South Africa

A land of wide-open spaces with dramatic mountains, vast oceans, bush landscapes and scenic beauty, South Africa is the ultimate destination for safaris and the African big 5, teeming marine life, huge cultural diversity, history and global influence, great weather, stunning winelands, world class wine and food and unbeatable value. These are just some of the things that make this country one of the top destinations in the world for both leisure and corporate travellers. 

Add to this stylish, cosmopolitan Cape Town, one of the world’s top tourist cities, the buzz and vibe of Johannesburg and laid-back Durban and the country has all the mystique and ingredients from which to create the most memorable experiences for Incentives, special conferencing, corporate events and private celebrations. 

Renowned for its wine industry, the Cape Winelands are an essential part of any South African visit, with soaring mountains, beautiful scenery, hundreds of wine farms, amazing restaurants, boutique hotels and so many things to see and do. Long lazy lunches are part of the winelands experience, but we develop bespoke programmes that tell the stories of the winelands, including food foraging, cooking with chefs and going off the beaten track to meet new maverick black and coloured wine makers who are making great wine and transforming an industry from which they were previously excluded and exploited.   

 The African safari in Kruger Park is a bucket list for many, with game drives and animal spotting in the bush, designer safari lodges, nights under canvas, stargazing and boma dinners. Smaller hidden gem game reserves like Madikwe, the Waterberg and Hluhluwe are also unique places, and we specialise in connecting groups deeper to the bush experience through projects like anti-poaching and endangered species protection, land conservation sustainability and environmental education and community farming.   

Marine safaris are just as exciting both on and below the ocean with opportunities to see Southern right whales, the great white shark, dolphins, seals and penguin colonies. Our bespoke programmes also to connect to marine conservation and environment projects, shark protection, diving with marine biologists and snorkelling in the vast kelp forests. 

 Constantly voted one of the world’s top tourist cities Cape Town has it all. Surrounded by the ocean on the three sides with a hulking flat-topped mountain rising over the city it is set amongst scenic splendour and is a stylish cosmopolitan destination and a multicultural cultural melting pot where European and Asian influences connect with Africa on every corner. 

Hours of sunshine, beautiful beaches and wide-open spaces make for an outdoor relaxed, healthy lifestyle and activity paradise on both land and sea. Fantastic food choices and restaurants a huge coffee culture and world class wine from the Cape winelands, plus the vibrancy and rhythm and rhyme of the people make Cape Town an unmissable destination.

Concepts Collection embrace the uniqueness, diversity and ingredients of South Africa and combine imaginative destination inspiration and integrated, full-service event management solutions under one roof. They are celebrated for creating engaging and immersive event and travel experiences that stand out from the crowd and go way, way beyond the normal tourist path. 

Concepts Collection don’t provide “off the shelf” package solutions or cliched itineraries but focus on designing personalised, customised experiences and activities that truly engage and connect our global clientele to the people, culture and heart of South Africa. Their work encompasses large scale corporate events, group incentives, special conferencing, private celebrations, luxury travel groups and much more. 

 Born and brought up in the UK, Richard was always described as an adventurous free spirit and was a keen sportsman who studied for a degree in sports science from University of Liverpool.  

An early career in sports event and leisure management and then the hospitality industry followed and Richard lead several businesses before a chance encounter in 1998 saw him working and travelling in South Africa over the next three years.  

Gradually falling in love with a country and a people emerging from an apartheid past onto a new world stage and with a growing business and tourism industry, he spotted an opportunity to channel an entrepreneurial itch and passion for Southern Africa into a new business, one creating exciting African experiences for the new surge of international visitors. 

He moved to Cape Town in 2004 and founded with his wife an exclusive inbound travel and event business which 20 years later is one of the three luxury brands that now make up Concepts Collection, a fully integrated event agency and destination management company with a global client list. 

Away from his work Richard has a love for meeting people, African bush adventures and the outdoor lifestyle, his two Rhodesian ridgebacks, rock music, golf, good food and South African wine.