Get an accredited qualification or join us for the
'bush' experience
About the course
Experience the African Bush
and its wildlife and landscapes first hand
whilst training to be a Safari Field Guide!
Your camp is authentic, tented and unfenced to
allow wildlife freedom of movement. The course
takes place in the Greater Kruger National
Park area on the Karongwe Game Reserve, South
Africa. It is a fantastic area full of
wildlife and with beautiful landscapes and
wilderness.
Opt to take the FGASA exams
or simply enjoy your 28 Days in the bush!
Lion footage from a recent Afreco Tours
traveller to South Africa
Why attend one of these courses?
Nobody can truly experience Africa's wild places without actually spending time in the wild. That is why all these courses are conducted from simple, rustic bush camps in the middle of great wilderness areas.
Students eat, sleep and breathe the wild African bush. This is an awesome way to have an extremely unique safari experience whether you take it on for the qualification or just for the experience and interest.
Who can do these courses, you ask yourself?
If you are 17 years of age or older (with a driving license, although not essential) and you want to learn more about the bush, we would love to host you at one of our camps. These courses are not only available to people wishing to enter the industry as field guides, but for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush. So whether you've just finished school and are on your gap year, or if you've possibly taken a career break or are retired, this course is for you!
People who have attended these courses have returned to the "real world" with a different outlook on life. Some have taken this new outlook into their day-to-day lives and others, inspired by their time with us, have completely changed their lives and careers.
A typical Daily itinerary at any one of the camps
(Times vary day-to-day and so are not listed)
Rise early (usually before sunrise)
Enjoy tea coffee & biscuits to the sound of the waking bush
Leave camp for a wilderness outing (Drives or walks)
Note:Outings are extremely flexible, determined by the unpredictability of what is found during the outing in combination with the subjects that have to be covered. It could be a game drive following up on the roar of a lion, a walk learning about the plant species occurring in the area or you might be following fresh elephant tracks
Return to camp for a hearty brunch
Lecture on the subject of the day
Study and rest time is then followed by afternoon tea.
Afternoon outings into the wilderness until sunset, if walking, or until well after dark if doing a game drive.
Note:During night drives you could be looking for nocturnal animals such as owls, bush babies and leopards. A walk could be looking for and learning how to identify interesting birds. It could be time spent studying the night skies or it could be a time for students to test their 4x4 driving skills.
Back to the camp for dinner, stories around the campfire, discussing the day's experiences and wondering about tomorrow's adventures.
The emphasis is on
practical day-to-day experiences in the bush.
The daily outings are
flexible and may focus on specific subjects
such as animal tracks and tracking, birds,
plant identification or animal behaviour. It
might involve game viewing and learning about
the ecosystem in general.
For further information on Karongwe & the Zambia location please follow these links or choose from the left hand menus under 'Game reserves'. You can also link to these reserves further down the page.
The level 1 course is structured to maximize the practical experience of the students in the bush. Each day allows for hours of time spent in the field interpreting the ecology and enjoying a wildlife experience. Activities alternate between walks and driving.
Here are the subjects and activities covered during the Level 1, 28-day course:
Please note: Our suppliers recommend that international students do not concern themselves with the FGASA element of the course certification, as it means becoming a paid-up annual member of a southern African association, that will in most cases not be relevant to them once back in their home countries.
Welcome and introduction
Introduction to guiding in the natural environment
Creating a guided nature experience
Geology
Astronomy
Weather and climate
Basic ecology
Basic Taxonomy
Introduction to the Biomes of Southern Africa
Botany and Grasses
Arthropods (Insects and relatives)
Amphibians
Reptiles
Fish
Birds
Mammals
Animal behaviour
Conservation management and historical human habitation
Additional activities:
Basic 4x4 driving
Sleep out in the bush
Basic rifle handling
Tests, presentations and evaluations
Tests and evaluations:
The following tests and evaluations are undertaken on this course:
3 x Written tests
2 x Oral presentations
2 x Practical evaluations: Walk evaluation & Game drive evaluation
Please follow these highlighted links for information on game reserves; Karongwe and our new Zambian location which provides you with accommodation examples and information on the reserves.
In brief; Karongwe has walk in safari-style tents with two people sharing per tent, the accommodation is comfortable but still the camp retains that rustic wilderness feel about it. Accommodation on the Zambian camp is in four walk-in safari style tents each having twin beds and en-suite facilities. Please visit the Zambia page for more details.
Please note that you must have completed level 1 in order to go onto this course
(You can book these to follow-on from each
other)
Please click here if interested in the level 2 course.
Not for you? Then why not try one of these…
For those people passionate about wildlife, requiring specific learning topics and shorter course durations than the 28 day Field Guide courses, we offer the following 1 to 2 week programmes:
Nobody can truly experience Africa's wild places without actually spending time in the wild..jpg)
If you are 17 years of age or older (with a driving license, although not essential) and you want to learn more about the bush, we would love 
to host you at one of our camps. These courses are not only available to people wishing to enter the industry as field guides, but for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush. So whether you've just finished school and are on your gap year, or if you've possibly taken a career break or are retired, this course is for you!
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