Between 2012 – 2014, I had the opportunity of conducting 75 semi-structured interviews with owners and managers of private land conservation areas. These were located across the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Each conversation was a unique experience! Not to mention being able to visit these wild landscapes and learn about their flora and fauna as well as challenges and personal stories.

The insights and data gained were used for spatial and networking analyses which resulted in my dissertation and several scientific publications. This work was part of my PhD research at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town.

In 2016, I co-founded a Senegalese coffee shop in Cape Town, South Africa. During my involvement until 2018, I coordinated the branding and communications, partially ran operations, implemented drumming evenings and AirBnB Experiences, and more.

The coffee is a unique recipe – and tastes delicious!

Building a team spanning different cultures, languages and religions gave me the wonderful opportunity to experience new food and music, and shaped my understanding of human interaction and resilience.