Cross is is our longest standing employee. Read how Cross started as a night guard, and how he became the Department Head of Maintenance at Rhulani Safari Lodge. Learn more about the work and life of a humble, loyal employee.

The loud engine noise stops. Now it’s silence in the bush. A thin man in a Rhulani jacket, barely visible under a helmet, protective mask and goggles, sets the machine to the ground. "This is a weedeater", says a voice from under the mask. It is the time when the lodges cut a firebreak around their properties.

The man pulls off his helmet and mask. He looks at the vast bushveld where one looks over to Botswana. "I love to be out in the bush," he says. "This work will take me probably two months to complete". He does not seem to be unhappy about this.

The rangy man grabs a water bottle from his pocket. He takes off his safety goggles, so that you can see two twinkling, distinctive eyes. It is Cross, department head of maintenance. "I have this name from my uncle in Botswana, who is a priest", says Cross. "Actually, my name is 'Modiegi', which means 'the last one'".

Cross opens the bottle. He takes a sip. One can see the tendons of the slender arms. “I do not each much, just a small lunch, but no breakfast, no dinner", he says, "and I take two bottles of water to work." The air is dry, the sun is burning from the sky. Two bottles? That is certainly not enough.

Cross lives in nearby Supingstad. "Working here is convenient for me, and I like it here very much", he says, "Now, that I am old, it is difficult to go to another place anyway." It’s hard to believe that this agile man, with a slim body and an ageless face, is the longest standing employee of Rhulani. How old is he?

On his off-days, Cross helps his father with the 28 cattles. He has a boy of six years and a three year old. "I want to marry my girlfriend, but it may still take a long time, as I do not have the money for it." After all, says Cross, the parents have agreed that they can live together.

Cross puts the water bottle back into his bag. He looks at the bushes and the tall grass in front of him. How many times did he cut it back already? Cross recalls: "I started at Rhulani in 2005, in October. " Cross therefore knows every little detail of the lodge. At the beginning, for almost a decade, he was Rhulani's night guard and spent many hours alone, in complete darkness, while the guests were sleeping. "I love working in daylight much more", he says as he puts on the protective equipment again.

What experiences did Cross have over the last eleven years? "Oh, I had different managers", says the voice under the mask. "I learned that you have to be brave. You have to face your challenges in order to survive." The man who looks now like an astronaut, checks that the equipment is perfectly in place. "I work better when I have time to think, without a boss putting permanent pressure."

“I did survive under challenges many times”, the voice says, while the astronaut lifts the weedeater from the ground. “But now it is much better. Now we are rewarded for the success of the Company, with food, sleep and a better salary.”

The noise of an engine interrupts the endless silence. The astronaut turns and slowly walks away. It’s a shame that an impish smile on a sympathetic face disappears again under a mask. Dry grass and dust is stirred up in the savannah. Cross is 37 years old.