Meet our Team

Get to know us better...

Luke Angel is the Founder and Director of African Angel Tours. He is hands on with all groups and monitors their movements at all times. He is currently working in a strategic alliance with grassroots tourism.

A charismatic and a colorful people person, Luke is an experienced Director with a history of working in the leisure, travel & tourism industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Retail, Tour Operations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Hospitality, Luke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree focused on the Arts, Political Science and International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand.

With over 25 years’ experience in the promotion and marketing of South African cultural products to international audiences, Luke began marketing South Africa in the early 1990’s, presenting pan-African arts and craft products in gift and trade shows in Germany, France and Italy. Over the years, Luke has focused on the United States market for African arts and crafts, and has built up an extensive business network and client base in California, especially within the African American community.

African Angel Tours (AAT) then shifted focus towards the growing tourism industry. Building on Luke’s extensive international business and client base, his extensive South and Southern African networks into community development, craft production and tourism industries, and the intimate knowledge of the high expectations of international consumers, Luke and the AAT team have developed an exciting new generation of South African cultural tourism packages and personalized itineraries.

Luke and his team have dedicated their lives to dismantling racial myths, borders and fears, believing and actively gearing all their business operations to the philosophy that cultural exchanges are the best way to build relations across social, economic and political divides.

ANDISWA MIZA

Andiswa qualified in Tourism Management with a National Diploma from Cape Technikon and a BTech from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and has wealth of experience in customer relations within the Tourism and Hospitality industry.

Andiswa is responsible for planning, organizing and supervising the provision of services to clients, including managing relations with industry stakeholders and suppliers. She oversees the company’s promotion through expos, travel shows and site visits.

ZANDILE MIZA

Zandile has been working in tourism for 13 years and has incredible experience and knowledge of travel in Africa, covering all aspects of tourism.
She is a single mum and highly effective in managing her profession together with raising her beautiful daughter.

KAGISO PHATSHWANE

Kagiso’s infectious personality and deep knowledge of South Africa makes him a brilliant tour guide who has a deep connection to both his clients and his country.

LUTENDO LISHIVA

Senior Tour Guide

Lutendo has been with Africa Angel Tours from day one. He speaks 11 languages and is a qualified national guide for all provinces of South Africa. His knowledge of the cultures of South Africa is a great inspiration to any group he works with.

ARLENE HERMANUS

Senior Tour Guide

Arlene is a highly qualified guide and an ex-school teacher. She is wonderful with students and gives so much to the experience. She has two teenage daughters of her own and really understands the youth of today. With the guide being the backbone of the tour, we are blessed to be working with Arlene. She always goes the extra mile and brings a breath of fresh air to all she works with.

EBRAHIM RHODE

Senior Tour Guide

Ebs has been working with African Angel Tours for 14 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to the South African Experience. He also lectures on the political history of South Africa and shares with his groups a deep intellectual insight of the South African story.

JEFF AND KAREN BOROWICK

Super Clients and Africa Loyalists

Our longtime USA clients and friends Jeff and Karen Borowick (Roslyn, New York, USA) are seasoned travelers and have been to the African continent eight times in the past ten years.

Jeff and Karen have developed a deep passion for the African continent during their trips and have made donations of school supplies to local Joburg, Soweto and Madikwe schools and orphanages an integral part of each trip they make to Africa. Together with their travel buddies, they have raised the money, purchased and packaged the school supplies and transported these supplies (as part of their baggage allowances with South African Airways), and delivered them to many schools and orphanages identified by AAT.

Jeff and Karen view their visits to the African continent as life-changing and humbling, and encourage all of you to take the next step by planning a visit to Africa in 2020 with AAT. Jeff and Karen have graciously offered to help us at the AAT booth (to answer any questions from potential “first timers”) at the New York Times International Travel Show (Javits Center NYC).

NORMA IBARRA

Marketing

Norma is a Senior Art Consultant at Fresh Paint Gallery in California. She works part-time for African Angel Tours and is California-based, assisting in marketing at travel-based trade shows and with customer care.

Norma is a valuable asset to AAT. Her approach to every project is open and relaxed, yet her attention to detail and working within a team produce great results. Being technologically savvy allows her an additional avenue for creativity that benefits our clients’ needs.

MARION VALDERRAMA

Protea Travel

Marion at Protea Travel handles all our international USA flights and local inquiries within the USA. Established in 1996, Protea Travel is owned and operated by a native South African, namely Marion Valderrama, who was born in Johannesburg, grew up in that city and worked in the travel industry in South Africa from 1973 to 1990, when she decided to relocate to the USA.

JENNA HANSEN

Senior at UCLA

Jenna did a year internship with AAT in South Africa and proved to be highly effective and productive in solidifying the company and growing the Study Abroad division of African Angel Tours.

GREG JOHNSON

A chance meeting between Greg Johnson and Luke Angel at LA’s African Marketplace led to a trip to South Africa which changed Greg’s global perspective and consciousness. Ever since he has been a vibrant cheerleader for South Africa, promoting the beauty and wonders of South African tourism and culture, while spearheading, alongside Luke, the South Africa Jazz Tour – an annual sojourn which features the Cape Town International Jazz Festival at its core. Enthusiastic and culturally centered, Greg is available to help you build a tour to South Africa through African Angel Tours.