- South Africa
- Hoedspruit
About Program
Is your goal to become a safari guide or to work in the competitive field of ecotourism? No matter where you’re from in the world, you can become an African safari guide with Bushwise Field Guides. This is an incredible way to launch your wildlife career or spend a gap year experiencing African wildlife and conservation first-hand.
Spend six or 12 months living and training in the South African bushveld, conduct game drives and bush walks in Big 5 game reserves and become a qualified safari guide. You’ll train as a safari guide and earn certificates from the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA).
To aid in your wildlife career development, this course offers a range of placement options that provide experience in more wide-ranging areas in the conservation, research, and field guiding industries. Subjects covered include ecology, botany, and taxonomy, as well as bushcraft and survival skills like track and sign, advanced rifle handling and 4x4 driving.
Video and Photos
Program Highlights
- Train in a Big 5 game reserve close to South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park and live with like-minded people in a fenced camp in the wilderness.
- Observe animal behavior and interactions in the wild and learn how to host a guided experience.
- Train under passionate professionals, industry experts and award-winning trainers.
- Jump-start your conservation career through a 6-month work placement at a reserve, lodge or conservation organization.
- Earn valuable certificates from FGASA, Bushwise, SASSETA, CATHSSETA and more.
Response from Bushwise Field Guides
Hi Kayla
Thank you for this heartwarming review. Starting something new in a new place can be scary, but also exciting! I'm glad that you had fun and pushed through the work - I'm sure it was worth it! It's great to hear how much knowledge you gained in these six months and glad that you felt at home and made great connections with the people around you!
All the best,
Tiffany (Alumni Team)