Meet Our Characters: Elvis Swenyeho (Simon)

Natural Selection
January 14, 2019

We caught up with Simon, the general manager of Hoanib Valley Camp to find out more about life in the area.

What’s your full name?

“Elvis Machana Swenyeho.”

Where are you from originally?

“Liashulu Village, which is located east of Mudumo National park in the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip).”

How did you get into the travel and tourism industry?

“I was introduced to nature and the outdoors at the age of five years by my late father who by then was employed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. He could take me along during every school holiday to the camps he was working at. In 2010 while doing an electrical internship with an off-grid power company which offered services to almost ninety percent of lodges in Namibia, I had an opportunity to work on most camps in Etosha National Park, Damaraland and Kaokoland. Two years later I joined a safari company as a maintenance manager. I boosted my guest relations and became a host. That’s how I got into the industry.”

What’s your role at Natural Selection?

“General manager for Hoanib Valley Camp, located in the Sesfontein Conservancy on the banks of Obias river overlooking the Hoanib river.”

What does your job entail?

“I run the broad day to day operations of the camp.”

What makes Namibia such a special country to visit?

“The biomes, lovely ecosystems and amazing contrasts.”

What’s your favourite thing about Hoanib Valley Camp?

“The spectacular landscapes, the few animals and how they survive, the Nomadic Ovahimba and their settlements and the true African sky.”

Why’s it a great camp to visit?

“To visit this beautiful arid destinations is amazing, but to be part of the adventure is memorable.”