-city government school.  On relocating to South Africa, he was Principal of a Second Chance Matric Centre on the Cape Flats, and Education Director with Taurus School Solutions, an NGO empowering government schools in the Cape Flats. Mike’s own images have been published in numerous international publications, and he’s also been a photographic tutor for guide training agencies. Mike continues to oversee the quality assurance and educational rigour of the workshop teaching, and mentors the programme assistants with Rifumo.

Harriet assists with the fundraising, marketing and communications. She is a conservation communications professional with 25 years’ experience fund raising, building partnerships, running teams, programmes and budgets and delivering high profile events. Previously Harriet was CEO of the international conservation communications NGO, Wildscreen. Awards include European Professional Woman of Achievement and named one of the UK’s top five most talented Cultural Leaders by the UK’s Gov. National Endowment for Science, Technology & Arts (NESTA).