The knowledge

you need to be

an ultimate guide

Join this online course to attend live lectures delivered by leaders in their field who have over 50 years of combined experience. See the African wild through their eyes, informed by in-depth knowledge developed over many years. Listen to their stories and learn from their successes and missteps. Ask them questions and receive personal feedback.

Enquire now

Course overview

Ready to become the best guide you can be? Once you’ve completed our Nature Enthusiast Online course, you can join our Introduction to Field Guiding Online course! This 4-week program covers the essentials of properly guiding a tour in the bushveld.

Learning is facilitated through weekly discussion of real-world case studies. This helps to ground the theory in the practical application of field guiding, getting you ready to enter this exciting industry.

The five modules included in this course compliment the 16 ecology-focused modules of the Nature Enthusiast Online course. They are designed to develop you into an exceptional field guiding professional, and develop the advanced safety skills required to give clients the up close and personal wildlife interactions they hope for.

Course specifics

4 weeks

7 - 10 hours per week

Self-paced

18 and above (We welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels.)

English

On completion of this course, you’ll be able to:

Understand the role and responsibilities of the professional field guide
Lead and engage large groups of diverse people from around the world
Understand the recommended ethical guiding practices and carry out an ethical guided experience in the natural environment
Carry out research on suitable sites in preparation for your guests
Ensure the health and safety of your clients on a guided experience.

Why study with Bushwise?

What sets Bushwise apart

Since the first Bushwise course was held in 2006, we’ve provided world-class field guide training to students from around the globe. Bushwise online delivers the highest standard in theoretical knowledge for guiding in South Africa and beyond.

It’s our passion, respect and dedication to nature and our students that drives us to keep on improving our courses.

No.1 rated on TrustPilot

Our courses consistently rank highest on multiple review platforms, from No.1 on TrustPilot to our top ratings on Google, Facebook, GoAbroad and GoOverseas. Students love how interactive, flexible, eye-opening and educational our online courses are.

More than the fundamentals

Our courses follow IFGA and Bushwise curriculum, to ensure you get the highest quality education. But we don’t stop there! By attending our masterclasses, you’ll gain insight into various aspects of conservation including anti-poaching initiatives and innovative conservation strategies.

Flexibility for all lifestyles

Join us for 4 to 12 weeks while continuing your normal daily life. Classes are designed to be flexible, with pre-recorded segments and live lectures. Study in your own time. Our online courses are designed for everyone from students to nature enthusiasts, bush-lovers, career seekers, future guides and people with a little extra time who just want to learn!

Award winning trainers

The Bushwise online courses are led by award-winning staff — including Nico Brits, category winner from Safari Guide of the Year competition 2022. Our trainers are experts in their field, and are constantly gaining experience and knowledge themselves. We are a specialised and committed team, with nearly a century of experience combined. We have experts in entomology, ornithology, conservation, rifle handling, botany and more.

Soft skills

Guiding isn’t just about the knowledge you share, it’s about the way you guide and how you connect with your guests. It’s the soft skills that make a world-class guide stand apart from the rest: communication, leadership, empathy, creativity, problem-solving, decision-making and more. We believe in the importance of training students on these aspects to make them the best guides possible.

Support at every step

Feel supported throughout your time with us. Bushwise’s online courses are unique due to the amount of learning support we give students, including interactive online platforms and proactive communication. When you need extra guidance on a topic, our trainers will be there to give you the support you need.

Syllabus

This course comprises 7 guiding modules including guiding skills, conduct, and Bushwise radio procedures.

