Francis had an idyllic boyhood: born and raised in the Okavango Delta, he fished from a dugout canoe and camped on islands around open campfires. At night his father would tell stories about the birds and wildlife, which kept him fascinated for hours. Though he went to school far from home, memories of the delta and its wildlife remained vivid, and he couldn’t wait to return to the bush during school holidays. Upon graduating, he fulfilled his national service requirement working as a teacher in a primary school in Gantsi, where he formed a Wildlife Club in the village to educate local people about animals and the environment. He also organized trips for school children to game reserves in Botswana. Continuing to a career in tourism, Francis obtained an advanced-level guide qualification and is also a certified walking safari guide. His special interests are birding, tracking animals and stargazing.



Praise from Nat Hab travelers:

B. Grauch
"Francis was one of the best Nat Hab guides that I've encountered on my previous eight trips. He always had the correct answer when questions were asked and instantly identified all birds and wildlife that we encountered. Francis was a phenomenal 'game-tracker', studying animal tracks and locating two leopards and a pride of lions for the group. He was extremely friendly and professional, taking care of everyone in the group and making sure that all were safe and experiencing the maximum from the trip."

J. Mann
"Francis never ceased to amaze us. His tracking skills were unbelievable. He was concerned about our comfort and made every effort to make sure our needs were met. Hands down, Francis was the biggest asset to this trip. He knew how to track down the animals we most wanted to see and provided plenty of information about each of them."

L. Rizzotti
"Francis had very impressive tracking skills as well as a thorough knowledge of EVERYTHING. He made this trip a great learning experience during our awesome animal sightings. He was also extremely helpful with photography angles!"

B. Yost
"Francis met our group at the airport, and from our very first meeting, he was professional, friendly and helpful. He knowledge and ability to share information about animals, birds and the people of Botswana made our experience exceptional. He is an excellent tracker and showed us how to respect the environment we were in and the animals and wildlife we were able to interact with. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I also want to compliment Francis on his ability to track animals. It was amazing to watch him track lions, leopards and hyena."

V. Gendusa
"This was a trip I will never forget. Francis is an extraordinary individual whose intimate knowledge of the animals and regions allows visitors to have a deeply educational experience as well as a lot of fun."

A. Randall
"Francis was a gentleman and a gentle man. We trusted him implicitly. His intelligence, humor and clear devotion to the surroundings were a joy to behold. This was the absolute best trip and really life changing, and much of the reason relates to Francis and his ability to project his love for our planet and all it holds. The eight of us felt very fortunate to have him with us each day, explaining, sighting, instructing and watching out for our welfare. Francis has the most remarkable eyes and ears. I was continuously stunned at his ability to know and feel everything around us."

C. Reece
"Francis seized every opportunity to point out and explain interesting wildlife behavior and habitats and seemed to take as much delight as we did in tracking down and spotting wild dogs and leopards. He told us about trees, plants, the stars and the geographic history of Botswana and Southern Africa. He fixed a flat tire and dislodged the jeep from a huge rut all with good humor, great patience and a wonderful smile. I would very much like to travel again with Francis as the guide."

J. Cobcroft
"Francis was always patient, kind and helpful, with a great sense of humor. He always knew where to find the animals and on this trip I saw extraordinary animal behavior that I hadn't seen before: a leopard interacting with elephants; a young leopard trying to stalk a zebra; hippos fighting on land and a wild dog kill. Francis was a good tracker and just knew where to go."

J. Moncrief
"Francis was very knowledgeable and was an excellent tracker. We were impressed with his ability. If he knew a guest had a particular interest, he made every effort to find and point out the indicated animal. He also made sure that every guest was comfortable and was receiving good service in each camp. Francis also showed us animal interactions that we never expected to see, like the bee-eater riding on the back of the buffalo and the goshawk hunting with the honey badger."

C. Allen
"Sometimes you meet people who you hope you meet again—Francis is one of those people. He was kind, patient with all our questions (some asked time and time again!), had a great sense of humor and was clearly highly committed to the work he does. His depth of knowledge on the animals, birds and flowers was mind-boggling! I learned so much from him. He was sensitive to the needs of the group, taking time to make sure we got pictures, and he tried his very best to make sure we saw all the animals we wanted to. Realizing he has no control over Mother Nature, he did an outstanding job. Most importantly I felt extremely safe under his guidance. Once I realized how effective he was, I put my trust in him completely and never regretted it. I cannot say enough about him. I am the director of a 6,000 person firm and I would love to have people like Francis working with me."

J. Cranco
"I cannot say enough about Francis. He knew everything but he also had a very gentle way about him. He was so knowledgeable about all of the animals, the environment and Botswana. I loved that he told us about the animal's habits, their food and their daily lives. He had a terrific sense of humor and a lot of patience. He answered every question, even when it was asked again, and I felt very safe. He really knew how to guide but he also knew how to drive every mode of transportation we took, and he was so organized. Everyone at each camp knew him and respected him, and I felt honored to be on this trip with him. I have been telling everyone about both Francis and the other guide, Bothu. She was excellent too. They made a wonderful team, and there was not one detail that Bothu did not attend to. She made every transfer easy and made sure every camp was doing their job in the loveliest way. I read all 12 books of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which is why I chose Botswana for a safari, and both Bothu and Francis lived up to the kindness, gentleness and professionalism that Mma Precious Ramotswe exemplified consistently. Bothu referred to it as 'The Botswana Way'. My heart is still so full of this."

T. Bell
"We have taken multiple guided tours with other companies and Francis was perhaps the best guide EVER. His depth and breadth of knowledge was astounding. The range of duties he performed expertly, from driving the safari vehicles and boat to serving tea, was more extensive than any other guide we have traveled with. I would go anywhere with Francis. You could not have a better representative for Nat Hab than Francis."

T. Fransen
"I was amazed at his ability to spot and track the animals he knew we wanted to see, and he never gave up looking for them until we did. He was tireless, patient and extremely knowledgeable when answering endless questions about the animals and the environment in which they live. I could tell that all who know him in Botswana have great respect for him as well, and that says so much about his character."

J. Brown
"Francis was very respectful of the animals and environment. I was very impressed with his knowledge of the plants, birds, geography, people and animals. He was extremely professional in sharing his knowledge."