Seasoned Tourism Professional with 15+ Years Experience
Resume:
ZANELLE
LEPEN
CONTACT
PHONE
*******.*****@*****.***
PROFILE
I am a hardworking and soft-spoken individual dedicated to delivering a high standard of service. I am always eager to learn new things and strive to stimulate my mind constantly. I love nature, animals, travel, history as well as arts and crafts. I am passionate in my belief that working hard brings inner satisfaction. EDUCATION
WINDHOEK HIGH SCHOOL
1999 – 2003 (Grade 12)
Subjects:
Afrikaans, English, Business
Management, Biology,
Mathematics & Physical Science
TSWANE UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY
2004 - 2006
Diploma in Ecotourism
Management
Subjects:
Business Management, Marketing,
Ecotourism Development,
Biology, Wildlife Management &
Guiding
ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Certificate for Best Student in
Wildlife Management II for 2005.
• Member of the Residence
Committee for Minjonet Ladies
Residence in 2005.
• Best Academic RC for 2005 (Best
Academic Performance of all
Residence Committee members).
SKILLS
• Fluent in Afrikaans & English
• Basic understanding of German
Competent in Microsoft programs
(Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Code B Driver’s License
• Certificate for Basic Course in
CorelDRAW (2007)
• Certificate in Photoshop (2007)
• Certificate in Game Lodge
Management with Wildlife Campus
(2010)
• Certificate as InnKeeper Ver 4.03
User (2017)
• Certificate of Long Service with
Okonjima (2019)
• Certificate First Aid Level A (2024)
• Best Guest Experience Award
(2025) with Ultimate Safaris
WORK EXPERIENCE
ONGUMA TENTED CAMP, LODGE MANAGER
February 2007 – April 2007
Part of my practical training to complete my Diploma in Ecotourism Management was done at Mowani Mountain Camp (part of the then Visions of Africa Group of lodges which included the Onguma properties). Upon completion of my training, I was appointed as manager of Onguma Tented Camp. The lodge is not fenced and lions as well as other wildlife frequently moved in between the lodge buildings and guest rooms. Duties included:
• Guest relations
• Managing staff (we were only 5 for the entire camp)
• Serving and hosting of meals and drinks
• Checking in guests
• Guest & Staff safety
• Orders (food, bar & housekeeping)
AGRA CO OP, ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
June 2007 – February 2010
Regrettably, due to a severe knee injury, I had to resign my job with Onguma as they had no admin position for me in Windhoek while I recovered. I was then employed by Agra with their Stud Services Division. Duties included:
• Designing marketing material for stud and game auctions (posters, flyers etc. on graphic design software)
• Distributing marketing material to branches countrywide
• Drawing up of auction catalogues with correct information on all animals/items for sale
• Travelling across the country to wherever auctions took place
• Dealing with payments and permits after completion of each auction WILDERNESS SAFARIS NAMIBIA, EXPLORATIONS COORDINATOR March 2010 – November 2010
I longed to get back to Tourism and accepted a position with Wilderness Safaris handling all overland guides and controlling logistics with regards to vehicles and company transfers for guests. Duties included:
• Managing and booking flights for guests going to Skeleton Coast Camp (closed in 2010)
• Booking guides and vehicles for overland departures
• Calculating and issuing of trip cash for lunches, excursions etc.
• Finalizing sheets when guides return and doing final accounting figures for each trip
• Booking all transfers for Wilderness guests (from and to airport, city transfers etc.)
• Reviewing monthly budgets and expenditure with Explorations Manager for Explorations department WILDERNESS SAFARIS NAMIBIA, MARKETING ASSISTANT
November 2010 – December 2012
I was offered the position of assistant to part of the marketing team that dealt with the Namibian agents for Wilderness Safaris in November 2010.
Duties included:
• Managing the database for all agents booking with Wilderness Safaris
• Support during marketing trips or events (e.g. setting up booths at trade shows)
• Finalizing receipts and cash owed to the Marketing Manager when he returned from trips Due to budget cuts and retrenchments at Wilderness Safaris, I decided to resign instead of accepting retrenchment and tried starting my own graphic design business. I was too small however and the market inundated with larger companies able to deliver services at cheaper rates. AFRICAN PROFILE SAFARIS, TRAVEL CONSULTANT
April 2013 – April 2014
I was then offered the position on recommendation from the Marketing Manager of Wilderness and accepted immediately – loved to be back in tourism!
