Zimbabwe is more than a destination to Nicolette Waldeck. It is the country that shaped her, the place she returned to after years overseas, and the landscape that continues to give her a profound sense of freedom. Her connection with Zimbabwe is woven through everything she does, from guiding visitors through its wilderness to sharing the realities of a country that she believes is too often misunderstood.
As a Zimbabwean-born guide and safari camp manager, Nicolette offers a perspective that comes from genuine belonging rather than simply passing through. She knows the country as both a professional who works within its tourism industry and as someone who grew up experiencing its landscapes, people and wildlife long before they became part of her career.
What makes her story particularly engaging is the warmth with which she speaks about Zimbabwe. There is no sense of romanticising the country or ignoring its challenges. Instead, her perspective comes from a deep appreciation of what Zimbabwe possesses, alongside an understanding of the realities facing its people.
Nicolette’s years living abroad only strengthened that appreciation. Spending time in the United Kingdom, Croatia and Argentina gave her the opportunity to experience life in very different environments, yet ultimately it was Zimbabwe that called her home. When she returned in 2010, she found herself looking at the country she had grown up in with an entirely new sense of gratitude.
For visitors, Nicolette has an important role to play. She understands that many people arrive in Africa carrying assumptions formed by news reports, stories from others or perceptions that have little connection to the everyday reality of life on the continent. Through her work, she has the opportunity to let Zimbabwe speak for itself.
That means introducing people to more than wildlife sightings. It means allowing them to experience the atmosphere of the country, meet its people, spend time in its wilderness and discover the remarkable sense of space and freedom that Nicolette believes is unique to Africa.
Her professional life has also placed her in some of Zimbabwe’s most extraordinary wilderness environments. She has witnessed the unpredictable behaviour of wild animals, experienced the intensity of being surrounded by Africa’s wildlife and developed an understanding of the respect and awareness required when working in places where humans are visitors.
Those experiences form part of what makes Nicolette’s perspective so compelling, but her story is ultimately about something much bigger than individual wildlife encounters. It is about the emotional connection between a person and the place they call home, and about what happens when time away makes that connection even stronger.
Zimbabwe’s wildlife naturally plays a major role in that relationship. Nicolette has a particular admiration for cheetahs and the challenges they face, but her appreciation extends across the remarkable diversity of animals and landscapes that make the country so special.
She also understands the importance of responsible guiding. Showing people wildlife is a privilege, and experiencing the wilderness requires awareness of the fact that visitors are entering an environment that belongs to the animals. The most memorable moments are often those in which people quietly observe rather than attempt to control the experience.
There is something particularly appealing about Nicolette’s approach to travel because she does not describe Africa simply as somewhere to tick off a list. Her words suggest a much deeper experience — one involving the senses, emotions and the feeling of being completely immersed in a landscape.
That feeling becomes particularly powerful in the remote wilderness areas she knows so well. Places such as Mana Pools offer an Africa that can feel raw, unpredictable and completely removed from everyday life. For someone who loves the bush, those environments provide precisely the kind of experiences that remain with you long after the journey is over.
Nicolette has also seen how quickly a visitor’s perception of Zimbabwe can change. People who arrive uncertain about what they will encounter can leave with an entirely different understanding of the country, often becoming enthusiastic advocates for a destination they had once been hesitant to visit.
That transformation is perhaps one of the most important aspects of her work. Tourism can create an opportunity not only to experience a country but to understand it, and Nicolette takes genuine pride in helping visitors discover a Zimbabwe that exists beyond the stereotypes.
Her story also reminds us that Africa cannot be reduced to a single narrative. It is not simply wildlife, wilderness, poverty, politics or adventure. It is all of these things and countless others, experienced differently by the people who live there and the visitors who take the time to look beyond the surface.
In Nicolette’s case, that deeper connection is unmistakable. Zimbabwe is where her childhood began, where her appreciation for nature developed, where her professional life has taken root and where she feels most completely herself.
The Joy of Zimbabwe offers readers the opportunity to discover that perspective for themselves. Rather than simply describing a destination, Nicolette invites us to consider what it means to truly belong to a place — and why leaving it can sometimes make you appreciate it more than ever.
This introduction only offers a glimpse into the woman behind the guiding, the wildlife encounters and the enduring love for her homeland. To experience Nicolette Waldeck’s full story and discover the Zimbabwe she knows so intimately, read The Joy of Zimbabwe in I Heart Africa Project.
