WILDERNESS TOURING CAPE TOWN MANAGER

MICHELLE REYNEKE

Michelle has been a part of the Wilderness family for eight years. An industry professional with over 27 years of Hospitality & Tourism experience, Michelle’s focus includes Wilderness Touring Cape Town’s strategic growth, whilst fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence within her team.

Born and bred in South Africa, Michelle’s youth and school years were spent in Ermelo, Johannesburg, East London, and Port Elizabeth, before calling Cape Town home. Michelle enjoyed a variety of sporting pursuits throughout her schooling career, from hockey and triathlons to water polo.

An adventurer at heart, Michelle has been fortunate to explore numerous countries and partake in bucket list escapades including shark cage diving, bungee jumping and skydiving. Michelle is happiest when riding her Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, having clocked over 40,000 kilometers of “wind-therapy” venturing across South Africa and beyond.

Michelle’s professional journey spans a remarkable 27 years within the Hospitality & Tourism industry, a path marked by diverse roles and experiences, which have contributed to her expertise and passion for her profession. Her career started out at The Courtyard Hotel, Cape Town before she spread her wings to the UK, where she held various positions in hotels, restaurants and pubs. Relocating back to South Africa saw a career move to an inbound tour operator, before progressing to General Manager for a hotel, and then enhancing her skills when she established and managed Sugar Hotel, a boutique property in Cape Town. In 2007, Michelle stepped back into tour operating as FIT Manager for Kuoni Private Safaris before being promoted to Head of Reservations and then Market Manager for their UK, USA, Middle East, Australasia and Africa division.

Michelle embarked on her Wilderness journey in 2016 as Reservations Manager North America. Michelle credits the connections and people she has met along the way – friends, colleagues, mentors and trade partners – for her career growth within the business. Michelle was promoted to Wilderness Touring Cape Town Manager in 2024, and looks forward to her new chapter, noting, “In Wilderness, I’ve found more than a workplace. I love our culture and am in awe and proud to be a part of the positive impact we have achieved as a collective, and still aim to do so within our communities and conservation”.