Duties included:
• Intimate knowledge of Namibia, its lodges and camps, attractions and environments
• Setting up a travel itinerary to suit the needs and wants of individual travelers
• Site inspections to view properties
• Attending marketing and trade shows
• Booking accommodation, rental vehicles, excursions, transfers etc for guests & agents
• Putting together itinerary documents and vouchers for guests
• Meeting new guests when they arrive in Namibia and going through all documentation with them
• Meeting sales targets monthly
OKONJIMA LODGE, LODGE MANAGER
May 2014 – February 2016
I was immediately drawn back to the bush after being on a site inspection at Okonjima. I applied for the position of lodge manager and started on 1 May 2014.
Duties included:
• Managing Okonjima Bush Camp and Okonjima Plains Camp when needed
• Managing bookings on InnKeeper booking system
• Managing staff (off days, salaries etc.)
• Guest relations, payments & checkouts
• Guest safety
• Orders (food, bar & housekeeping)
• Talking to guests about Namibia (history, economics, best roads to travel, attractions etc.)
• Ensuring smooth running of day-to-day operations OKONJIMA LODGE, BOOKING CONSULTANT
February 2016 – June 2018
I transferred to the Reservations department due to an opening that needed urgent filling. Duties include:
• Booking all 5 Okonjima properties on InnKeeper booking system (Omboroko Campsite, Plains Camp, Bush Camp, Private Bush Suite and Grand African Villa)
• Yield Management and managing provisional and waitlisted bookings on the system
• Monthly transfer bookings for guests as requested (to and from airports, other lodges etc.)
• HAN stats on a monthly basis
• Dealing with agent bookings as well as direct requests from potential guests
• Meeting monthly sales targets
• Weekly standby for any queries or late arrivals
• Invoicing of bookings on occasion
• Assisting lodges on InnKeeper
• Assuming duties of the Head of Department of Reservations when she was away OKONJIMA LODGE, LODGE MANAGER/HOSTESS
June 2018 – April 2019
I was moved to Okonjima Villa to fulfill the role of host and manager in late June 2018. Duties included:
• Managing of Okonjima Grand African Villa
• Guest relations
• Setting tables for all meals
• Serving all meals to guests
• Ensuring that front of house is clean and presentable at all times
• Managing bookings on InnKeeper booking system
• Managing staff (off days, salaries etc.)
• Guest payments & checkouts
• Guest safety
• Orders (food, bar & housekeeping)
• Talking to guests about Namibia (history, economics, best roads to travel, attractions etc.)
• Ensure smooth running of day-to-day operations
ULTIMATE SAFARIS, SALES CONSULTANT
July 2019 – February 2022
I was employed at Ultimate Safaris as a Journeysmith or Travel Consultant with the task of creating high end travel itineraries for guests wanting to travel to Namibia. I worked with mostly agents but direct guests as well who wished to fulfill their dreams of an African holiday. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was unable to fully grab the opportunity but still endeavored to conduct my responsibilities to the fullest. Duties included:
• Setting up custom made itineraries suited to the needs of agents and their guests in terms of expectation and budget
• Working out and planning all costs involved for correct quoting
• Booking all needed accommodation and services once quotes are accepted
• Preparing all trip documentation (detailed itineraries, guest vouchers etc)
• Yield management in terms of bookings at lodges
• Being on call during guest travels to assist with any requests or potential challenges
• Constantly building knowledge on destinations, lodges, activities, guest services etc to be at the head of all new and amended products
JOURNEYS NAMIBIA, LODGE MANAGER FOR FISH RIVER LODGE June 2022 – April 2024
With the tourism industry stabilizing after the effects of the pandemic I took the opportunity with Journeys Namibia to manage one of the most remotely located lodges in Namibia. The structure of Journeys allowed for a lodge manager to also fulfill the role of general manager, all aspects of the lodge were dealt with on site. Duties included:
• Guest relations and the wellbeing and satisfaction of guests throughout all lodge departments
• Guest safety
• Monitoring income and expenses of the lodge according to the annual budget
• Daily management of the lodge and overseeing all departments (guiding, front of house, kitchen, housekeeping & maintenance)
