How To Become A SAFARI GUIDE In 2024
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- If you want to know how to become a safari guide in 2022, then look no further.
In this video I discuss the ins and outs of the qualifications you would need to look at and I give you an easy 3-step process of getting you one step closer to becoming a Safari Guide and living out your dream in the African bush!
Top Guide Schools:
Limpopo Field Guiding Academy: limpopotraining.co.za/
Bushwise Field Guides: www.bushwise.co.za/
Eco-Training Guides and Guardians: www.ecotraining.co.za/
Bhejane Nature Training: www.bhejanenaturetraining.com/
FGASA MAIN WEBSITE: www.fgasa.co.za/
00 - Intro
00:41 - Step One - Understanding The Qualifications
02:22 - Step Two - Budgeting For Your Qualification
04:33 - Step Three - Pick The Perfect Course For You
05:08 - My Course Suggestion To Get You Started
Thank you for this
Thank you so much, this video is more helpful than you realise!!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it could help you out!🤠
Awesome video buddy!
Thanks man! Appreciate it🤠
👍
Beautiful and very interesting video. L 17
Thanks🤠
Lekker buddy!
Thanks man🤠
This is what I was searching for bro ! I’m coming soon…
I’m glad it helped🤠
Can you please tell me about the visa details ? What type of visa should I take ?
It would be best if you can apply for a student visa. If you contact the guiding school you’re looking to go to, they can send you all the necessary details.
Have you decided on a guiding school yet? If you’re going to study at Limpopo Field Guiding academy, I can maybe help you get everything you need🤠
Of course I'm happy if you can help me ! Because it's me dream job to do with all my heart 🙌🏻
Have you looked at any guiding schools yet?
After doing this how long is an average that it takes to get work and what is the starting wage and does that come with food and board? Or if you could make another vid about our process after schooling? I appreciate you and your vids
Hey Kimberly! That’s actually not a bad idea, another video explaining the life after.
Starting out it can sometimes be a bit challenging to find work, as most places are looking for guides with more qualifications and experience than a newly qualified guide. If you look hard enough though, you’ll definitely find something, this is a HUGE industry.
Junior Guide Salaris are quite terrible at most places (around $350.00 a month) and almost all lodges would give you food and board. What makes up a big part of your income as a guide, especially at a safari lodge, is your tips. Depending on where you work tips could range anything from $500.00 to $1800.00 per month.
I hope this helps!
Hello! Great video! I'm wondering if becoming a safari guide would be possible for a person in their mid 40s looking for a career change? (Asking for a friend 😅). I've dreamed about doing this kind of work for many years.
Hey @CalistoCleaver! It’s NEVER too late! When I was doing my initial training 11 years ago, I had a peer that was 44 that decided he wanted a career change! It took him a minute to find his feet in the industry, but he went on to be very successful and still does Safari work internationally to this day!
So it is possible. It’s obviously just a big change and starting at the bottom again will be a challenge, but if you’re up for it and you don’t mind working hard, you’ll definitely make it!🤠
@@SafariWian Thanks!
great video mate! I'm strongly considering moving back to SA after 16 years oveseas, to persue this dream. I'll be 35 next year. I'm I too old, or can I still make the dream come true?
Hey man. You’re NEVER too old! When I did my course in 2013, there were 6 students in our group over 35. One student was 49! So there’s definitely a way to still turn this into a career at 35. The only down side is that being 35 I’m sure you’re use to being in a higher position within your current career. When you’re starting out as a guide you’ll start at the very bottom with the 19 and 20 year olds. But by having more life experience, and if you have a strong work ethic, you’ll get to a more comfortable position sooner than the 19 and 20 year olds.
I hope this helps!
@@SafariWian Champ! that's some very encouragin advice. I will keep looking into it and see if I can make it happen. Big change moving back to SA after being away for so long though.
Hey man! You’re welcome!
