Why Use Timeless Africa Safaris?

An up-close encounter with a female lion striding haughtily down the centre of the road, yellow eyes blazing, powerful muscles rippling, ignited Marco’s lifelong love of Africa. Combined with his passion for people and organising, he soon found himself helping to plan safaris for friends and friends-of-friends.

As an active YPO member, he brought an only-in-YPO type of approach, aiming to source the most incredible destinations, plan the most extraordinary experiences and complete them with special details and thoughtful touches making each safari unique. Word spread, more and more people wanted to come and, in 2002, Marco decided to turn his hobby into a business.

Marco has a long and prestigious history with YPO and is a Hickok award winner. He launched the Cape Town YPO chapter in 1986, running its YPO Academies, regional conferences and the Cape Town University thereafter. On the Board of YPO International in various capacities since 1991, he also served as Executive Chairman of the YPO Board in 2002-2003, chairing the very successful Cape Town 2000 University.

Marco started chapters all over the world including Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nairobi, Warsaw and Moscow. Timeless Africa Safaris has been showcased at eight YPO Global Leadership conferences and YPO Edge conferences and was the official travel partner organising the pre- and post-travel around the YPO GLC & EDGE in Cape Town during March 2019, assisting over 350 YPOers with their travels.

Marco is a passionate YPO-er who has served the organization well for many years and carries a wealth of institutional memory and YPO experience at all levels (YPO, YPO Gold, EO, Forums and Chapter Retreats). Having taken in well over a hundred safaris, East and Southern Africa, he remains fully involved with the operations at Timeless Africa Safaris.

The company has grown and attracted a team of like-minded people who share his passion and commitment for looking after guests, giving them a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and sending them home richer in spirit and memories. Timeless Africa Safaris is a family business with Marco’s eldest daughter, Casey, being involved in the business for the past ten years. She is now the organisation’s marketing and business development driving force.

Each of the resourceful and knowledgeable members at Timeless Africa Safaris, from founder Marco to your personal travel manager, to full marketing, operations and financial support teams, can be counted not only as experts in their field, but is also equipped with YPO-programme experience. Whether individual travel, a Chapter Retreat or Forum, the team will apply their knowledge, personal experience of destinations, accommodations and experiences to ensure an only-in-YPO trip of a lifetime.

Based in Cape Town, the company operates in real time, always ready to assist guests in planning their dream trips and available 24/7 during their travel on the continent.

A large part of the company’s success has been about been building relationships – relationships with staff, key suppliers and most importantly, guests. Honesty, integrity and communication are key pillars of the team’s daily interactions. Marco and the team are all passionate about the continent, giving back, conservation and upliftment. And it’s not just lip service either. From developing the Rhino Bill of Rights to combatting malaria and raising funds to help Cape Town’s homeless population during the pandemic, Marco and his team walk the talk.

The team truly understands the YPO philosophy – many of the travel managers have fostered relationships with local and international YPO’ers through the personal and/or family trips curated for them, their friends and their Forums. These YPO’ers have become ambassadors for the work that Timeless Africa Safaris does in Africa, spreading their positive – and often life-changing – experiences with future YPO travellers.

The numerous testimonials from YPO’ers who have travelled with Timeless Africa Safaris attest to the reputation of the business as a leading safari operator.