Yomps, Adventure Travel Experiences

Safari School South Africa, 4 Weeks
Full Itinerary

Learn how to be a safari guide, discover how to survive in the South African bush, master the art of tracking wildlife, drive a 4x4, camp out in the wilds, shoot a rifle, see the ‘big five’, witness a variety of birds, identify a plethora of plant species, successfully qualify as having the knowledge of a field guide and have a fantastic adventure!

South Africa

Months 1 to 6 - Train to be a safari guide and learn a range of skills that include tracking animals, identifying different species, shooting a rifle and driving a 4x4.

Our plane touches down in Johannesburg where we will make our way north west through spectacular scenery and stunning landscapes to South Africa’s most Northern Province, Limpopo. Our destination is the Safari Guide Training School that is to become our home for the next six months, in the heart of big game territory, with the mysterious Drakensburg Mountains as a stunning backdrop. The Limpopo Province is one of South Africa’s best kept secrets, offering a veritable feast of fascinating cultural heritage, rolling grasslands, lush forests, unique rock formations, and a diverse spectrum of flora and fauna. Upon arrival in this unique wonderland we will be welcomed to settle into camp, acquainting ourselves to our fellow students, our new home, and the idea that nights will henceforth be spent falling to sleep to the sound of calling jackals and laughing hyenas!

During our six months of training at the Safari School we will cover practical and theoretical programmes, all complying with the standards of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) giving us amazing hands on experience of the African Bush and the ideal platform for the start of an exiting career in the African Game Lodge industry.

The safari guide training course we will undertake here is structured with a focus on maximizing your knowledge through lectures and practical time spent in the bush actively and practically interpreting the ecology of the area and gaining hands on experience of safari guiding. During the first 3 months you will be bombarded with new and exciting information about the fauna and flora of the African bush, and you will rise most mornings with the sun and embark on a two and a half hour walk or game drive into the reserve. The mornings may be spent game viewing and grasping a broad knowledge of the ecology of the area, or may focus on specific topics such as identifying the traits of bird and animal behaviour. After a tasty breakfast we will then have a three hour classroom session that will draw on the knowledge we have gained actively exploring the area, as well as providing vital lessons that range from first aid, to meteorology, to what to do when encountering dangerous game (such as lions or elephants). Both the theoretical and the practical compliment each other on the course to provide fascinating knowledge as well as unique experiences and marvellous wildlife encounters.

The two hours in the hot early afternoon are dedicated to relaxation, siestas and study. Students then regroup for practical afternoon sessions, dinner, and evening activities that include night drives, frogging, and sleep outs under the stars to hone our knowledge of astronomy. Though the daily programme is structured our days are always flexible to allow for the unexpected wonders that crop up in the unpredictable Southern African wilds, which may range from encountering unimaginably amazing scenery to spotting a rare serval feeding. To keep our minds alert we will perform written tests every Saturday on all the subjects we have covered. Being a reputed and intensive safari guide training course means that a high degree of dedication, commitment, and perseverance is required of all students. The staff will provide assistance and support throughout the course, but a high degree of self motivation to learn is also essential.

As well as providing fantastic teaching, the safari guide training school also encourages students to study and focus throughout the week to meet the standards required to be a safari guide. Those who persevere will be granted the unique reward of having knowledge that understands and fully appreciates South Africa’s amazing wildlife, gorgeous settings, and allows us to get closer to nature than we could ever imagine. Every experience will be new, exciting, and extremely valuable to aspiring guide and bush enthusiasts, making us at home in the bush, and covering a range of subjects including:-

Field Guiding

• Reserve Management
• Ecotourism
• Conservation
• First Aid

Bush Skills

• Field Craft
• Shooting
• Motor Vehicles (4x4 driving)
• Astronomy
• Weather and Climate

Bush Knowledge

• Animal behaviour
• Bush Knowledge
• Geology
• Ecology
• Taxonomy
• Botany and Grasses
• Arthropods
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Fish
• Birds
• Mammals
• Introduction to the Biomes of Southern Africa
• Conservation Management and Historical Habitation

Course Itinerary -

The course is structured with a focus on maximising the time you will spend in the bush actively and practically interpreting the ecology of the area and gaining a hands on experience of field guiding. To make the most of our time here we will rise most mornings with the sun and a hot cup of coffee, before embarking on walks or game drives into the reserve. Our time may be spent game viewing and grasping a broad knowledge of the ecology of the area, or may focus on specific topics such as identifying the traits of bird and animal behaviour.

Encountering more dangerous game (such as lions or elephants) will provide you with vital exposure to the animals that play such a major role in the career of a field guider, and are guaranteed to be unforgettable sightings. After a late brunch of fruit, cereal, porridge, toast, or a fry up, we will have some study time which will involve a topical discussion covering the day’s focal subject. After some further reading and feedback by students, the two hours in the hot early afternoon are dedicated to siestas and relaxing, before being revived with some tea, coffee, and sandwiches mid-afternoon. The daily programme is flexible and allows for the unexpected wonders that crop up in the unpredictable Southern African wilds, which may range from encountering unimaginably amazing scenery to spotting a rare servile cat feeding. Every experience will be new, exciting, and extremely valuable to aspiring guide and bush enthusiasts, and will get you to think like a Southern African animal that is at home in the spectacular wilderness.