If you need any more advice or something, just let me know💪🏻🤠
I appreciate the info. How hard would it be for an American to land a job? Are the visas hard to obtain? Also which 55 day course is the best on a budget? Thanks again for the info.
Hey man! Thanks for the comment/question💪🏻
The visa process can be quite challenging, but from personal experience my US guiding friends seemed to have it somewhat easier than European guides. Once the visa is sorted you’ll land a job pretty easily🤠
Unfortunately I can only speak out of experience with the guiding school I went to, Limpopo Field Guiding Academy. They are definitely one of the best priced schools!
Have a look and let me know if you have any other questions🤠
limpopotraining.co.za
@@SafariWian Thank you. I'll check it out.
This is an interesting Video
How can i get the application forms
What is the age limit?
I'm in the US and not familiar with a "Matric" degree. Can you please explain what that means / entails? It looks like that's only necessary for the 3 year program, correct? Also, if I were to only do the 2 month program I'm assuming it's a lower certification and lower pay too, right?
Hey Brad. So “Matric” is the same as your High School Diploma. Your high school diploma is necessary for any of the guiding qualifications you start out with.
At the end of the day your specific guiding qualification after a 3-year course or 2-month course is the same. In the 3-year course the schools usually just do a lot of extra other courses (like snake handling, bush walks, etc.) which would look good on a Résumé for someone who is just starting out looking for work. But it shouldn’t affect pay and so forth. It might just be a little harder to find a job after the 2-month course vs. the 3-year course because after 3-years you already have some experience.
However, this shouldn’t hinder you. If you can only afford the 2months then do the 2-months. I only did the 2-months. A LOT of people only do the 2-months and still get jobs and make successful careers! At the end of the day the lodges don’t look at how long your course was, they just want to know you’re qualified and then they look at how good you are with people and working in a team!
Even though I am only 15 almost 16 this has been my passion and is my goal and path for my life to be a SAFARI guide and Field guide as well. It is also a hard choice to make and I want some tips - do safari guides need a degree? (I know, that strictly they don't - but just wondering what the general happening is here) and if so, what degree?
Hey Luke. That’s awesome man! It truly is an amazing industry to be in! It’s hard work and takes a great work ethic! And it’s definitely something you chase for your passion not the dollar! But at the end of the day it’s super rewarding and you get to experience some seriously cool stuff!!
You don’t need a degree (I don’t have one). As a guide a degree won’t help you much as lodges and so on aren’t looking for people with degrees, they’re looking for people with guiding qualifications and someone who has a passion for working with people.
However, from my experience I think a degree would’ve come in serious handy during something like COVID. A situation where the industry is affected and you need to be able to do something else.
If you are looking to do a degree as well as your guiding qualifications I would suggest looking at something like a degree in Business. I know it sounds strange, but it’ll open a lot of doors going forward and ultimately the best way to make guiding a long-term career where you actually make a decent living is by owning or partnering with someone in a Safari business!🤠
@@SafariWian Wow, thank you for your reply! That is very helpful. And This is still my passion and my aim !
At the Bushwise website its mentioned that it's difficult to get a work visa if someone is 39yrs and older(even if you are fit), is it true?
In general it’s quite tough for non-South Africans to get work visas as our government not only makes it quite hard, but their administration is terrible. It takes a couple of years to work through the process unfortunately.
Is the field guide training programs required to become a field guide "period"? Or can someone become one by just gaining field experience working for a guiding outfit?
If you want to legally guide in Africa, you would need a formal guiding qualification. But some people “bypass” this by contracting a local guide like myself and accompanying their guests with the guide on a Safari. That way you can basically “guide” anywhere in Africa, but you’ll always need a local guide for legal reasons.
I hope this helps🤠
To get employed by a guiding outfit though, you would need guiding qualifications…
@@SafariWian Nice man. How long did it take you to land a job after completing the guide training program?
@@SafariWian Yes this was a big help man. Thank you. Do some outfits help with getting the training done? Or hire someone on as a help hand to start out?