Over the past three decades, Renias and Alex have spoken internationally, founded the award-winning Tracker Academy, and built a successful safari business in the heart of Kruger National Park. These remarkable achievements were made possible through their unwavering collaboration.

In the late 19th century, Alex van den Heever's family was instrumental in establishing Afrikaans as an official language in South Africa, a language associated with oppression. Growing up, Alex experienced all the privilege and material benefit of the Apartheid regime's policies.

Renias Mhlongo is from a family of hunter-gatherers in the greater Kruger National Park. They were forced from their land due to Apartheid's segregation laws. Refusing to be educated in the oppressor's language, Renias abandoned school at age 10 – destined for a life of poverty.

Years later, Alex and Renias were thrown together as guide and tracker at Londolozi game reserve, to lead safaris for discerning travelers. Their 30-year journey together has taken them from tracking leopards at Londolozi game reserve to following grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park and speaking internationally.

Alex and Renias have been the subjects of several TV news documentaries, most notably, CNN International. These two men have broken through the barriers of their backgrounds and formed a bond which has changed both their lives forever.

The duo co-owns Kruger Untamed safari camps in Kruger National Park, which hold the distinction of being the only concession to achieve a perfect score on an environmental audit. This is a relationship which is seen by many as a model in a democratic South Africa.

After completing his studies in Marketing and Business Management, Alex van den Heever embarked on a remarkable journey at the world-renowned Londolozi Game Reserve in 1995, where he began as a game ranger.

Alex has devoted much of his life to mastering this ancient art, achieving a significant milestone in 2004 by becoming one of the youngest individuals to qualify as a Senior Tracker assessor. Over the past three decades, his expertise has taken him across the globe, from tracking jaguars in the Amazon jungle and bears in California to following grizzlies and wolves in Montana, pumas in Patagonia, and the legendary black-maned lions of the Kalahari.

Currently, Alex serves as the General Manager of the Tracker Academy, an NGO dedicated to training unemployed individuals in the traditional skills of tracking. He is also a Director and Shareholder of Eco Training, Africa’s largest private guide training school, and a Co-founder of Wild Signs, which owns the Tracking Success corporate training programme.

Beyond his work in conservation, Alex has pioneered diversity training courses aimed at fostering better understanding and collaboration between black and white professionals incorporate South Africa.

Alex and his long-time collaborator, Renias Mhlongo, continue their work in the bushveld and extend their influence through motivational presentations both in South Africa and internationally. Their acclaimed presentation, The Power of Relationships, resonates with audiences across the globe.

Alex and Renias are also the co-author of two bestselling books, the Tracker Manual and Changing a Leopard’s Spots, which reflect his deep commitment to wildlife tracking and conservation.

Renias Mhlongo was born in a mud hut in what is today the greater Kruger National Park.

Born into a family that lived in the greater Kruger National Park, Renias Mhlongo grew up immersed in the ancient traditions of a Shangaan hunter-gatherer. From a young age, he was entrusted with the responsibility of tending the family’s cattle herd, learning essential skills that would later define his life’s work.

During the forced removals under the Apartheid regime, Renias and his family were relocated to a socially engineered black settlement village. With no formal education, he sought employment at a game reserve, starting as a labourer. In 1984, Renias found his true calling as a tracker at Londolozi, where he could fully utilise his exceptional naturalist skills. Over the past 40 years, he has played a pivotal role in habituating the world-famous leopards of Londolozi.

Renias is a co-founder and trainer mentor at the Tracker Academy, where he continues to pass on his invaluable knowledge to new generations of trackers.

Alex and Renias have spoken internationally, sharing their profound understanding of African wildlife, culture, and philosophy. Their natural storytelling ability, combined with the humour, shines through in their motivational presentation, The Power of Relationships. During these inspirational sessions, Renias offers personal insights into the importance of relationship building and the transformative power of diversity.