Hugo Lambrechts grew up on an on farm near the small town of Tulbagh in the the winelands of South Africa. Life on the farm shaped him to have an affinity for open spaces and adventure, but also for people.
As a forester in KwaZulu Natal he planted trees, fought fires and controlled invasive weeds leading to a passion for fire prevention. He completed a MSc in Forest and Wood Science at Stellenbosch University and speaks English and Afrikaans.