Our team isn't just guiding your journey—we're crafting unforgettable experiences with expertise, passion, and a deep respect for Africa's wild heritage.
With decades of collective experience across conservation, hospitality, and adventure tourism, we bring together diverse skills to ensure your safari exceeds every expectation while leaving a positive impact on the landscapes and communities we cherish.
“The signs in the sand tell a story older than civilization.”
Follow the six life milestones that shaped Gert J Meintjes into one of Southern Africa's most respected outfitters, dangerous game professional hunters, and conservation leaders.
Our CEO, a licensed outfitter and dangerous game Professional Hunter (PH), brings over decades of experience to Kampvuur Safaris.
Since founding the company in 2016, he has established it as a premier destination for authentic African adventures.
With qualifications in international human-wildlife conflict management and business, he combines conservation expertise with entrepreneurial vision.
Founder of HOTGROUP (operations began in 1987, incorporated 1993) and HOTEYE. Over three decades of engineering satellite wildlife telemetry collars, implants, and remote sensing systems deployed with international universities.
From flyfishing to deep-sea game fishing, his connection to water ecosystems inspires conservation initiatives and unique aquatic adventures across Africa.
His passion for adventure, conservation, and African wilderness drives Kampvuur Safaris, where his love for hunting, fishing, photography, and exploration finds perfect expression in the continent he calls home.
Behind Kampvuur Safaris lies more than three decades of telemetry hardware manufacturing, academic university research partnerships, and hands-on conservation operations.
Active veterinary interventions and telemetry research across Southern Africa's premier conservation biomes.
At Kampvuur Safaris, conservation is not a marketing slogan or a staged photo-op—it is a lifelong industrial and scientific discipline. In 1987, founder Gert J Meintjes began pioneering wildlife tracking telemetry as a passionate young innovator. By 1993, at just 19 years old, he officially incorporated HOTGROUP—with his father signing as legal guardian, as statutory company ownership in South Africa at the time legally required reaching the age of majority (21 years).
Over more than three decades, HOTGROUP has engineered and manufactured precision wildlife telemetry hardware—from rugged GPS satellite collars to specialized subcutaneous implants, horn transmitters, and ear bio-tags used by leading biologists worldwide. Through companion operations company HOTEYE, teams deploy advanced remote sensing applications to analyze animal movements, anti-poaching geofences, and ecological corridors in real time.
HOTGROUP maintains formal research partnership agreements with numerous prominent South African and international universities. The group has actively sponsored and funded dozens of PhD candidates and Post-Doctoral research fellows—personally co-studying, supporting, and guiding researchers in the field. This deep scientific pedigree enables Kampvuur Safaris to offer exclusive “Research in Action” expeditions, where guests accompany licensed wildlife veterinarians, ecologists, and professional hunters during real-world collaring, biological tagging, and post-release tracking operations.
Explore authentic field photographs documenting over three decades of wildlife telemetry collar fittings, rhino anti-poaching operations, predator research with international universities, and television documentary features.
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Lead Outfitter Gert J Meintjes in the field working alongside a wildlife veterinarian to fit a precision telemetry tracking device to an immobilized wild rhino.
African Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Close profile of a resting wild leopard showing the molded waterproof transmitter housing and reinforced belting engineered for big cat anatomy.
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
A magnificent African Cape Buffalo bull fitted with an ultra-durable HOTGROUP satellite telemetry collar traversing open bushveld.
African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
SANParks wildlife helicopter (ZS-OXX) standing by in the savannah during an aerial immobilization and satellite collaring operation of a wild elephant bull.
Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Multidisciplinary academic research team, PhD fellows, and veterinarians conducting clinical biometrics, vital sign monitoring, and telemetry fitting on an immobilized hyena.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Precision attachment of a lightweight, aerodynamically balanced HOTGROUP satellite collar onto an immobilized wild cheetah.
African Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Veterinarians and wildlife biologists position and secure a HOTGROUP satellite telemetry collar on an immobilized wild leopard fitted with protective eye blindfold.
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Gentle tactile monitoring of an immobilized rhino during veterinary telemetry installation, feeling the textured muzzle and monitoring breathing rhythm.
Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Collaborative field crew carefully transporting an immobilized darted hyena in a canvas rescue stretcher along a bushveld trail for clinical assessment.
Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Infrared camera trap capture of a wild brown hyena roaming the wilderness at 3:20 AM with an active HOTGROUP tracking collar.
Wildlife Broadcast Production
Television documentary presenter holding a HOTGROUP satellite telemetry collar in the field while filming alongside Gert Meintjes in safari gear.
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Television broadcast camera crew filming a wildlife biologist crouched beside a collared cheetah during veterinary monitoring.
Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Veterinarian fastening the heavy-duty molded telemetry transmitter to an immobilized brown hyena resting on a clinical field mat.
African Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Macro view of researcher securing the waterproof, impact-resistant electronics housing on a collared leopard.
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Striking portrait of a collared African buffalo bull displaying heavy boss and curved horns in golden light.
Every enterprise founded by Gert J Meintjes draws from a single well of passion—connecting wilderness authenticity, cutting-edge technology, and community fellowship.
Precision manufacturer of wildlife satellite GPS collars, subcutaneous implants, and bio-tags. Academic partner to leading local and international universities, sponsoring PhD research fellows.
Advanced remote sensing application, satellite tracking platform, and services operations company delivering real-time animal behavioral analytics and anti-poaching geofencing.
Where the global Braai App vision was born. Kampvuur Safaris is the authentic, living boma campfire where the culture of open wood-fire fellowship and culinary connection lives and breathes.
Enterprise growth and digital engineering partner architecting the Kampvuur Safaris Next.js web application, outfitter e-commerce shop, and multi-origin Redundancy Triad cloud infrastructure.
Gert has spent decades in the field across Southern Africa. Rooted in deep generational tracking lore, he approaches the bush not as an attraction to be exploited, but as a sacred sanctuary where humans enter as humble guests.
Around the evening boma fire, Gert transforms from field tracker to fireside mentor—sharing unscripted accounts of midnight lion encounters, star navigation, and the profound ecological interconnectedness of the African bushveld.
We never chase radio alarms across public roads. We locate wildlife through authentic bushcraft—reading bird calls, fresh spoor, wind direction, and animal habits.
True understanding happens on foot. Gert teaches travelers how to read termite mound orientations, medicinal plants, and predator tracks in the dust.
Every day concludes around the fire. Without Wi-Fi distractions or deadlines, guests, rangers, and trackers share real human connection under the African stars.
Our mission is to provide unique, authentic, and memorable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or a first-time traveler, we aim to create memorable safaris experiences that will last a lifetime.
Prompt response directly from Gert J Meintjes (SAST, UTC+2).
Our team is dedicated to crafting a seamless, bespoke wilderness journey tailored to your exact preferences.
