South African National Parks (SANParks) has appointed the country’s first black game capture pilot, Captain David Simelane.

Simelane completed his game capture rating, which is an endorsement on his pilot licence, on December 2.

“We are extremely proud of Simelane and his achievement. He is an inspiration to many young black aspiring pilots and we hope that his passion will inspire more people to choose this industry as their careers,” said SANParks CEO, Fundisile Mketeni.

A game capture rating is a complex pilot endorsement rating, where the helicopter pilot needs to take into consideration the environment, animals and the crew, all while flying the helicopter.  

Simelane has been a helicopter pilot for 16 years and has flown all over the world, including Madagascar and South Sudan. “I have a passion for flying and now I get to combine that with my love for wildlife and nature. I wake up in the morning knowing that every flight I do is to make a difference in nature conservation and in people’s lives,” he said.

Simelane joined SANParks earlier this year and is the Kruger National Park’s first black helicopter pilot working under SANParks Air Services. “Working as a pilot for SANParks is a calling. It is tough, but I am in a blessed position to say that this is not a job for me, it’s a passion. Couple that with the fact that I am doing it in the same park where I first fell in love with wildlife 25 years ago, is just a dream come true for me,” he said.

Mketeni emphasised Simelane’s achievement as a reflection of SANPark’s action to improve employees’ expertise and address inequalities. 

“Society has started to realise how important both our natural and cultural heritages are and, with a passionate and educated person like Simelane at SANParks, we can continue to conserve and leave future generations with the natural beauty and heritage of South Africa,” concluded Mketeni.