Reggie Matemu
Reggie Matemu is a member of the Maasai and Chagga tribes. Even as a very
young child Reggie was extremely passionate about learning and getting
an education. Reggie’s parents were unable to send him to school
so he decided to take matters into his own hands and went to live with
his uncle in Lake Victoria and worked there for him so he could go to
school. Reggie eventually returned to his roots in the Kilimanjaro/Arusha
area. But the same ambition and quest for knowledge that had driven Reggie
to pursue a formal education at such an early age continued to propel
him forward to follow his true passion for wildlife and become a professional
driver guide.
And all that hard work has paid off. These days you will find Reggie immersed
in his element, rumbling across the Tanzanian wilderness with his safari
guests, everyone brimming with smiles at Reggie’s enthusiastic stories.
Reggie loves nothing more than to show other people the beauty of Tanzania
and the wildlife that resides here, as well as the colorful Tanzanian
culture. One of Reggie’s missions in life is to educate as many
people as possible about the proud heritage and traditions of the Maasai
culture.
Reggie’s favorite animal is the lion, more specifically the adult
male lion, who he admires for his strength and confidence.
One of Reggie’s favorite stories “in the bush” is about
the time a cheetah jumped on his vehicle. He was with a family of safari
guests in the Serengeti when they came across a family of 6 cheetahs,
a female and her 5 sub-adult cubs. Reggie turned off the vehicle and the
group watched as the cheetahs relaxed and played together. One of the
male cheetahs came over and rested in the shade of the land rover for
a while. To the surprise and delight of the guests, this particularly
brave and curious cheetah actually jumped onto the bonnet of the land
rover for pictures! It was a particularly memorable occasion for these
lucky guests to get so very “up close and personal” with this
charming resident of the Serengeti.
Select a driver guide to view their biography:
REGGIE MATEMU