• Managing and monitoring of lodge and company assets
• Implement and monitor quality standards within departments
• Oversee technical maintenance
• Enforce lodge and company policies
• Staff Management:
o Select & appoint qualified staff
o Manage staff leave cycles
o Salaries & loans/advances
o Staff wellbeing
o Implement internal staff training programs
o Manage staff discipline and work ethics – conducting disciplinary hearings & procedures
• Maintain good working relationships with and between the company and employees
• Status updates to be provided to the Area Manager/Managing Directors
• Administrational duties:
o Managing daily bookings on InnKeeper
o Making sure guest notes are communicated to all departments o Oversee checking in and out of guests
o Overseeing invoicing of guests
o Daily petty cash management
o Weekly HR and Management reports
o Head of Department weekly planning meetings
o Weekly orders (food, bar & housekeeping)
AGAMA LODGE, LODGE MANAGER
April 2024 – Aug 2024
With my children being quite small, I moved to a location better suited to them (and not the dramatic cliffs of the spectacular Fish River Canyon). This was a lodge that was still in the process of recovering from Covid and offered a lot of opportunities to improve systems, staff structures and procedures. However, due to personal reasons and a series of events, the opportunity here was short lived. Duties included:
• Guest relations and the wellbeing and satisfaction of guests throughout all lodge departments
• Guest safety
• Daily management of the lodge and overseeing all departments (guiding, front of house, kitchen, housekeeping & maintenance)
• Managing and monitoring of lodge and company assets
• Implementing and monitoring quality standards within departments
• Overseeing technical maintenance
• Enforcing lodge and company policies
• Staff Management:
o Select & appoint qualified staff in discussion with General Manager o Managing staff leave cycles
o Salaries & loans/advances
o Staff wellbeing
o Implementing internal staff training programs
o Managing staff discipline and work ethics – conducting disciplinary hearings & procedures
• Maintaining good working relationships with and between the company and employees
• Status updates to be provided to the General Manager
• Administrational duties:
o Managing daily bookings on InnKeeper
o Making sure guest notes are communicated to all departments o Overseeing checking in and out of guests
o Overseeing invoicing of guests
o Daily petty cash management
o Introducing weekly HR and Management reports
o Introducing Head of Department weekly planning meetings o Compiling weekly orders (food, bar & housekeeping) for management approval and ordering ULTIMATE SAFARIS, SALES CONSULTANT
Aug 2024 – Current
I moved back to Windhoek to offer my children the opportunity to attend school and was reemployed by Ultimate Safaris – my current employment.
Duties include:
• Collaborate with tour operators & travel agents to identify clients’ specifications and wishes.
• Preparing suitable itineraries for self-drive, fly-in, guided, combination and specialized safaris.
• Utilize sales techniques and experience to prepare customized safaris, upselling and upgrading where appropriate, while leveraging specials and the best travel options in line with Ultimate’s preferred properties.
• Arrange all aspects of travel from start to finish, including accommodation, transportation (guided, self-drive, flying, or other), activities, sightseeing, and local flights if necessary.
• Creating quotes and invoices on TourPlan as well as creating safari itineraries on Safari Portal.
• Managing payments for safaris by travel agents and guests in communication with Finance.
• Liaising with suppliers on guest needs, expectations, special arrangements etc.
• Managing one of the biggest agent accounts in terms of all bookings, safari planning, guest logistics (transfers, city tours etc) and payments.
REFERENCES
1. Mr Gerrit Thirion
• Explorations Manager, Wilderness Safaris Namibia
• Tel: +264-**-***-***
2. Mrs Marie Friede
• Owner & Manager of African Profile Safaris
• Tel: +264-**-***-***
3. Mrs Sielona Grobler
• Head of Reservations Okonjima
• Tel: +264-**-***-****
4. Mr. Martin Webb Bowen
• Ultimate Safaris Director
• Tel: +264-**-***-***
5. Mrs Ilse de Wet
• HR Journeys Namibia
• Tel: +264-**-***-****
6. Mrs Cindy Botes
• HR Agama Lodge
• Tel: +264-**-***-****
Contact this candidate