Grant Oliver Email & Phone Number

Sabi Sand Nature Reserve

Kruger National Park

Botswana Under Canvas & Expeditions, Botswana

I was the General Manager of 6 remotely located luxury mobile camps (22 rooms), 2 office bases and 76 staff for a globally recognised luxury experiential travel company in the northern parts of Botswana. My key performance areas mainly included the overall success of the products; their guest feedback, financial management of expenditure, instilling company values and ethics in staff, guest delights, maintaining the golden thread in the delivery of service, food, accommodation and activities, as well as internal marketing efforts. I encouraged the teams to be self-motivated, disciplined and responsible. andBeyond Botswana Under Canvas was upgraded in October 2014 under my guidance, placing it in a luxurious category. Additional itineraries were developed for andBeyond Expeditions to expand the product (from 1 to 6), and offer guests a selection of safaris to choose from with various lengths and iconic destinations to choose from.

Xaranna Okavango Tented Camp & Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge, Botswana

I was the General Manager of two 5 star luxury wildlife Lodges (18 rooms) in the Okavango Delta in Botswana (World Heritage Site) for a globally recognised luxury experiential travel company. My key performance areas mainly included the overall success of the lodges' guest feedback, financial management of expenditure, instilling company values and ethics in 80 staff, guest delights and maintaining the golden thread in the lodge's delivery of service, food, accommodation and activities. Both lodges obtained the highest possible rating for eco-tourism in Botswana and 5-star grading in 2013. Resorts magazine rated it one of the Top 100 Places to Stay in 2012. These beautiful lodges were built in recent years and had to gain the interest of the hospitality and tourism industry. I made it my outright goal to do progressive internal marketing, create a formidable team of staff and set consistent standards that reinforced the industry’s confidence in the lodge. This was a great success as the occupancies significantly increased. I was also fortunate enough to form part of the first Rhinos without Borders project where 6 Rhinos were trans-located from South Africa to the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp

I was the Lodge Manager (together with my wife) of a luxury wildlife lodge (13 rooms) in the Okavango Delta in Botswana (World Heritage Site) for a globally recognised luxury experiential travel company. My key performance areas was mainly to ensure that the lodge operations ran smoothly, and that I provided leadership for 42 staff, whilst maintaining guest relations (for highly affluent international travelers), and continuously found new ways in which to delight guests and exceed their, as well as the companies’ expectations. andBeyond Nxabega obtained the award of Best Safari Property in Southern Africa at the Good Safari Guide Awards in 2008 as well as the nomination of Botswana’s Leading Safari Lodge in the 17th World Travel Awards in 2010. We restored the industry’s faith in the lodge by improving the service, getting the basic standards right and ensuring that guests were receiving the most outstanding experience. This positive achievement was inevitably followed by increased occupancies, reduced staff turnover and outstanding guest feedback.

Sabi Sands, South Africa

After working as a guide for two years, I stepped into management as that was where my passion ultimately lay. This was where I set my foundation in the hospitality and tourism industry, harnessing and developing my strong interpersonal skills with guests and staff. It was a solid success. As Camp Manager couple (with my wife), we managed the front of house functions of Varty Camp (12 rooms). This mainly included the guest relations of 24+ guests, management of food & beverage, as well as rooms division.

Treviso, Italy

I was fortunate enough to play seasonal rugby for the provincial side, San-Dona Rugby XV in Italy for 2 years.

Kwazulu Natal, South Africa

I played professional Rugby for the Crusaders Rugby Club and was recruited for the Natal Wildebeest Squad (Sharks B-side), as well as for the Natal Sharks 7’s Squad.

Education record

Grade 12