Eyes over Africa
Delport Botma’s wide smile often pops up in his photos on Instagram, whether he’s releasing a puff adder, perched on a bakkie tailgate with his Jack Russell, or sitting behind the controls of a helicopter somewhere in Africa. He visits places where few other people go, like the Zambezi Delta in Mozambique, and he also lives close to nature – on a farm outside Thabazimbi in Limpopo. That’s where I track him down during the national lockdown, when he had no choice but to stay home.
“The pandemic has messed up my plans,” he says. “I was supposed to be in Kenya right now. Usually I spend more time away than at home.”
Delport grew up in another Limpopo town, Vaalwater in the Waterberg, but he’s lived in Thabazimbi since 2015. He moved there to do his commercial helicopter licence at True North Aviation and got a job at the same company after he’d obtained his licence.
“Thabazimbi is a game-industry hub; I quickly gained experience
