Africa "She will Leave You Speechless"
“Africa gave me the courage to build Wild Earth Stays. It reminded me what it means to feel small, yet so deeply connected to something bigger. This isn’t just where our journey started, this is where yours begins.” - James Papagno, Founder & CEO
Some dreams stay quiet for years until the day the wild calls and everything finally begins. Africa has always held me, not only for its wildlife or its landscapes, but for something ancient. Something that pulls from a deeper place. Back in 2011, I had no idea what Wild Earth would become, but I knew this much. If I was going to create a collection of stays, it needed to be rooted in soul, purpose and place. Africa would be the heart of it all.
In this business, relationships aren’t built from behind a desk. They are built in the field, with your boots in the dust, your eyes wide open and your heart wider still. In 2012, fate handed me one of those rare moments that change everything. I was invited to Tswalu Kalahari. Tswalu was still young, raw and untamed. I didn’t know it would become one of my favorite places on Earth. But the moment I stepped onto that land, the feeling was instant. The stillness. The heat rising off the dunes. The stories whispering from every track in the sand. I knew this place would stay with me forever.
Then came Joffers McCormick, my guide for the trip and now my lifelong friend. Over three days, we tracked white rhinos on foot, spotted the impossibly rare pangolin, watched lions hunt oryx, and crossed paths with brown hyena. I remember thinking, This isn’t a trip. This is a transformation.
Years passed, but Africa kept calling. I returned again and again, learning, exploring, connecting. In 2018, I brought my daughter on her first safari. We visited legends: Singita Ebony Lodge, Ngala Lodge by &Beyond, Gibbs Farm. And just when I thought the experience couldn’t get more meaningful, we arrived at a camp and I heard a familiar voice. I turned to my daughter and said, “I know this guide.” It was Joffers. Seven years later. By fate or fortune, we were reunited.
Now, in 2025, it has all come full circle. Joffers has founded his own guiding company, Captivating Africa, and we’ve partnered again to create something deeply personal: My Epic Africa. A journey built from friendship, shared purpose and the belief that Africa changes you in ways nothing else can.
What Is My Epic Africa?
This is not a tour. It is not a generic safari package. It is a personal invitation to see Africa through our eyes, with guides who understand her rhythms and the heart behind each journey. This experience was born from the wild itself. It is personal. It is purposeful. And it is for anyone who wants to travel not just to see something, but to feel something and be changed by it.
Whether it is your first safari or your fifth, we are here to help you go deeper, stay longer and return home with more than stories. You will return with a piece of Africa still beating in your ches
Watch Our Film: My Epic Africa
[Click here to watch]
Let the land speak. Let your story begin.
From the Heart
“Guiding isn’t about showing, it’s about sharing. Every guest, every track, every roar from the bush, it all matters. My Epic Africa is about connection. It is about discovering what Africa wants to teach you.”
Joffers McCormick, Founder, Captivating Africa
Ready to Begin Your Epic?
Let us help you create the kind of African journey people talk about for the rest of their lives.
We will pair you with expert guides, soulful camps and moments that move you in unexpected ways.
Trust me, Africa has a way of showing you who you really are.
“Some places don’t just change your view, they change your life. Africa changed mine.”
James Papagno
Your story is waiting. Let’s write it together.
