A Few Words

Meet our Team

Antoine wilson

Co-Founder, CEO

Born and raised in the state of North Carolina, Antoine is an HBCU graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. He relocated to Miami, FL, in 2007, where his passion for traveling began.

Antoine has traveled extensively throughout the world, but his heart has always led him back to Africa. Owner of A.D. Elite Travels, LLC. based in Miami, FL, Antoine was approached by Okello, about creating something amazing in the beautiful country of Tanzania. After extensive research and visits to Tanzania, Antoine was taken aback by the natural beauty and hospitality of Tanzanians and knew something special was bound to happen there.

An expert at creating curated, cultural experiences, together with the safari expertise of his business partner, Okello, Melanated Safaris was formed.

Okello Jao

Director of Tanzania Operations, co-founder

Born and raised in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the largest city in Tanzania. After finishing college, Okello moved to Arusha, the tourism hub of Tanzania and the whole East Africa.

While pursuing his passion in the safari industry, Okello lived and worked inside Serengeti National Park, where he was a staff member for a Serengeti migration camp.

Okello has been in the tourism industry for 5 years, elevating his skills in local nature and safari operations.

When it comes to your safari or a Zanzibar trip, Okello's expertise and skills are limitless!

My philosophy is; Tourism is peace, tourism is love, tourism is friendship, and tourism is the only place where people of different races and cultures can unite under the same name of traveler.

MainLand Team

Manase Nanyaro

HEAD SAFARI GUIDE

Juma Athumani

SAFARI GUIDE

Hemed Leonard

SAFARI GUIDE

Kastuli Kalasinga Sipto

TOUR GUIDE

Zanzibar Team

Issa Maneno Issa

HEAD OF ZANZIBAR OPERATIONS

Mohammed Abdallah Mohammed

HEAD ZANZIBAR TOUR GUIDE

Who We Are

Our history

Melanated Safaris came about out of a driven desire to bring awareness to Tanzania, its natural beauty, and to end the negative stigma when it comes to traveling to Africa. Co-founder, Antoine Wilson, a travel agency owner, has always had a deep love for Africa and following the African diaspora. Co-founder, Okello Jao, a Tanzanian native, has worked or been around the safari industry his entire life. It’s something he’s very passionate about. Okello came across one of A.D. Elite Travels curated packages online, which is owned by Antoine and based in Miami, FL. He was highly impressed and knew that together, combining their respective talents something special was bound to happen. He initiated talks with Antoine about creating something new, something different, the NEXT generation of African safariing. Soon after, Melanated Safaris was founded. Melanated Safaris prides itself in being one of the few, if not the only 100% black-owned and operated safari companies in Africa.

Our MISSION

To increase tourism to the beautiful country of Tanzania.
End negative stigmas of Africa and show sides of Africa they’ll never show you on tv.
We are the Next Generation of African Safaris, a brand that differentiates itself from the norm, facilitates cultural emersion, provides top-tier customer service, and provides unforgettable experiences.