Week 1

Module 1: Introduction to the Skills of Guiding

Aims and principles of nature guiding
What makes a nature guide ethical

Week 1

Module 2: Developing a Guided Experience

Outcomes and best practices of interpretation
Important skills and tools for guiding

Week 2

Module 3: Conducting the Guided Experience

Practical guiding competence: from pre-briefing to debriefing and everything in between
The qualifications and legal requirements to guide

Week 2

Module 4: Radio Procedures

How to operate a two-way radio
Sighting procedures and common radio protocols in the field

Week 3

Module 5: Viewing Potentially Dangerous Animals

The role and responsibilities of an apprentice trails guide
How to interpret potentially dangerous animals’ behaviour and conduct a safe and ethical animal encounter

Week 4

Module 6: Rifles and Advanced Rifle Handling

Rifle safety and shot placement
Protocol for advanced handling of a bolt action rifle

Week 4

Module 7: Becoming a Field Guide

Tips on preparing for your Bushwise and CATHSSETA theory examination
Next steps for pursuing a career as a professional field guide

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Curriculum

The Introduction to Field Guiding online course is 4 weeks long and is made up of 40 hours of learning. Students typically spend 10 hours per week completing the material required to gain the certificate. The course comprises 7 modules, each delivered by one of our experienced trainers in South Africa.

Each week, there are live webinars and masterclasses, which help to ensure you are on track, and allow you to engage in question and answer sessions. There are also compulsory weekly quiz-based assignments to complete and pass in order to receive a certificate for the course.

Expert masterclasses and live lectures

This course includes access to leading experts in the field through a series of weekly masterclasses and webinars. Each of the live sessions will give you the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and ask questions.

Plan your career in the safari industry with Bushwise and grow your knowledge about the biodiversity in Southern Africa. You will engage in this online course through a variety of mediums and platforms.

The learning experience

Self-Paced Lectures

All lectures are compiled by subject matter experts with over 50 years of combined experience in the field, including conservation, field guiding, wildlife research, lodge management, and more.

Readings

Recommended readings are provided to encourage you to delve deeper into each topic.

Quizzes

Each module includes a short 5–10 question quiz from the required readings.

Assignments

Each module has an assignment based on the FGASA workbook manual. The assignments will also be discussed in the weekly webinars.

Discussions

Bushwise encourages discussions on the student forums. Share your thoughts, receive answers to your questions and get to know the fellow students.

Live classes

Live webinars are held weekly to discuss that week’s module and assignment.

Student support

A dedicated student support manager will also be on hand to answer any questions regarding technical support.

Reviews

Hear directly from Bushwise alumni. Our reviews are posted here and also shared across other platforms, like TrustPilot, Google, Facebook, Go Overseas and GoAbroad.

Greyton Mlambo,

September 2022

Want to become a professional nature guide? Join BUSHWISE they have the best knowledgeable trainers.

Jacques Du Toit,

March 2022

I found the course to be extremely helpful and informative. I feel a lot more prepared for my upcoming course at the Bushwise campus having learned from the online Nature Enthusiast course.

Benjamin Skingsley,

August 2021

The course exceeded my expectations. It went into so much more detail on aspects that I'd never even considered to be relevant and it wasn't until doing the course I realised just how connected everything is. The trainer was brilliant; friendly, approachable and also incredibly knowledgeable. I especially enjoyed the Masterclasses on both astronomy and reptiles, I hadn't quite realised just how interested I'd be in the subjects, however they're now both areas I'd definitely like to learn more about.

Tristan Joshua,

July 2021

I am a gap year student who loves nature and wildlife, so this course was perfect for my needs. I now have a broader knowledge that I can use for the rest of my life, whether I am guiding or not.

Wana Bezuidenhout,

July 2021

I definitely enjoyed the course, you gain a lot of knowledge and it feels so good to talk to people about nature and understanding and knowing what it is about. I don't look at nature or any small living organism the same way as I did previously.

Zoe Zietsman-Brits,

May 2021

To future students, from all the places I could've chosen, I am ecstatic that I ended up choosing Bushwise as they are exactly what is looked for and needed. When it not only comes to the materials given to better your knowledge and other skills but when it comes to the support and teachers.

Christie Janse Van Rensburg,

March 2021

Thank you for the most amazing, engaging and interesting courses provided. The live Webinars has been great, hearing other peoples journeys in this industry and getting the word out there. It was so interesting to learn everything it never got boring!

Matthew Franklin,

August 2020

This course is one of a kind, I could not have got a better online learning experience if I tried, the knowledge gained to become a professional field guide is at the top level. The level of the instructors and support systems are world-class, I can not wait to get out to SA to start the practical side and complete my journey.

