FGASA
| Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
| FGASA Level
1 courses |
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Last
updated August 2011 |
Please note that our courses are open to South
African and non-South African citizens.
We have a
South African Rand account for our South African
customers too - so please do enquire
should you be
interested.
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FGASA is a separate association
to Afreco Tours and the training schools and
organisations we work with.
Where registration is
required for the course you are enrolling in, you
will need to contact FGASA directly, details are: |
The
Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
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In addition, you do not have to enrol to take
the FGASA exams.
It is also possible to join for the bush
experience and the learning.
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- 2011: FGASA Level 1
courses are 28 days in duration
- 2012 and onwards: FGASA
level 1 courses are 55-60 days in duration
except for our Kenya option
which is 28 days, and only
open to non-South African residents
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Courses we offer where
FGASA membership & exam fees are included: |
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Courses we offer where FGASA
membership and exam fees are not included: |
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Useful information about FGASA and
the qualifications |
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FGASA aim to promote a high standard of guiding,
becoming a Nature Guide means that you are a
spokesman and ambassador for the natural world. As
such Nature Guiding should be regarded as a
profession and a career path during which you are
constantly broadening your knowledge and then
imparting this knowledge to your clients. They
should leave having had an eye-opening, educational
and truly superb experience of the natural wonders
of where you live and work. A Nature Guide should
avoid becoming a “jeep jockey” concentrating only on
the Big 5, as there is so much more to the
wilderness experience.
You do not have to be a South African resident to
belong to FGASA, as they do have international
membership as well.
FGASA Level 1 is the basic qualification which
everyone needs in order to register as a legal
guide. This is your entry level qualification which
will then allow you to apply for work as a nature
guide.
To get a FGASA qualification you can join one of the
courses offered by a FGASA accredited training
provider - such as those offered through Afreco.
By attending a course you not only attend daily
lectures to assist you for the theory exam, but you
will also gain a lot of practical knowledge
regarding all the different aspects of the bush. You
will also be trained on what is expected of a nature
guide who will be taking paying guests on a guided
experience within the bush.
The courses Afreco offers are through training
providers endorsed by FGASA, but working
independently of FGASA and of each other. The
advantage of being on a course is that the theory
exam and practical assessment are taken care of at
the same time, is that providing you pass, you will
leave the course having obtained a Level 1
qualification.
In order to obtain any of the FGASA qualifications
(Nature Levels 1, 2 or 3 and Marine Level 1) you
will need to complete a written theory exam as well
as doing a practical exam. You cannot obtain a
completed Level 1, 2 or 3 without writing theory as
well as doing the practical. |
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Theory Exam |
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| 75% is
needed in order to pass the theory exam. When
studying through a training provider, you will write
your FGASA theory exam at the end of your course at
the location where your course takes place. |
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Practical Assessment |
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On
passing your theory exam at 75% or more then you can
take the Practical assessment too, this will also be
done on the course as well. The assessment is only
one day and it consists of taking the assessor on a
guided nature experience, in a limited geographical
area (either with or without paying clients).
FGASA Level 2
Before you can move onto Level 2, you need to have
260 days worth of guiding experience written and
signed off in your logbook. You will also have to
submit a portfolio of evidence (the details of which
can be found in the Level 2 learner support pack).
However, even if you do not have the 260 days of
guiding experience you can still purchase learning
materials in order to start working on the
workbooks. Your logbook has to be sent in to the
office in order to be eligible for the theory exam,
and your workbook (portfolio of evidence) has to be
submitted to the assessor.
FGASA level 3
Before you can proceed to Level 3 you need to have
520 days worth of guiding experience logged.
You can only do the SKS qualifications once you are
a Level 3 guide. |
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DEAT (Dept of
Environment and Tourism) |
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you have your full Level 1, FGASA will provide you
with your certificate and a letter which will enable
you to register with DEAT. This is who you have to
be registered with in order to guide legally in
South Africa. Please note that all assessment first
come back to the FGASA office in order to be
moderated. This takes a minimum of 3 weeks. Only
once this has been done will you be issued with your
certificate and DEAT letter from FGASA. |
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First Aid
Certificate |
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A
Level 1 First Aid certificate (covering basics such
as shock treatment, CPR, basic sprains, burns,
wounds, bleeding and bandaging etc) is needed before
any FGASA certificates will be issued. You do not
need to have this prior to joining FGASA, but you
will need to get it either during study or once
study is completed before you will be issued with
your FGASA certificate. Try organisations like the
Red Cross or St Johns or any first aid training
provider registered with the Department of Labour.
You will then need to send us a copy of your
certificate into FGASA.
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