Meet the Team

Dave is our leader and general. He was raised in a military family which made him enormously organised with an odd sense of humour and ability to have an eye for details. 

His education and work experience allowed him to become a tax paying resident in the UK, South Africa and Poland although never simultaneously. 

After being enormously successful in the corporate world in the UK, he realised the enormous hole in his heart that came with the long hours and big salary. In 2013 he made a career change committed to working in the education industry and positively influence others through caring and being committed to each learner. 

EnglishDave is his second business after founding a charity/ business organisation in South Africa dedicated to educating African immigrants in Cape Town and helping them find work so that they can reunite with their families. 

Outside work he used to train like a semi professional athlete until he got old and too injured in sports such as: rugby, football, downhill mountain biking, triathlon, kickboxing, trekking, tennis, squash and darts.

His hobbies used to be making jazz and african music with his instrument the djembe (african drums), video podcast on YouTube and loving his dogs and cats.

He is happily married to a Polish Ania and they have the nicest little daughter together. 

Gary is our resident John Rambo.

Let me explain, Gary is better qualified to be Indiana Jones than an English teacher. His career and hobbies span from

·      animal wrangler

·      ocean kayaker

·      surfer

·      bodyboarder

·      sailor

·      ocean diver

·      ocean fisherman

·      bodybuilder

·      trainer

This is exactly why he was hired – he brings an unique life perspective that will encourage loads of cool and interesting conversations. Gary is an avid health enthusiast with insightful perspectives into nutrition and wholesome eating. Other than being the nicest guy alive, he also spends his free time helping his local African community with education and charity initiatives.

Gary is happily married and is keeping an eye on potential parenthood in the coming few years with his lovely wife! 

Some people say that some of Charl’s greatest accomplishments are his positions as either dean / associate professor at universities in Cambodia or Iraq; or, his numerous peer reviewed publications on global affairs; or the couple of postdoctoral fellowships. I personally think it is that he didn’t go blind by being surrounded by 4 ugly Steenkamp brothers (David and his 3 brothers).

Charl is much more educated, experienced and technical than me in teaching. He has a PhD in Political Science which specifically dealt with increasing doctoral completion amongst African based scholars. He is in a wonderful position (unlike me) to almost professionally or at minimum educatedly discuss, debate or lecture many topics especially a few that he published on which you can see from the list below:

• China’s influence on debt in Africa
• Factors which influence international research 
• African healthcare
• Land Reform
• Fossil Fuels and energy transition
• Regional conflict and instability 
• Climate change
• Trade
• Law

Away from work, Charl is lucky to live in the wine region of the Western Cape, South Africa as a husband, father and a retired yoga instructor where he walks his 3 dogs on a daily basis in the hills and forests of Stellenbosch. 

He is also an avid hiker evident in his pictures from South Africa, Cambodia, Iraq and Kurdistan. 

Yerusha is the most amazing and insightful 25 year old on planet Earth. She has an ability to immediately connect with people and create a podcast like lesson where she simultaneously talks and corrects students. 
Unlike the guys, she actually studied education and has made an active career choice to work in the field of educational development of adults and children. 

Yerusha hobbies are

• surfing,
• horse riding,
• trekking,
• travelling,
• photography,
• charity organisations,
• learning languages,
• gardening and
• playing the ukulele.

Yerusha grew up on a wonderful apple farm but also had the busy life during her education in the populated cities. 

She is now living in the surf capital of South Africa with her fellow surfing boyfriend enjoying the magic that the ocean provides.