Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Taylor.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
Steve grew up in Zimbabwe and spent as much time as possible exploring the wild, at high school he was made President of the Zimbabwe School’s Exploration Society and led research trips into exceedingly remote parts of Africa. After high school Steve’s love of wildlife landed him his first job as a game ranger for the Zimbabwe National Parks Department as an anti poaching officer. A chance to attend the British Officer school, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst came up and Steve leapt at it, becoming the fourth generation of Taylor’s to have served the Queen. Although army service had its perks the draw of Africa became too much and he resigned his commission.
He returned to Zimbabwe and started his own safari company from scratch using money paid out to him as compensation for injuries incurred on active service. In Dec 1989 Steve left for his first sales trip to the USA. Steve and Kathy met on Christmas Eve of 1989, a marketing trip in more ways than one! He was visiting his brother who was in Rockport and was engaged to one of Kathy’s best friends. They hit it off and after 3 years and many visits to Zimbabwe on Kathy’s part and Boston on Steve’s part they were married. Kathy was a flight attendant at the time so could fly to Zimbabwe cheaply and Steve’s brother worked for British Airways so he could also fly reasonably. It was tough but they defied the odds and have been together ever since. Kathy managed the safari camps in Zimbabwe for 10 years and opened a store here in Rockport importing art items from Africa, Steve guided safaris and ran the rapidly growing business. By the mid 90’s they would spend half the year in Zimbabwe and half the year in Rockport. Things in the late 90’s starting going south economically and politically in Zimbabwe so they decided that when their daughter Thora was born they would settle in beautiful Rockport. Rockport was the natural place for them to settle, Kathy as a third generation Rockporter has a large family who all lived local, so they had lots of support. Steve started off thinking he would like to try and become a high school teacher however 9/11 changed his career course, Kathy had her little store in downtown Rockport and Steve started working in security.
They always had in mind that someday they would get back to Zimbabwe somehow and it has worked out in their favor. They are still based in Rockport where their two girls Niki & Thora were brought up and went to Rockport Schools.
Steve worked as a freelance security consultant and then as a Vice President for State Street Corp, carrying out political and security evaluations of emerging markets which led to him becoming Harvard University’s first Director for International Safety and Security. Kathy sold the store after their second child and started & continues to work in her brother’s Real Estate business Olson Real Estate in Rockport.
In 2012 Steve took the girls on their first safari. The trip was an eye opener for many reasons, but most importantly it made them aware that the Zimbabwean Government was not investing in wildlife and tourism and that they were perfectly positioned to help change that, it was also a
defining moment for Steve. He and Kathy realized there had been a gaping hole in his life, his home in Zimbabwe and the African bush.
So Askari Safari was born, our Corporate Mission is to ‘to expose as many people to the true African experience as possible, at the same bringing intrinsic value to communities living on the periphery of wild areas.’
Steve has the connections and knowledge, Kathy had the previous experience living in Africa and now the time, patience and dedication to be able to help prospective clients plan and execute their perfect adventures.
Most importantly they looked at the situation in Zimbabwe, the growing poaching crisis, the lack of government assistance to the rural people living near National Parks. Steve decided to approach the issue as if he were back in the military, treating the problem as if it were a low grade counterinsurgency operation. Win the hearts and minds of the locals, show them immediate value of responsible tourism, make them understand that no wildlife= no tourists= no benefits. If the Government lacked the capacity to equip and train anti poaching units and veterinary services then we would support the wave of private charities that were being formed to fill the gap.
There is a large charitable component to Askari Safari and while Steve gets to do what he loves most, showing people the beautiful wildlife of Africa, the company has provided thousands of dollars to anti-poaching units, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation projects for wildlife that has been injured due to poaching. Askari has also adopted a small rural primary school called Sianyanga ,which is located 5 miles from Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest game park and second biggest attraction after Victoria Falls.
Askari Safari’s client base has grown each years since inception in 2013 and as of 2018 we have planned personalized safaris for hundreds of clients in 10 different African countries. It is overwhelming for most people to go on the internet to try and plan a safari as there is just so much out there. We help clients cut to the chase, immediately identifying the best options for them and helping them put together a plan that fits their wish list and budget. We believe our process is unique, having a registered guide be part of the entire planning process is something that as far as we are aware, no other safari booking agencies in the US has. Our process… a client approaches us, either as a referral, (our Net Promoter Score is over 90%!) through our website or social media and we ask them to fill out a basic questionnaire which gives us vital and valuable insights into their aims and objectives for taking a safari, as well as their personal limitations. Steve reviews the questionnaire and comes up with what he believes are a couple of options to fit their wish list which could be as diverse as going to watch the migration in Tanzania or Kenya, the beautiful landscapes of Namibia, gorillas in Uganda , an amazing Zimbabwe/Botswana safari, the beaches of Kenya or Mozambique, the history of Zanzibar, the winelands of South Africa the list is nearly endless. We have partners all over Africa that we work with to create a one of a kind adventure for our clients. Our clients do not pay any extra for this specialized service as we get paid commission by the camps that we book. If the client went direct they would either pay the same or more. Most clients opt for a traditional safari experience, a (Safari means to take a journey in Swahili) moving camps & in most cases countries during the course of their trip. Kathy pitches the options to the clients and then takes on the planning and logistical arrangements with the camps, transfer companies & activity planners. We also have just taken our first full time employee, an agent Sjaan Paymans in Victoria Falls that gives us someone in the right time zone, immediately available to clients in country and to take on the overflow of clients.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course there have been bumps in the road and struggles like anything in life, the safari industry has changed a lot since our first company, which was pre world wide web! Technology is a blessing and a curse, keeping up with new innovative products, figuring out where to invest has had its ups and downs. We had a hard time finding the right travel software and wasted a lot of money and energy on that but now have the perfect system in place. Working together as husband and wife also has its struggles but also has its benefits, we recently returned from a fact finding 12 day trip, each night spent in a different 5 star safari lodge! Kathy still works part time in real estate, Steve still works full time. Fortunately Steve’s new employer not only accepts Steve working on Askari Safari in his spare time but actually embraces the fact. Bain & Co also has a massive social impact program and views Steve’s role in Askari as an extension of their program. Bain & Co were also kind enough to loan Askari 4 consultants who worked pro-bono helping develop business processes, clarify our marketing strategy and come up with a 8 year plan, which includes Steve retiring from Bain and working full time for Askari, which when the time is right should mean Askari has developed into a major player in the safari booking world!
