Simone Wilke-Godfrey
Director
Simone was born in Germany and moved to South Africa in 1997, after completing her schooling and a degree in Economics in Tourism in Germany. Her travel-friendly family and various exchange programmes enhanced her language skills (English, French and Spanish) and ignited a love of adventure and exploring different destinations all over the world. Her first job at Lufthansa in product development, allowed her to combine her work and passion for travelling. Simone began work in Cape Town for an incoming tour operator and this launched her on her journey, travelling extensively through Southern Africa, executing incentive tours, corporate conferences and events for well-known international companies.Read More
Simone soon realised that there was an international market in need of a local, professional tour company combining sport activities and unusual adventures, whilst supporting conservation projects and promptly launched The Cycle of Life™ Travel business.
René Lanfear
Director
René was born and raised in Port Elizabeth and graduated there with a B.Com degree in Business Economics and Industrial Psychology. From there she moved to Cape Town and joined Standard Bank and over the next 17 years she worked in the corporate sector, had children and took on a small property management portfolio which still enabled her to spend time with her family.
She has always been a passionate philanthropist and helps raise funds for a halfway house for abandoned children near Cape Town as well as cycling in the Cape Town Cycle Tour to raise funds for rhino projects in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
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She loves working as a team with both the client and suppliers, visiting the various venues and travelling with or hosting groups.
Mary Rolph
Sale Representative | Montreal, Canada
Mary knows all about planning the perfect trip. This is largely thanks to the ideal combination of a passion for traveling and extensive experience in the hospitality industry.
30 years ago, Mary started her career as a public relations director of a US Hotel group. This was soon followed by training and working in the kitchens of the Ritz in Paris and then owning a hotel in Stowe, Vermont.
Mary and her family moved to Cape Town in 2005 where she became a food consultant for the Protea Hotel group, as well as for various upscale South African Bush camps.
Having now moved back to Montreal, Canada, Mary is thrilled to share her love of Africa with her clients. She looks forward to creating memorable trips throughout the Continent and beyond.
Kyle McCulloch
Travel Consultant | Los Angeles, USA
Kyle McCulloch was born and raised in Durban, South Africa.
After finding success in the fast-paced world of finance on Wall Street, he made a bold decision to relocate to Los Angeles to follow his passion for photography, successfully establishing “Kyle McCulloch Photography”, a Fine Art Photography company creating high end limited edition archival prints that hang on the walls of celebrities and collectors around the country. Read More
His journey as a photographer is driven by a deep respect for the natural world and a desire to preserve its beauty for future generations. By using photography as a medium, Kyle seeks to raise awareness about environmental conservation and the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystems. As an additional means to showcase wildlife, Kyle also runs bespoke safari tours in Africa, educating his clients prior to and during travel. Having spent much of his early life traversing the wilderness, Kyle brings extensive knowledge of animal behavior and cultural norms and traditions.
Tracey-Lee Hayes
Sales & Travel Design | London, UK
Tracey-Lee started her travel career with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and worked for them for 18 years. She then opened a small travel agency from home, which allowed her to spend time with her young children.
In 2008, the family relocated to London, where Tracey-Lee was actively involved in charity work with the Richmond Blind Society but never lost any passion for travel and with Europe on the doorstep, discoveries awaited.
Moving with her spouse to Hong Kong in 2014 was a dream come true for an adventurer. Becoming a member of the AWA (American Woman’s Association) led to a career in active fundraising for the local community and to joining the board as VP for Activities, organising Local and Asian Tours. Eight years of discovering Asia have broadened her knowledge of the area.
Now based between Lisbon and London, Tracey-Lee still actively works to put tours together, and her passion for Africa runs deep. She is very excited to have been invited to join the team at The Cycle of Life, whose ethos and charitable fundraising are inspiring
Tina has a natural way with people is an enthusiastic, energetic tour guide with an outgoing, friendly and caring personality.
Sue-Anne Dobie
Client Services
Sue-Anne was born in Cape Town and spent her early years there before moving to Johannesburg where she completed her schooling and qualification as a teacher. She taught Zulu as a language at a boys’ high school for 5 years before moving to work in the FNB Promotions and Sponsorships Division.
Sue relocated to Cape Town after marrying in 1989. On arrival in Cape Town, she worked temporarily for the South African Rugby Union to assist with co-ordinating an international rugby tour where they entertained the top executives of the IRB and their affiliated unions.
All through these working years, Sue-Anne has had a passion for travel finding one of the most exciting aspects of a trip being the planning. This, together with her administrative and organisational skills, is used in assisting wherever needed in the company.