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Elna Kotze and her husband At began their entrepreneurial activities in Pretoria in 1974 with a vehicle maintenance facility. This grew into a fleet of tour buses that, for the most part, took white South Africans on nature and wildlife tours of Namibia. Kotze and her husband sold the business in 1986 and began a three-year search for the right place to settle.
When Kotze first arrived in Wakkerstroom in April 1989, there was much mirth over the mad woman from Pretoria coming to Wakkerstroom to "lose her fortune." Kotze herself has described her persona as being like a "maverick torpedo."
Kotze's accomplishments since then are well-documented here. In addition to her other activities, from 1994 to 1995 she was the chair of the local government for Mpumalanga and coordinated the council – a significant indication of the esteem that she is held by the black majority.
Kotze was founding director of the Mpumalanga Tourism Authority in 1995, based on her track record of success with eco-tourism, and she was chosen to serve as a member of the board of directors of the Mpumalanga Parks Board in 1996, giving her influence on policies affecting the grassland. She continues to hold both positions.
The fact that she was awarded the World Wildlife Fund's coveted Green Trust Environmental award in 1998 shows that her ideas are receiving acknowledgement at the highest level.
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