We are an extremely ‘high touch’ organization, and as each safari is bespoke this takes an inordinate amount of time. The vast majority of our clients repeat or recommend us to their friends and colleagues so that says a lot. We strive to be better and to figure out if something does go wrong how we can fix it but sometimes even though you do an outstanding job and a trip goes off to perfection you just get some people that are just impossible to please, learning from these experiences and not letting them eat you up is very hard but luckily these are few and far between.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
We specialize in planning African Safaris. What sets us apart is Steve’s background. Steve grew up in Africa and has been involved in wildlife management his whole life and most importantly has been a Zimbabwean registered Full Licenced Guide since 1990. Zimbabwe has the world’s toughest guiding licences to attain, becoming a fully Licenced Guide takes on average 6 years with written, verbal and practical examinations along the way that are not for the meek. Steve is most happy in the bush with wildlife and it shows. His knowledge and commitment to wildlife is contagious. I think as a company we are most proud of giving back to the countries that provide such tremendous beauty and adventure. Askari gives back by hiring game scouts for anti poaching, patrols, by loaning vehicles to those who need to help injured wildlife, equipment for the game scouts and those on the front lines of protecting Africa’s wildlife. Also bringing the message of wildlife protection to the youth of Africa at our adopted school.
Our clients range from good old fashioned bucket lists ticker’s, special occasion travelers including honeymooners, special anniversaries, retirement trips multi generational large family get togethers, adventure nuts and everything in between. The fact that we treat each client regardless of their budget as if their trip were our own delivers a memorable experience that will hopefully keep the clients invested in the future of Africa’s wildlife for their lifetime.
We are investing 100% of our profits back into Africa and our social impact programs are delivering real results. Poaching in the area of Sianyanga school has all but disappeared, the power of young children educating their parents can’t be underestimated.
Everything we do for the school has the message that if you protect Africa’s wildlife you are protecting your future. We provide building materials for classroom construction, school supplies, school fees and much more. It has spread as our clients get to visit all of these wonderful places when they go on our safaris and we have even had one of clients, Julie Phippen, start her own incredible charity www.sewpportivefriends.org and returns to Zimbabwe twice a year as her organization continues to grow.
How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
I think Steve and I are on the same page as far as defining success. Do what you love and it will all fall into place. Getting to go on safari, helping wildlife and people are our markers of success.
I would love to see either or both of daughters become involved in Askari in the future.
Pricing:
- Safaris don’t have to be out of reach for the average person. We can custom build a safari from $2000 to $20000.
Contact Info:
- Address: Askari Safari 32 Country Club Road Rockport, MA 01966
- Website: www.askarisafari.com
- Phone: 978 968 9909/ 508 846 9807
- Email: steve@askarisafari.com kathy@askarisafari.com sjaan@askarisafari.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askarisafari
Steve equipping and training game scouts in emergency first aid.
Steve awarding the successful winners of the Askari Young Conservationist Award, Askari pays for the annual school fees for over 15 children each year.
Steve and clients donating vital supplies to Game Rangers and Scouts. Steve purchases the equipment and the clients carry it over and ‘donate’ it back to Steve at the conclusion of the safari. Equipment includes, backpacks, mosquito netting, first aid equipment, bullet proof vests, GPS devices, binoculars and night vision goggles. 
Steve & Kathy’s daughter Niki got to meet the ‘Cheetah Ambassador’ Sylvester in Victoria Falls. Sylvester’s mother was killed by lions when he was just a few weeks old, the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust rescued and raised him, today he gets to interact with tourists and local school children, imparting a lasting impression of the beauty of these highly endangered big cats. Steve sits on the VFWT advisory board and VFWT is one of Askaris preferred charities.
Steve doing what he loves most, showing people the true beauty of Africa.
Bringing your daughter to work day- Askari Style
The trip that started it all.. Kathy and the girls looking at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls. 2012
A real perk of the job, Steve and Kathy get to scope out new safari camps and that includes sampling their sundowner G&T’s!
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