Conservation Careers

Spend 6 months training in the African bush with an optional 6-month job placement AND get career training from Conservation Careers!

Join us in South Africa’s Lowveld region, one of the world’s best big game territories, and train to become a qualified field guide while experiencing the African bush at its most exquisite. This course, which is available to anyone 18 years or older, provides a training platform for prospective field guides or conservation professionals who are eager to get a head start in these competitive industries.

Conservation Careers has teamed up with Bushwise to provide Field Guide Training in South Africa. With over 10 years’ experience in training field guides for the lodge, safari and conservation industry in South Africa, Bushwise is leading South African field guide training provider, and is Cathsseta-accredited and the exclusive provider of the International Field Guide Association (IFGA) curriculum.

“95% of Bushwise students are being offered permanent positions within a month of graduation”, said Dr Nick Askew from Conservation Careers. “If you’re interested in a career working as a field guide, field research and eco-tourism sector then read on and register your interest below.”

Course options

We currently offer the following three programs:

The 60-day Safari Guide course
The 6-month International Field Guide course
The 12-month International Field Guide course, including work placement

Where nature’s your classroom

Begin the biggest adventure of your career and train to become a qualified field guide in South Africa’s Big Five territory. Study under the guidance of industry experts and award winners with over 100 years of combined experience. Witness wildlife in their natural habitats as you learn about animal behaviour and ecosystem functions. You’ll earn professional certificates which will open doors for a career in conservation, wildlife, ecotourism and more.

Whether you join us for 60 days or 6 months, your home away from home is immersive and right in the bush. Our Sabi Sabi campus is located in the world famous Sabi Sabi Reserve, within the Greater Kruger. Our SAWC campus is next to the Orpen Gate to Kruger National Park, and the iconic Timbavati white lions are regularly seen on game drives. Our original Mahlahla Campus will give you access to the Greater Makalali Game Reserve, another incredible Big Five destination.

When you join an in-person course with Bushwise, you’re setting yourself up for success – whether you become a safari guide in South Africa, a wilderness guide in Alaska, a game ranger in Namibia, a researcher in Costa Rica, or a conservationist in Thailand. Our top programs are backed by the International Field Guide Association (IFGA), for which we are the exclusive training provider in Southern Africa. With an IFGA qualification, you stand out as a global leader in guiding and wildlife. It’s this global qualification, international work placement opportunities and expert guidance that will set you apart in your career growth.

We offer two signature nature courses, our 6-12 month Bushwise International Field Guide course and Bushwise 60-day Safari Guide course. Both are IFGA courses, designed for career-seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

You’ll earn valuable qualifications like:

• IFGA Field Guide
• CATHSSETA Nature Site Guide NQF2
• Bushwise Field Guide
• CyberTracker evaluation
• Wilderness First Aid
• Reptile Handling

Our field guide and wildlife courses – rated No.1 on TrustPilot – offer a blend of classroom lessons, theory, practical training and real-world experience. Your work placement – whether here in South Africa or abroad with one of our international conservation partners – will get you a foot in the door.

Our career guarantee – which is unique in the industry – will set you up for success. We have a 100% employment rate and the majority of superior and luxury lodges request Bushwise graduates.

We’re proud of our students@heart policy and we know this experience will change your life! Whether you’re a career or experience seeker, you have 60 days or a whole year to join us, there’s a Bushwise wildlife course or field guiding course for you. Find yours.

Course itinerary

Typically your day will start between 5:30am and 6am. Daily activities will vary between classroom-based learning and practical sessions. We aim to give a balance of theory and practical training during each day, but we do allow for program requirements, seasonal changes and students’ needs. The balance between these two will differ module to module. Out here with Bushwise, we replicate what life is like as a real field guide. That means early wake up calls (oh yes!) with coffee or tea, long rewarding days in the bush, meals by the campfire, leadership responsibilities, camp duties and more.

