Meet the LEO Africa team

Roelof Niemann - LEO Africa Director
Roelof is the founder of the Limpopo Eco Operations Africa (LEO Africa) volunteer research programme and has extensive experience in wildlife management and conservation.
For most of his adult life Roelof has been involved with wildlife and conservation: as a safari guide, a reserve manager, and an assistant warden of a 22,000-ha big game wildlife reserve. Knowing the critical need for information about the wildlife, and predators in particular, Roelof established LEO in 2004 to provide research and vital information to game reserves in the Limpopo Province in the north-eastern region of South Africa.

Sophie Niemann – LEO Research Advisor
Sophie is the volunteer research and monitoring advisor. She has extensive experience in this field having carried out predator and management research since 1997 in South Africa and Botswana.

Steve Ryan - LEO Africa Programme Manager
Steve joined LEO in April 2007 and is a valuable and energetic member of our team. Steve is the manager of the volunteer program and oversees all aspects of the work we are involved in.
Steve has been in the adventure tours industry for many years in Australia, before working as a safari guide and manager in Botswana and Uganda.
Steve has completed a BSc Honours degree in Zoology and since then has worked as a scientific researcher in Australia, as well as in KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. He has numerous qualifications, including FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) accreditation, weapons handling, Senior First Aid, Snake Handling and Water Rescue Training Levels 1 and 2.

Nick Miller- LEO Africa Research Assistant
Nick hails from the UK and joined LEO Africa in January 2008 after completing his 6 month practical and theoretical training with Bushwise Field Guides in South Africa.
Nick has completed Level 1 FGASA Field Guiding, SASSETA Weapon Handling and EFR First Aid as well as Wilderness Training.
He is well travelled, loves life in Africa and is a great asset to LEO Africa.

Gay Papenhuijzen – LEO Africa Research Assistant
Gay joined LEO Africa in April 2008 and had been working in the bush since 2002 in various reserves including Shamwari, Kwandwe and Pumba game reserves.
Besides extensive experience she has a Nature Conservation Diploma and a BSc. Honours Degree from Rhodes University.
During her time in the field she has gained a FGASA level one, advanced 4X4, first aid level one, NQF level 4 weapon handling. She is full of energy and loves every aspect of the bush.

Meet the LEO Africa Team