About Us

Royal Barotse Safaris is the story of a dream — a lifelong vision to build something extraordinary in one of Africa’s last truly wild places.

Toward the end of his professional rugby career, South African Springbok Gavin Johnson set out with his wife, Penny, in search of a place where their love for the African wilderness could take root. After exploring game farms that never quite felt right, a whisper of a secret riverside location in Western Zambia led them on a pioneering journey north.

Camping beneath the towering canopy of a pod mahogany tree along the Upper Zambezi, Gavin and Penny found themselves immersed in a peaceful haven unlike anything they had ever known. The river’s rhythm, the wild bush, and the purity of the place stirred something deep — and Royal Barotse Safaris was quietly born.

Inspired by the immersive, conservation-driven model of South Africa’s iconic Mala Mala Lodge, the vision was bold: to create a sanctuary that could serve as a gateway to the untamed wilderness of Zambia’s Western Province. Their first step was the creation of a riverside lodge — now known as Mutemwa "The place of big trees" — which would anchor this vision.

Over the next three decades, Gavin and Penny built a life and a legacy on that riverbank. Through challenges and triumphs, they raised three daughters under the Zambian sky, ran an intimate and successful tiger fishing lodge, and became part of the very fabric of the land and the community.

To many, Mutemwa was the entire story — a beloved fishing lodge known for its authenticity, exclusivity, and warm, family-style hosting. But in truth, it was always just the beginning.

Today, Royal Barotse Safaris stands at the threshold of a new chapter. With the same pioneering spirit, the Johnson family is expanding their vision — establishing a network of personal and exclusive camps, rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Barotseland, and set in some of the most remote and ecologically rich corners of Western Zambia.

Built on decades of faith, resilience, and passion for wild places, Royal Barotse Safaris is a legacy in motion — offering unforgettable, purpose-driven safari experiences that honor the land, its people, and the journey that brought us here.