The story of Bushtracks is one deeply intertwined with the Tett family’s pioneering spirit and their generational connection to Africa’s wild lands. David Tett, driven by his family’s legacy, founded Bushtracks Expeditions in 1989, channeling his love for Africa’s wildlife into crafting bespoke custom safaris and private air expeditions tailored for travelers. His brother, Christopher, soon followed by establishing Bushtracks Africa, a destination management company focused on providing on-the-ground services and signature safari products for travel agents.

Their deep-rooted passion for the continent is built on their ancestor Joseph Hamilton Barry’s legacy, who co-founded the town of Robertson in the Western Cape and played a vital role in developing the Cape Colony in the 19th century. The Barry family established stores, churches, schools and counting houses (the forerunner to banks in South Africa) across the Cape hinterland in the 1880s. In 1918, the Barrys purchased Riverton Farm, also known as Riverton Stud Farm, which still exists today.

Joseph’s great-grandson, Michael Hamilton Barry, became a Rhodes Scholar and Oxford law graduate and moved from the Cape in South Africa to Bulawayo, the capital of Rhodesia (which later became Zimbabwe). His daughter, Jennifer Hamilton Barry, married Michael Tett, whose father, Henry Tett, was an amateur inventor who helped bring water purification to South Africa. It was in Zimbabwe, where David and his brothers grew up exploring the African wilderness on family lands in the Tuli Block and Matabeleland. Their experiences laid the groundwork for the founding of Bushtracks Expeditions and Bushtracks Africa, where they began to weave their extensive knowledge of Africa with luxury travel.

In 2021, the two companies merged, combining decades of expertise and a shared vision of creating seamless, conservation-driven travel experiences. The merger brought together the bespoke, consumer-focused approach of Bushtracks Expeditions with the operational strength of Bushtracks Africa’s agent-focused services. Nicholas Tett, the eldest of the brothers, is Chair of the Board and oversees the financial operations of the company, ensuring the stability and growth of the business.

United, the Tett brothers’ vision is to offer life-changing, luxury safaris that showcase Africa’s most beautiful landscapes while contributing to the preservation of its wildlife, wild lands, and cultures. This union of expertise ensures that every Bushtracks journey is not only an adventure but a lasting connection to Africa’s enduring beauty.