The custom title is the first of its kind in the outdoor adventure and travel sector and features South Africa's top travel writers, adventurers, environmentalists and experts revealing all that the great outdoors and living a life of adventure has to offer.

Marketing director of Cape Union Mart, Evan Torrance says the 100-page magazine will be available at no cost to customers at Cape Union Mart’s 71 stores nationwide. “Featuring everything from self-drive trips into the bush and campfire recipes, to conservation work and journeys to the far-flung corners of the earth - The Intrepid Explorer is an inspiring and interesting read brought to life by spectacular photography,” says Torrance.

He says the publication is the perfect platform to engage with their customers and engender even stronger customer loyalty: “For us it’s all about delivering awesome retail experiences to our customers, so it makes sense to offer them their very own high-quality outdoor lifestyle magazine,” explains Torrance.

“It is a great way to speak to our customers about things that we know they care about. It means that we can reach every segment of our market in a way that adds value to their lives, whilst at the same time building brand awareness and attracting new customers,” he adds.

The magazine sees Cape Union Mart teaming up with Insights Publishing and its founder Robbie Stammers who is also the publishing editor. After five years at the helm of the multi-award winning Leadership magazine, Stammers bid farewell to the world of business and political leaders to “breathe in the fresh, challenging world of expeditions, wildlife, bush, exotic travel and the environment.”

Stammers says they are very proud of the magazine. “While the publishing industry in South Africa is struggling to keep its head above water, the outdoor adventure and travel segment is still growing strongly, especially on the custom publishing front. With The Intrepid Explorer we are going all out to harness the talents of the who’s who in outdoor adventure and travel. Influential contributors for the first issue alone include adventurers Kingsley Holgate and Braam Malherbe, Justin Bonello on bush cuisine, and best-selling author John van de Ruit with his segment On Safari with Spud. It’s a great read which can easily compete with its counterparts in the consumer sector.”

The Intrepid Explorer will appear quarterly. Stammers says that from the second edition, due at the beginning of March 2013, the magazine will also be available as a digital offering.

“Consumers in the top LSM brackets are connected. They want their media on the go and they want the option of consuming it via various platforms. We are currently developing an app to allow readers to download the magazine via all Apple platforms and Android tablets. The outdoor lifestyle sector segment of course also lends itself perfectly to video and we plan to upload some incredible footage and content which is sure to inspire readers to live a life of adventure.”

Stammers adds that they have teamed up with 16 of Southern Africa’s most luxurious lodges where the magazine will be available in rooms and suites. These extend from Shamwari Lodge in the Eastern Cape right through to the Zambezi Queen, Africa’s most luxurious houseboat on Botswana’s Chobe River.

Torrance concludes: “We’re always on the look-out for ways to add value to our customers’ experience of the Cape Union Mart brand; or how we can encourage South Africans to explore the bounty ofwhat this country’s outdoor lifestyle has to offer. We believe The Intrepid Explorer does exactly that. It’s a beautiful magazine and a great read.”

To get your hands on the launch issue of The Intrepid Explorer, visit any Cape Union Mart store. For editorial enquiries, email [email protected] and for advertising enquiries contact [email protected].