The deadline for registrations is fast approaching. There are about 8 months left until the guiding skills programme move over from CATHSSETA to the QCTO and the new guiding qualifications start to rollout. FGASA has been attempting to contact our members who have not registered with CATHSSETA for their currently held guiding certifications. It has come to our attention that this could be due to not having the most up-to-date contact details of our members.
If you are a FGASA member that has not updated their profile since registration, then please be sure to login to your FGASA profile and update your email address and contact number. These are vital channels of communication that we as a professional body use to communicate important information to our members.
FGASA will no longer register new learners for any of the CATHSSETA NQF skills programmes from 31 May 2026. If you have not reached out to us to register for or request registration for your CATHSSETA certificate we will not be able to assist you. This is especially important for members who are already qualified guides who have not yet received a CATHSSETA certificate. It is your responsibility to ensure your paperwork is in order and you are recognised as a legal guide. The CATHSSETA certificate is required to register with the provincial tourism authorities to receive your Tourist Guide card and legally conduct guided activities in South Africa.
If your currently hold a Nature Site Guide NQF2 certification and are wanting to take your guiding career further by enrolling for Trails Guide (VPDA), Field Guide NQF4 or both, please be sure to enrol for these courses with us and get them registered on CATHSSETA’s system before the skills programmes move to the QCTO. We encourage all guides to register for the next qualification up form their currently held certificates as we transition fully into our role as a professional body.
CATHSSETA registration applies to all guides who have Nature Site Guide NQF2, NQF4, VPDA (Trails Guide) NQF2, NQF4, Culture Guide NQF4 and Marine Nature Site Guide NQF2.
We are requesting that all our members please check to see if they have or are at least registered with CATHSSETA for their current level of certification as well as to please update your personal details on your FGASA profiles as soon as possible.
With thanks, the FGASA Team.