Meet the team

With nearly a century of experience combined, we are a specialised team with experts in entomology, ornithology, conservation, rifle handling, botany and more. Join us and work with award-winning staff, including Pioneer Moyo and Nico Brits, category winners from the Safari Guide of the Year competition 2022 and 2023. Get to know these amazing individuals:

Best trainers in the industry

Nico - Bushwise Online

I was exposed to the bush early on. My grandfather played a massive role in my life, sharing his passion, knowledge and stories of the African bush with me. I have been in the tourism industry for 11 years and actively guiding for 9 years. My current qualifications are Professional Field Guide, Professional Track & Sign, Trailing Level 3, Tracker 3, Regional Birding, and Trails guide. I am working towards SKS qualifications such as birding and walking.

Watch Nico's video

Holding down head office

Eugene Relling - Director

I was born and bred in Durban but have called various parts of South Africa home. I’ve always had a passion for wildlife. I studied operations management and over the past 15 years I’ve been in roles that range from restaurant owner, project and operations management as well as sales manager for various leading tourism and safari organisations. I joined Bushwise in 2021 with a mission to ensure we train the next generation of ethical ambassadors of the natural world by providing unmatched skills and experience.

Watch Eugene's video

Sharin Myburgh - Operations Manager

My passion for the bush came from growing up on a farm and spending most holidays in Kruger National Park. I have worked for many years in the corporate industry and gave it all up for the bush. From working as a leopard researcher to managing 5-star lodges all over South Africa, with a bit of overlanding in between, I realised my passion is definitely people and conservation.

Rohandi Relling - Administrator

I grew up in Cape Town, where I wanted to become a marine biologist growing up. I am now based in a beautiful town called Hoedspruit where my love for the African bushveld grows every day. After 10 years in the real estate industry, I finally decided to follow my passion and joined the amazing team at Bushwise. I am a mother of three beautiful children, and I love teaching them about nature.

Annie DuPre - Communications

Originally from the USA, I’ve lived in South Africa since 2014. I have a masters in global policy studies and my career has slowly shifted from international relations to conservation. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and after I completed my FGASA course in 2019, I pursued work that combined all of my interests. In addition to managing communications for Bushwise, I’m studying endangered wild dogs in my free time.

Included

CATHSSETA Nature Site Guide NQF2 & NQF4 theoretical knowledge
A wide variety of learning materials

Academic support from expert trainers which includes live webinars
Masterclasses hosted by industry experts
A dedicated student support manager who will respond to technical and administrative queries within 48 hours

If you pass the online course, you will receive the following certificate:

The Bushwise Field Guiding online course certificate of completion

You will be provided with access to the following compulsory learning materials:

Nature Guide Learner Manual
The Art of Nature Guiding Manual

Note that you must also complete the Nature Enthusiast online course and pass the practical field program assessment in order to gain the full CATHSSETA Nature Site Guide NQF2 qualification and certificate. If you want to write the NQF2 exam without completing the practical component, you will only be registered on the CATHSSETA database to show you have passed the theory and will not receive a CATHSSETA qualification.

Note that these books will be sent to you digitally. Should you also wish to have a hard copy, additional costs are applicable.

Excluded

Internet access
A device (laptop preferably) and earphones
Recommended supplementary reading material

Course details

APPLY NOW

Introduction to Field Guiding Online Course

Learn with the top-rated online field guide trainer. Engage in personal, interactive learning experiences delivered by our academy of experts. Make connections, start your dream career.

DURATIONS: 4 WEEKS

NEXT START DATE: 27 MAY 2024

FORMAT: SELF-PACED, ONLINE

ACCREDITATION: CATHSSETA

AGE: 18+

The knowledge

you need to be

an ultimate guide

4 weeks

7 - 10 hours per week

Self-paced

18 and above (We welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels.)

English

Dates & fees

Program fees (incl VAT)

2024

Start dates

2025

Course details

Introduction to Field Guiding Online Course