OVC GEORGE

Santa Badenhorst (GRJ)

Franchise Owner

“Life is a journey – enjoy the ride!” It has become a bit of a clichè but I believe it is true. So far, my journey has been rather incredible. During my student years, I travelled to Lesotho twice on outreach programs. After graduating, I went to the USA on an internship in the Florida Keys. My year in the US included snorkelling and jet skiing in the Mexican Gulf, enjoying sunset cruises in the Atlantic Ocean, experiencing Broadway, Central Park and going to the top of the Rockefeller Centre in New York. I watched a football and basketball game, both very entertaining, but rugby and cricket are still my favourites! Two of my highlights were visiting Universal Studios and Disney World in Orlando.

My next adventure was visiting Alberta, Canada and falling in love with the Rocky Mountains. I did an ice-walk in a frozen canyon, went white-water rafting in salmon-rich rivers and swimming in glacier-fed lakes. I did a bobsleigh-ride on the 1988 Olympic track and visited Olympic torches in Calgary and Vancouver. I went on an amazing bear-safari and almost got trampled by an elk while picnicking near a river! I went shopping in the biggest mall in North America, saw a rodeo and watched an ice-hockey game.

While working for OVC I have had the opportunity to travel to Mauritius, Thailand and the UK. In Thailand, we spent one night in Bangkok and had a very scary Tuk-Tuk ride. Down in Krabi we saw the famous James Bond Island, climbed 1237 steps to see the sunrise from the Tiger Cave Temple, enjoyed massages on the beach and went snorkelling in crystal clear water. In Chiang Mai, we went elephant tracking, enjoyed white water rafting and shopping at the markets. We also went to see how the hill tribes live. In the UK, I got to see all the big tourist spots in London. We also visited, Cambridge, York, Liverpool, Dublin, Cardiff, Bath, Stonehenge and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the town in the UK with the longest name!

I am addicted to adventure. My current adventure involves exploring my own beautiful country while sending some new travellers into the world to go and have their own adventures. As the South African Airlines coffee cup says "Ukuhamba kukubona" – Travelling opens a window to the world!

Anika Du Toit (GRJ)

Crew Member

I once saw a quote saying " Pictures do not last, but memories do," and I never realized how true this is until I met OVC and joined the au pair program.

In high school I had a pretty simple life plan laid out for myself: go to college, get a degree and find a decent job. This soon got set aside when I decided to go au pair in America for a year, and boy am I happy I made that decision!

My journey started in New Jersey. During my first year I lived in Virginia and San Francisco and I had such a blast that I just NEEDED to make use of my second year au pair contract. I used this as an opportunity to travel the States even more and decided since I had already seen the East and West coast, it was time to explore the South.

During my 2 years of au pairing, I visited more than 10 of the 50 states of America and became friends with people from all over the world. My favorite part was learning about their cultures and food, as well as teaching them about ours. I found it fascinating to learn about other traditions, as well as music and dance styles. My favorite people were definitely the Brazilians, they are very welcoming and I secretly believe that they never run out of energy.

I will always remember my au pair years and be thankful for everything I learned about others and myself along the way.

I am grateful that I am able to work for the same company who helped shape my life as it is today, and I hope to give others the same opportunity of finding joy in the same way I did.

Anika Groenewald

Area Representative and Marketer

Hello future travellers! My name is Anika Groenewald and I have been lucky enough to spend 2 years of my life living on the other side of the world where I got to live my absolute best life while experiencing the “American dream”.

I lived in the suburbs of 2 major cities, New York and Chicago, and made both of these cities my playground. My weekends were filled with friends, trains into the city, exploring parks, coffee shops, trying all kinds of different foods and cuisines, taking pictures at multiple “must visit” monuments and buildings. Oh my, it was like living in a movie!! Besides these two places I was fortunate enough to travel to a variety of different states in the US ranging from Long Island, Washington DC, Delaware, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Indianapolis, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

The travel bug definitely got a hold on me - I am glad it did because there is so much beauty and exciting things to see and experience in the world besides your own country and what you are used to. I cannot wait to see where my next travel destination will be, and also help you get to yours!

Working for OVC gives me the chance to do for so many others what they did for me back in 2017 when I started my first adventure with their help and guidance. So what are you waiting for - get yourself and your passport ready, the world is waiting for you!