Brent Harris

Brent is the founder and guide of the Primal Pathways wilderness trails. His deeply sincere relationship with nature is the heart of our operation, giving rise to the quiet seed of discovery on these unique trails.

Brent grew up barefoot amongst Zulu and Xhosa friends on a farm in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. It was in this rural early-childhood that he was instilled with a sense of kinship with the natural world.

At the University of Cape Town he obtained a degree in finance and accounting; however, his soul felt unsettled and in 1998 Brent left his employment with JPMorgan to explore his thirst for interaction with nature.

This led him onto his first solo expedition into the Amazon Rainforest. Travelling in a canoe and on foot, sleeping in a hammock and eating fish he caught in the rivers, he found himself living his true calling: to explore our vast connection with the natural world.

After dedicating himself to the rehabilitation of a Puma in the cloud forests of Bolivia, he travelled for the first time to Hawaii, and lived amongst this community, rich in respect for the natural elements.

In 2000, Brent returned to Africa to begin his formal guide training at Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa. He spent formative years guiding at Ngala Private Game Reserve in Kruger National Park, where he was mentored by renowned Shangane trackers John Marimane and Eric Mabelane. He was the first guide to be licensed under South Africaʼs national qualification structure (THETA).

Since these early days, his work has taken him to wilderness locations across the African continent. With extensive trails guiding experience, he now operates the Primal Pathways walking trails, deep in the original home of walking safaris: the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. In addition to his South African qualifications, Brent is a licensed walking guide for Kafue National Park, North Luangwa National Park and South Luangwa National Park, in Zambia. He is gazetted as an Honorary Wildlife Police Officer of South Luangwa National Park.

To date, Brent has become a sought-after guide for agents and safari operators alike and outside of the trails season is contracted as a private guide to travel to locations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. He believes that nature has a voice of its own and his style of guiding facilitates his guests’ innate understanding of their surroundings.

During the Zambian wet-season, Brent is a speaker at various international events on topics concerning conservation and the human connection to nature.

In his private time he can be found in Cape Town, South Africa; surfing the waves of Hawaii; or silently meditating on solo expeditions deep into the Amazon jungle - continuing his lifelong love affair with the spirit of nature and its greater wisdom.