By Steuart Pennington
True entrepreneurs are a rarity, mostly because they are not afraid of failure and thrive on taking, understanding and managing risk – all with an insatiable appetite for the upside and unshakable perseverance. “The Man who Changed a Landscape” is the story of one such entrepreneur – Adrian Gardiner.
The book, written by Dr. Dean Allen, a well-known South African historian tells the story of Adrian’s remarkable vision and ambition, his early highs and lows and ultimately his considerable success with, and contribution to, ecotourism in South Africa with the establishment of the Shamwari reserve, the Mantis collection (72 establishments operating across seven continents), and, in particular the rejuvenation of the Eastern Cape as a tourism destination – his most profound achievement.
It is also a book about his deep relationship with other ‘Players’ (Ian and Gary) who in their own, and in different ways changed the landscape of South Africa. How he went out of his way to engage with celebrities such as Ian Smith, Prince Charles, Brad Pitt, Margaret Thatcher, Ernie Els, John Travolta, David Attenborough, Richard Branson and his habit of ‘strategically name dropping’ as he pursued his many and varied ventures.
A strong family man, loyal to his staff, difficult at times, Allen sensitively describes the many challenges this “serial entrepreneurs” had as he relentlessly managed the risk of his complex business endeavors with his family and staff commitments underpinned by non-negotiable core values.
At 332 pages in 12 chapters ‘The Man who Changed a Landscape’ is a meticulously researched and detailed read. Detail in biographies is inevitably a difficult balancing act. I must confess I did find myself skipping over the detail of some sections like the many pages devoted to the debate between hunting and conservation, but found myself utterly absorbed with the detail of the devastation caused by the COVID pandemic, the snippets of his thriftiness such as the sale of Shamwari and the concurrent establishment of a ‘competitive’ Founders Lodge next door with traversing rights over Shamwari right under the nose of new owners. There is humour too as when confronted by Sabi Sand Wildtuin’s questioning the positioning of Shamwari as “malaria free’ he retorted by suggesting that ‘free malaria’ be their byline. I found the detail of his commitment to community engagement and the setting up of the Stenden Hospitality Campus in Port Alfred both confirming and heartening.
There are so many stories within this story which I’m sure will interest a wide array of readers. Adrian’s motto ‘Conserving a Vanishing way of Life’, his unstoppable entrepreneurial ambition and his creation of a considerable empire gives unique insight into Adrian’s fundamental belief that business operations invested in conservation expansion is both viable and profitable.
Adrian’s story is an informative read on the never-say-die determination required to leave a uniquely South African legacy.
ISBN 978-1-0370-4997-2
Published by Dean Allen www.deanallen.co.za.
