One of Rhulani’s staff members is not often seen by our guests. A brief insight into the life of Michael, our nightguard.

Mid-May, 6am. A first light beam shines into the dark sky. Good morning Rhulani! Michael Bonke Ditshweu, or just Michael, switches off the lights on the walk-ways. He wipes a few leaves from the pool deck. Then, he prepares cups, coffee pots, tea bags, sugar and muffins on the big table in the outside lounge. The first guests arrive.

For Michael, Rhulani’s nightguard, these are the last moments of the working shift. "I enjoy this job, because I can work alone and have no stress." Michael offers me a coffee with milk. "I love the tranquility of the night. Sometimes I sit in the outdoor lounge and watch the animals coming to the waterhole. When there is a lion, I need to know in which direction it is going, to eventually warn the guests in the morning.”

I sip my coffee and the first rays of sunshine warm up my face. Michael has worked from 2004 to 2006 in Rhulani. He returned 2013 as a casual. “Conditions have much improved. We get training courses, everybody has responsability at work, and we all have our own room to sleep”, summarizes Michael the changes. He has now a permanent contract since December 2014. "Rhulani is the most beautiful place and the best place to work. We work together as a team, which I like very much," he says. “Before that, I worked in a very big lodge, with a lot of people, and I did not enjoy myself. Rhulani is small."

The guests put the empty cup on the table and get ready, with a camera and a jacket. Does Michael have trouble keeping himself awake all night? He laughs. "No, no, I never fall asleep, I'm used to it.” Michael is conscious about the importance of safety for the guests during night. He organizes medical assitance if needed, detects approchaing bush fires or chases wild animals out of the lodge. “And should I feel fatigue, I walk around or go to the kitchen and wash glasses."

Rhulani's guests take a seat on the vehicle. Michael clears the table. As many of his colleagues, he lives in the nearby village Lekgophung. "I've always lived there, it's my home," he says. "I have no parents, but live with my sister and her two children. She works in clinics. Then, I often go to the fields and collect wood, which we can use in the evening to make a fire for cooking.”

The game cruiser starts the engine and drives out into the bush. It gets quiet again in the lodge. Michael tells me about a special hobby: "I help in the church when the priest is not there." he says. But this additional work is not always a pleasant experience. "Sometimes I go to a home, for doing soemthing to help, but people are not always friendly, or they are not even at home." Michael attended courses for many months. So, could he perform weddings for Rhulani's guests? Michael smiles: "Unfortunately not, my specialty are funerals."

Now it's 7:30am. Michael joins the daily morning briefing. Rhulani's manager welcomes all staff. Michael says a prayer to start the meeting. The other employees listen in silence. The sun shines bright, a new day begins. For Michael, it is time to go to sleep.