Specialist Delivery Partners

For many visitors, a safari to Africa is the trip of a lifetime but as with anything, the people involved with providing the service can make or break the experience. This is particularly true if the person that you spend at least 8 hours per day with – namely your guide – is not living up to expectations. As far as safaris go, wilderness areas and the wildlife they contain certainly take centre stage.

Our guides all have more than 10 years experience conducting high-end safaris in a diverse array of wildlife destinations in Africa. Their dedication to guiding in an ethical and professional manner, coupled to their experience, expertise, enthusiasm and dynamic personalities will ensure a memorable safari adventure.

Celestial Events SA offers lodges and guides and an opportunity to learn more about the night sky in order to showcase this often forgotten, but vitally important element of the safari experience. The clear, unpolluted skies over game reserves are the perfect place to witness some of the universe’s deepest secrets and to learn more about the traditional beliefs and mythologies behind the constellations. In addition to FGASA Astronomy Training, we can also offer special sittings and practical assessments.

COAPE (The Centre of Applied Pet Ethology) has been a pioneer in providing top-notch educational services in the field of Animal Behaviour for over 30 years.

Renowned for their commitment to excellence, COAPE’s courses have been a go-to for serious learners. Originally specialising in companion animal behaviour, COAPE has evolved over the years to include a diverse range of species.

As an organization dedicated to accrediting the best in the industry, FGASA proudly recognises COAPE’s expertise and now extends our accreditation to three groundbreaking courses in African wildlife behaviour.

These courses include African Wild Dog Behaviour, African Lion Behaviour, and Cheetah Behaviour.

See the link to our website below, visit the COAPE course page to learn more!

Colin Patrick Training strives to provide quality training of a high standard that can be of value to individuals and organisations and ultimately further develop the skill of tracking.

Goliath Training specialises in providing expert wilderness and environmental programs and training for safari guides, nature enthusiasts, researchers, and conservationists.

Goliath Training offers a variety of Biodiversity training  and research programs designed to meet your specific needs and goals. Whether you’re looking to improve your safari guiding skills, conduct research in the field, or learn more about conservation efforts, they have a program that will fit your needs.

Goliath Training’s FGASA field guide courses and training are designed to provide you with practical skills and knowledge that you can apply in the field as a safari guide.

They prioritise quality over quantity and so the groups are small, the training is personalised, the food is great, and the accommodation has air-conditioning!

Visit the Goliath Training website for detailed information on each of their offerings and to view their brochures.

Grootbos Professional Guide Academy provides students with a life changing experience in the quest to become Nature, Marine and Fynbos professional guides.

The Grootbos Guide Programs also provide specialist courses including Cave Guiding, Regional Fynbos Bird Guiding, Wildflower guiding, Entomology certificate, Wine course, Sommelier training, Cooking course and a Beekeeping course.

Grootbos Professional Guide Academy trains and develops learners into all-round professional Nature Guides in the Coastal-marine and Fynbos environment.

*Note: Grootbos Professional Guide Academy will only be delivering in-house training.*

Ingwenya Field Guide Training & Consulting is a Specialist Training Provider striving to provide quality training of a high standard that can be of value to individuals and Game Lodges. Ingwenya Field Guide Training offers CATHSSETA accredited FGASA training, assessments and consulting work to individuals & guiding teams at lodges. Roaming assessor and trainer – Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo & Mpumalanga.

Assessments:

• Nature Site Guide (NQF2)
• Nature Site Guide (NQF4)
• Professional Field Guide
• Trails Guide Mentorship & Assessments
• Advanced Rifle Handling Training & Assessments
• SKS Birding Assessments

Level

• Nature Site Guide (NQF2)
• Nature Site Guide (NQF4)
• Trails Guide Mentorship
• Trails Guide (NQF2 & NQF4)
• Professional Field Guide
• Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH)
• Specialist Birding

Lowveld Trails Co. specialises in Trails Guide Mentorship and Training, and industry-leading Primitive Trails, with the aim of facilitating direct human-nature interaction in wild spaces, for personal and Wilderness benefits.

Their FGASA accredited courses, workshops and trails include the following:

• 28-Day Trails Guide (NQF2) Course
• 14-Day Trails Guide Workshop
• Trails Guide Mentorship Trails
• ARH Assessments
• Trails Guide Mentorship & Assessments

Lowveld Trails Co. conduct all their training activities in the Timbavati PNR and the Balule PNR within the Greater Kruger National Park. There is a limited number of 8 participants per training activity, ensuring personalised attention from the course facilitators and as much first-hand experience for the candidates as possible.

Although the primary objective is to achieve the Trails Guide qualifications, they place strong emphasis on the ethos surrounding trails guiding, the necessary bush skills required for multi-day trails and holistic environmental interpretation.

Visit the Lowveld Trails Co. website for detailed information on each of their offerings and to view their brochures.

Nightjar Training & Safaris is a Lowveld-based FGASA Specialist Provider offering fully tailored, on-site guide training packages across Southern Africa, as well as individual FGASA assessments and mentorships. Their focus is on delivering high-impact, affordable training without disrupting lodge operations, while also supporting the professional development of individual guides.

Led by FGASA Assessor Charles Delport, Nightjar’s expert team offers services including FGASA assessments, Field and Trails Guide mentorships, rifle handling, front-of-house training, guest experience workshops, and more. As an extension of their core offering, they also curate exclusive private and educational safaris across Southern Africa.

SMART RESPONSE is a training company specialising in Remote Wilderness First Aid, Structural Lodge Firefighting and Health and Safety preparedness training, developed specifically for the Wilderness Tourism Hospitality Industry in the South African Bush Environment.

We are accredited with FP&M SETA and an DEL approved First Aid training provider.

The Spirit of the Wild training programme was initiated by Princess Irene van Lippe of the Netherlands and takes place on Bergplaas Nature Reserve in the Sneeuberg mountains of the Eastern Cape. The programme has been running for over ten years and offers participants an opportunity to develop their personal and guiding skills through:

• A deepening of their understanding of wilderness
• Their role as a guide in developing their guests understanding of the natural environment
• Advancement of communication skills by improving their ability to lead and share knowledge

Specialty Training Provider: Nature Site Guide NQF2 and NQF4 Assessor, endorsed Mentor and Assessor for Trails Guide.

In 2010 a bold and visionary action by Mrs Gaynor Rupert made the Tracker Academy possible. The Tracker Academy is a training division of the SA College for Tourism (SACT) which is chaired by Mrs Rupert and operates under the auspices of the Peace Parks Foundation. SACT Tracker Academy is a non-profit organisation which trains disadvantaged rural people in the traditional skills of tracking. The accreditation of its training programme with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) made the Tracker Academy the first tracker training school to achieve this distinction in South Africa. More than 94% of Tracker Academy graduates are permanently employed in the nature-based tourism industry of South Africa.

A Training College based in Nelspruit.

WildlifeCampus is a world-renowned, reputable and Approved FGASA Delivery Partner. Over the past 22 years, we have trained over 28,000 students in 160 countries. The courses we offer are the most comprehensive of their kind in the online space.

We pride ourselves on being the pioneers in online wildlife education delivery, our authentic and unique E-Learning experience, quality content, value for money and exceptional service. There are no barriers to entry, due dates, deadlines or set semesters. Students are welcome to register and begin any courses at any time.

Taking a WildlifeCampus course is one of the best decisions you can make for personal and professional growth. Our students have found that the knowledge gained through our courses has immeasurably enhanced their enjoyment of the bush. Many are now employed in the wildlife, hospitality and tourism industry.