About Us
Anchored in the Spirit of the Community, Pure Africa has its heart in the right place with deeply embedded sustainable practices and an unwavering commitment to the environment.
As a sustainable tourism operator Pure Africa strives to be at the forefront of responsible travel, making our impact tangible with a portion of our revenue going to the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) and Greenline Africa, a local community based organisation working with youth, women and children in and around Victoria Falls.
Our ongoing product enhancement and refurbishments are carried out with the support of the local community, an example of this is the Zambezi Explorer’s hand-woven Ndebele patterned chairs and embroidered cushion covers created in collaboration with a local NGO.
Pure Africa is committed to waste reduction and recycling with a wastewater treatment plant ensuring that no black water runs into the river. We practice waste separation and recycling, work largely with recycled glassware and are saying no to the use of plastic bottles. The Zambezi Explorer and Zambezi Reflections use solar power we and source the majority of our fresh ingredients from within the Zambezi area.
Meet our Team
An owner-run company fashioned to a family’s love for Africa, Pure Africa is jointly owned by Swiss mother-son duo Elisabeth and Raphael Curiger, with Elisabeth on the ground overseeing every aspect of the day-to-day operations. Pure Africa has a strong focus on harnessing the strength and commitment of local talent and has a diverse female dominant management team and largely Zimbabwean employee base.
Elisabeth Curiger
Managing Director
Having followed her heart to this African Frontier town, Pure Africa is driven by the hope, resilience, and unwavering professionalism of Elisabeth Curiger who is involved in every aspect of Pure Africa. With impeccable standards and a strong desire to bring beauty in design, culinary offerings and innovative practices to the operation, Elisabeth delivers with a balanced consciousness and commitment to the surrounding community and environment.
Bernadette Veldsman
Head of Weddings & Events
Bernie is Pure Africa’s ultimate weddings and events planner who's been following the professional path laid by her formal education for over 15 years. During this time, she's creatively planned high-profile weddings and events for clients that include African Royalty, VIP’s and couples seeking out Victoria Falls for their destination weddings. Thriving on the industry's fast pace and passionate about creating exclusive celebrations that are as stylish as they are unique, while exacting attention to detail and creating lifelong memories.
Memory Kaigawile
Head of Sales & Reservations
Heading up our Sales & Reservations department places Memory as the point of contact for our valued agents and clients and working alongside the team in growing our support base. Memory acquired extensive work experience and numerous accolades to her name. Her passion for the area and industry are matched by her enthusiasm and knowledge, qualities integral to the presentation of Pure Africa’s products, and the smooth running of our reservations department
Ralph Tatham
Maintenance
Born in Harare, Ralph grew up around his father who worked as a National Parks and Wildlife Warden for over 35 years. Here he picked up his extensive experience in maintenance, guiding, flying and game management. His passion expanded as he continued to hone his abilities, later joining Pure Africa as head of Maintenance. Ralph is instrumental in the smooth running of the Pure Africa boats, engines, generators and back of house operations. Guests may rarely encounter Ralph on their visits, but his contribution is invaluable.
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Weddings & Events Consultant
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Impact Matters
As a sustainable tourism operator we make impact tangible and always strive to be at the forefront of responsible travel, keeping our efforts and contribution transparent, while actively minimising our environmental footprint.
Waste
Pure Africa operates a full wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of up to 5000l of water an hour, making us the only company to effectively empty the boats of waste water to ensure that no waste goes into the river, something that is essential to its preservation. We operate grease traps and recycle.
Power
We have fitted extensive solar panels on our flagship Zambezi Explorer that power all onboard facilities.
Food
As strong believers in supporting local, we source the majority of our ingredients from within the Zambezi Valley and work actively towards reducing our food waste.
Community
We believe in supporting community initiatives – from food growers and artisans to uplifting and training members of our staff.