Algoa FM Frontier Land with Dr Dean Allen

Frontier Land with Dr Dean Allen

Best-selling author Dr. Dean Allen chats to some of the most inspirational people with remarkable stories in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and beyond.
Weekly English South Africa Society & Culture · History
31 Episodes
1 – 20

Rhian Berning - Corridors Of Life

A teacher by trade, Rhian Berning now has a new mission in life. The CEO of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, Rhian heads up this funding-dependent NGO that is working to establish a protected 100,000-hectare biodiversity corridor spanning the Western and Eastern Cape. Given the increased focus on biodiversity…
27 Jan 20 min

John O’Brien & Johan Joubert – Stars Of Shamwari

For ecologist John O’Brien and vet Johan Joubert, Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape has been a major part of their lives. These close friends and colleagues have worked together at Shamwari since the early days to create one of the world’s most highly regarded ‘Big 5’ wildlife…
13 Jan 19 min

Craig Sholto-Douglas - Managing The Natural World

Do you know what an ecologist does? No, neither did I. Listen here as Craig Sholto-Douglas, the Environmental Manager at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa explains the importance of his job and how the future of our natural world is literally in our hands…
30 Dec 2023 23 min

Angus Sholto-Douglas - Leading The Way In Eco-Tourism

When Angus Sholto-Douglas, then a game ranger at Mala Mala in Mpumalanga, was offered the incredible opportunity to start his own game reserve back home in the Eastern Cape, he didn’t think twice. Today he is the Managing Director of the magnificent Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, home to the Big…
16 Dec 2023 21 min

Joel Stransky - Kicking For Glory

It is no surprise that the Springboks’ World Cup victories were largely achieved through the prowess of their kickers Today we marvel at the skills of Handré Pollard, one of the highest-paid players in professional rugby. Back in the day, however, it was Joel Stransky who, in the 1995 final,…
2 Dec 2023 48 min

John Varty - Maverick Conservationist

The title of John Varty’s memoirs is ‘Nine Lives’ and there is little doubt that he has led a charmed life. This legendary South African filmmaker, activist, and game reserve owner has swam across crocodile-infested rivers, been charged by angry hippos, and has been mauled and almost killed by a…
18 Nov 2023 26 min

Steve Lansdown - Investing In Africa

Steve Lansdown is a self-made man. Awarded a CBE in 2017 for services to business and the community in Bristol (his home city), he is the co-founder of the British financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown. Perhaps most notably he is a founder of Bristol Sport and majority shareholder of Bristol…
5 Nov 2023 20 min

Devan Touhey - A Leap Of Faith

When Kiwi Devan Touhey moved to South Africa almost 30 years ago it was for the sport of rugby. Little did he know then that he would leave a legacy as a pioneer of a rather different sport in this country – bungy jumping! Devan’s company, Face Adrenalin, have been…
22 Oct 2023 27 min

Sibusiso Sizatu - From Herdsman To Sailor

The first time he set eyes on the ocean, Sibusiso Sizatu thought that, with all that water, it must have been a very large lake. A few years later, the former herd boy from Qumbu, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, would skipper a racing yacht to third place in…
8 Oct 2023 26 min

Rick Nankin - With The Wind In His Sails

Regarded as one of South Africa’s most talented yachtsmen, Rick Nankin has enjoyed a life dedicated to the sport he loves. First chosen by Phil Gutsche to skipper his famous yacht ‘Warrior’ in the 1996 Cape-to-Rio race, listening to Rick one is in little doubt that he was born to…
24 Sep 2023 23 min

Cruise Life

For most of us the idea of travelling the world aboard a cruise ship is a distant dream. However, having recently been invited to speak aboard Holland America’s Grand World Voyage, I took the opportunity to chat with not only passengers but also those, like me, working their passage. With…
10 Sep 2023 1 hr 12 min

Mark Rushmere - Batting For Conservation

The Rushmere Family are highly respected in the Eastern Cape. At Kariega Game Reserve they have developed one of the finest safari reserves in South Africa. Passionate about conservation, Mark Rushmere chats here about his life and reflects too on a memorable cricketing career that saw him represent South Africa…
27 Aug 2023 25 min

Rodney & Lorna Drew - Tiger Canyon

To picture captive-born tigers roaming wild in the Free State of South Africa is something hard to imagine. But that is the reality at Tiger Canyon Private Game Reserve where an inspirational couple, Rodney and Lorna Drew have dedicated their lives to saving one of the world’s most endangered animals…
13 Aug 2023 25 min

Elinda Vorster - Olympian

Elinda Vorster (nee Rademeyer) had a dream to run in the Olympics Games. Following South Africa’s readmission in 1992, she achieved that ambition in the magnificent city of Barcelona. Listen here as she tells the story of her incredible journey and how she has dedicated her life to athletics and…
30 Jul 2023 28 min

Sarah Tompkins - Sounds Of Samara

Sarah Tompkins is a true pioneer of conservation in the Eastern Cape. Along with her husband Mark, she created the Samara Karoo Reserve in 1997 with the vision to restore the area to its natural state. Listen here as she talks about her incredible journey
16 Jul 2023 25 min

Mark Boucher - A Straight Bat

The name Mark Boucher is synonymous with South African and world cricket. Regarded as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen of all time, he holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper, with 532 catches and 555 total dismissals. While a serious eye injury forced an end…
2 Jul 2023 19 min

Joanna Wallace - Is There Hope For A Plastic Free World?

Joanna Wallace works for the Sustainable Seas Trust, a Non-Profit Organisation founded in the Eastern Cape with the aim of growing awareness about ocean conservation and plastic pollution. An environmentalist, educator, and researcher, this dynamic daughter of Pietermaritzburg has travelled the world but now considers Nelson Mandela Bay home. We…
5 Mar 2023 20 min

Wayne Bolton - Riding for Rhinos

Wayne Bolton is not your average labour law consultant. Inspired by the plight of our African rhinos, he has cycled 3/4 of the way around the world for his ‘One Land Love It’ cause. Discover here how he found his purpose in life.
26 Feb 2023 26 min

Regorapetse - A Lady On A Mission

Regorapetse (Ree) Serote is a lady on a mission. Inspired by some incredible personal challenges, she has founded ‘She Speaks SA’: A platform that aims to give South African women a voice. Her story is quite remarkable.
19 Feb 2023 19 min

Sport Legends Trust

The Sport Legends Trust was founded to provide assistance to past international and provincial sport persons and their families in times of need. Listen here as South African sporting legends Trevor Quirk; Bossie Clarke; Rupert ‘Spook’ Hanley & Hugh Page talk about their support of this special cause
12 Feb 2023 45 min
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