March, 1999. Late last year Graham and Paul, who had recently created the company Africam, approached us. Their idea was brilliant! We listened and having had much experience with the Internet decided that this could work!

The decision to allow the world to see the first live images from the African Savanna was but the start of a long and sometimes tortuous route. We have telephones here, but it is not long ago that we did not. A 64 Kb data line was required, but … well let’s only say that there were several loud guffaws when we applied at first! And we wanted two!

Eventually Telkom overcame most of the technical hurdles and by the end of August the first data line was installed at Djuma Bush Lodge. In the meantime Graham and Paul had been preparing the hardware and software as well as the financial logistics including having the site hosted by M-Web. By the beginning of September we were transmitting live images to the Internet. During this test phase many a problem, large and small, had to be resolved. The technology we use is state-of-the-art equipment, but conditions are demanding here - from heat and dust to mischievous monkeys and destructive elephants! Static live cams have been around for a year or two, but no one has tried a mobile cam and this is where much of our efforts are concentrated.

The mobile cam consists of a camera and transmitter mounted on a vehicle. The antenna is mounted on top of a six-meter mast. The concept is simple enough, move the mobile camera to where the action is and transmit back to base to the receiving antenna. But simple concepts are not necessarily easy! The mobile cam is moved to a sighting, for example lions on a kill, where the mast is erected and the antenna pointed to the base camp antenna. Once the camera has been setup, we start transmission. I then contact Pippa at base camp and she adjusts the base antenna until she sees the image. Unfortunately undulating terrain and large trees and gremlins and such all conspire to limit our range on the mobile cam.

The other night we had one of those bizarre and unique events that Africam is becoming famous for. Two male lions killed a zebra and were feeding on it not far from Gowrie Camp. I setup the mobile cam so as to transmit this exciting occurrence. After about two or more hours the lions decided to change position and were thus not in view of the cam anymore. Many Africam enthusiasts were on the Boma as well as the Africam Chat site and asked that I move the camera. With bated breath people from across the world watched (live on their computers!) as I moved the lights and the camera so that the world could see the lions again.

The Internet has allowed Djuma to create to the first "Virtual Game Reserve" in the world. Not only can guests to Djuma relive some of the magic of being here, but less fortunate people in the world who are unable to experience Djuma first-hand can glimpse the African Savanna live on their computers!

Recently our neighbours, Sabi Sabi Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park have joined us on Africam. As Africam grows more cams in different places will be activated and what started, as a single view on a lonely waterhole in the African savanna, will become a live panorama on the unique continent we call Africa.