Marc Cronje was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and developed a passion for wildlife and birding from an early age. He grew up around the Johannesburg Zoo, where his father served as curator of primates and small cats, giving Marc an unusually close connection to wildlife from childhood. He is now based in Nelspruit in South Africa’s Lowveld, where his family helped establish Chimp Eden, the country’s first chimpanzee sanctuary and an institute affiliated with the Jane Goodall Institute. Marc worked at the sanctuary for five years before focusing increasingly on guiding.
Today, Marc spends much of his time leading birding and wildlife tours across Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Madagascar, as well as tours in Europe and the Americas. A keen wildlife photographer, he is also involved in conservation and research, contributing data to the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project and assisting with African Wild Dog monitoring in Kruger National Park.
Marc especially enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for birds and wildlife with guests and takes pride in making each tour as rewarding and enjoyable as possible. Years of guiding travellers from around the world have given him a patient, adaptable approach, and he values the stories and experiences his guests bring with them. His friendly nature, sense of humour and deep knowledge of the natural world have earned him many repeat clients who continue to join him on birding adventures around the globe.