Example of the First Week’s Itinerary -

The following information provides an outline of the itinerary for the first week of the course (see further course information for details of other areas covered on the course):

Day 1: Students are welcomed to the camp, given a tour, and advised of the camp rules, before being given an outline of the subsequent 28 day programme including what parts of the course they will be covering in the first fortnight. Students will be instructed how the course will be conducted and how they will be evaluated and assessed. There will also be an introductory lecture covering the basics of ecotourism and guiding, field guiding as a profession, and the skills and duties that are required of a field guider.

Day 2: Analysing an aerial photo and 1:50 000 map will provide students with an introduction to the area, to see the boundaries, major landmarks, and give an indication of how they will orientate their way outside the camp. Our inaugural outing will introduce us to the area in an afternoon bush walk that will see us learning basic ecology, geology, soil types, meteorology, and plant community identification.

Day 3: Our flora identification continues with an early morning and late afternoon walk to learn how to identify some of the 20,000 different plant species that grow in South Africa, and the variety of uses each plant contains. Each student will then be given an animal (one of the ‘flagship’ species) that they will have to study and give a formal presentation on at the end of the first two weeks. In addition, students will be expected to research the animals they encounter throughout the course and present their findings to the class when we have informal roundtable discussions.

Day 4: An early morning walk will take out green fingers to discover the reserve plants many medicinal uses, before taking brunch to discuss the art of tracking and how to spot animal tracks. We will then undertake a variety of tracking exercises that range form following animal footprints to analysing the amount of flies that surround animal dung. Further literature searches and informal discussions will then precede an afternoon exploring the reserve looking for animal tracks.

Day 5: We utilize our tracking expertise and plant identification knowledge in an early morning walk to looking at plants and tracks. After brunch we will cover the basics of bird identification before continuing our literature searches and informal discussions. The afternoon walk will concentrate on spotting birds, and identifying some of the over 500 species of bird that live in South Africa.

Day 6: On the morning outing we will further concentrate on spotting birds to identify more species, which will hopefully include beautiful red hornbills and fish eagles. After brunch we will cover the basics of animal behaviour, from how animals communicate to the caution that must be exercised when approaching dangerous animals. Our afternoon walk will take us looking and learning about the ecosystem of a South African area which is a global biodiversity hotspot.

Day 7: Waking to another spectacular sunrise, our early morning walk will take us looking at all aspects of the ecosystem and provide some revision for the first test we will take after brunch. In the afternoon we will discuss building a basic bush camp, before testing our theorising by setting up a camp that we will spend the night out in. Basic bush and survival skills will complete what will have been an opening week packed full of learning and adventure, and concludes with students falling to sleep beneath the stars.

Note: Students must be in possession of a valid driver’s license to take part in the full range of activities the course offers. If you do not have a driver’s license you will be able to take part in the other activities but will only obtain a certificate of attendance at the end of the course.

Side Trips / Other Opportunities -

Students have a day off on the fourteenth day of the course, giving them the opportunity to explore the many beautiful spots in the area, including visiting the Kruger National Park to see it’s amazing flora, fauna, and monuments, travelling to see the incredible view named ‘God’s Window’ at Graskop, tubing down the river at Sabie seeing the spectacular waterfalls, or exploring Pilgrim’s Rest to see it’s beautiful buildings and historic sites. All within driving distance of the camp, these highly rated destinations have previously often been visited by students who have hired a vehicle for the day and set out on their own mini adventure.

Qualifications -

Students who successfully complete the course are issued with a certificate. Any student who does not complete all aspects of the course (tests, presentations, practical evaluations) will be given a certificate of attendance. The course is accredited by The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), The Hospitality, Sports, Education and Training Authority (THETA), and is recognized by many of the safari lodges in the industry. By registering with FGASA prior to the course it is possible to take the FGASA Level 1 Exam at the end of training at the students own expense.

Location -

Training takes place on the Karongwe Game Reserve, a 9000 hectare privately owned game reserve situated in the Limpopo Province between four beautiful meandering rivers. The reserve is situated approximately 500km northeast of Johannesburg and just north of the Olifants River. The highest mountains in South Africa, the Drakensberg Mountains (Afrikaans for ‘Dragons Mountains’), sit magnificently on the edge of the reserve and provide a stunning backdrop to your home. The area is teeming with game, birdlife, and dense vegetation which makes it an extremely popular habitat for leopards who you can frequently hear call as you fall to sleep at night. This big five territory within the famous Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve truly reveals the bush at it’s very best and will allow you to experience the full range of wildlife South Africa has to offer as well as some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

The Camp -

The Karongwe game reserve provides rustic but comfortable accommodation in Meru style tents. There is no electricity in the camp, so we use paraffin lanterns for light, and cook and heat water on a gas stove. The camp staff provide delicious meals using local recipes, and will also do laundry (at extra cost).

- Malaria Awareness

Travelling to long-haul destinations can be a wonderful and exciting experience. Before you go, make sure you take the right travel advice about visiting Malaria risk countries. At Yomps we are committed to stopping traveller deaths from malaria which is why we support the campaign being run by Malariahotspots.com. Click here to download our free guide about Malaria Awareness (opens in a new window).