Africa, experienced personally.
Africa, experienced personally.
We’re Val and Hardus — the people behind EarthChild Safaris.
EarthChild was born from two very different paths that led us to the same place: a deep connection to wildlife and a belief that the best way to experience Africa is to respect it, protect it and let it remain wild.
M E E T
Val & Hardus
Two different paths. One shared purpose.
Val
Veterinarian & Photographer
I’ve loved animals for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Mexico City, Africa felt like another world. Being surrounded by elephants, working with wildlife or even drawing blood from a lion belonged to the movies and documentaries I watched — not something I ever imagined I would experience myself.
When it came time to choose what to study, I decided to leave everything familiar behind and travel to Africa. I wanted to see for myself whether the world I had dreamed about was actually real.
I arrived at a cheetah conservation project, where I met Hardus, the manager and animal caretaker. For the first time, I met someone who understood why I had left everything behind for animals.
I eventually returned to Mexico to study veterinary medicine, but Africa never left me. We stayed in close contact, and during every holiday I returned to Africa, exploring a different national park whenever I could. No matter where I travelled, I always found my way back.
After graduating as a veterinarian, I moved to South Africa, married Hardus and began working in the veterinary field. My experiences working with animals in captive environments eventually made me question where I wanted my own efforts to go. I realised I didn’t want to spend my life seeing wildlife behind barriers.
I wanted to help people discover animals where they belong — wild and free.
Hardus
Safari Guide & Wildlife Conservationist
Born and raised in South Africa, Hardus grew up surrounded by animals, farming and the realities of living alongside wildlife. He studied agriculture and farming before his path led him into wildlife rehabilitation and conservation.
For many years, he worked hands-on with a wide range of species, including pangolins, elephants, eagles and other wildlife. This gave him an intimate understanding of both the animals themselves and the challenges they face.
Living and working in areas where people and wildlife share the same landscapes also exposed him to the realities of human-wildlife conflict, particularly for vulnerable species. He became determined to find ways to contribute to their protection while recognising that conservation must also consider the people who share these spaces.
His path eventually led him into professional guiding and lodge management in the Greater Kruger, where he could combine his knowledge of wildlife, people and the bush with a growing belief that:
wild animals belong in the wild.
Different beginnings. The same belief.
W H E R E O U R P A T H S M E E T
Our stories began on opposite sides of the world, but eventually brought us to the same place — and the same belief about what responsible tourism should look like.
For us, wildlife is not something to be collected or ticked off a list. A safari isn’t simply about seeing the Big Five. It is about understanding the animals, observing their natural behaviour and appreciating the wild places that make these encounters possible.
We are the guests in their world.
We believe tourism, when done thoughtfully, can become part of the solution. By supporting protected areas, responsible tourism, local communities and the people working to conserve these places, travel can help create a future where wildlife remains where it belongs — wild, free and protected.
That is the kind of tourism we want EarthChild Safaris to be part of.