​An average day could look like this, with slight variations based on season:

• 05h00 – 05h30: Wakeup call – time to make coffee and tea and grab a light breakfast.
• 06h00 – 10h00: Morning activity, whether a game drive, bush walk, lecture, or group activity.
• 11h00: Brunch at camp. Usually a hearty meal from eggs and french toast to fried chicken and potatoes.
• 12h00: Time to relax or study. Students may exercise (there are trails around camp), take a nap, or prepare for the next lesson.
• 15h00: Afternoon game activity or lecture in the classroom
• 18h00: Evening meal, whether dished up in the dining area or a communal braai around the campfire.

Welcome to your wild home

For 6 months, your new home is a comfortable room in the bushveld, with the sounds of hyenas, owls, jackals (and even lions) in the distance. All of our campuses have shared accommodation in permanent safari tents, bungalows and rondavels. You’ll be surrounded by nature in a truly immersive and unique campus.

The Bushwise Sabi Sabi campus is located in the world-renowned Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park. Our Mahlahla campus is located opposite the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve, a vast 25,000-hectare nature reserve in the Lowveld that’s dedicated to wildlife conservation. Our SAWC campus is operated in collaboration with the Wildlife College in the Greater Kruger National Park, just minutes from Orpen Gate.

All campuses are in reserves with significant plant and animal diversity, including the Big Five animals. The South African bushveld is known for its rich biodiversity and will offer you every challenge and opportunity to excel as an apprentice field guide. There is no better place in the world to complete your field guiding training and become a qualified safari guide.

Curriculum and syllabus

The Bushwise International Field Guide course begins with 6 months of training and theory lessons with our expert trainers. The core period of your training is broken up into 4-week long training segments, with a week off in between for some down time, self-study and reflection. Lessons alternate between classroom-based lectures, self and group study sessions, practicals in the field, guest instructors and intensive modules (for example, Track & Sign).

To prepare ahead of time for the course, you are given free access to our comprehensive online Bushwise Field Guiding course before you arrive. This is a great way to get started with the theory and knowledge portion of your training. It’s also a wonderful way to meet other students before arriving on campus.

Bushwise is also the exclusive training provider of the International Field Guide Association (IFGA) training program. This top-tier education will prepare select students to become a world-class wildlife or wilderness guide, ready to work in any environment across the globe. IFGA students launch their career on one of our international work placements, such as Costa Rica, Namibia, Thailand, or Fiji. This comes at no additional cost to qualified candidates.

The curriculum includes the following topics:

• Guiding in the natural environment
• Creating a guided nature experience
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Weather & climate
• Ecology
• Taxonomy
• Biomes of Southern Africa
• Botany – trees & grasses
• Arthropods
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Fish
• Birds
• Mammals
• Understanding animal behaviour
• Conservation management & historical habitation
• Vehicle Skills and basic mechanics
• 4 x 4 training
• Specialist guest speakers
• Hospitality & hosting basics in a lodge environment
• Principles of anti-poaching
• Survival & navigation
• Viewing potentially dangerous animals
• Rifles & rifle handling
• Bush first aid skills
• Tracking (Cybertrack Track and Sign)
• Wildlife photography

Our curriculum is aligned with IFGA, CATHSSETA, SASSETA, CyberTracker and other institutions. Modules include additional subjects like wilderness first aid, reptile handling, survival and navigation, conservation management, habitat rehabilitation, and more.

Free time

Saturday afternoons and Sundays are free time (although it’s recommended that students use this time for personal study and preparation for the upcoming lectures). However after every 4th week students get a full week off and are encouraged to leave campus, travel and explore the local area. With South Africa’s Lowveld landscape as your home base, you’ll be just a short drive away from incredible wildlife parks, world-renowned conservation areas and iconic destinations. Spend your free weeks exploring all South Africa has to offer – from a weekend in Kruger National Park to a week in Cape Town!

Blyde River Canyon – The largest green canyon in the world (with lush vegetation and deep cliffs), and the third largest next to Fish River Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The Blyde River Canyon is only 30 minutes from Hoedspruit and is a destination for camping, hiking, bird watching and boat tours.

Kruger National Park – At over 2 million hectares, Kruger is a massive protected area including the iconic Big Five, wild dogs, cheetahs, endangered species, and so much more. Tourist roads span the length and width of this incredible landscape, which is just a 10 minute drive from our SAWC campus.

Panorama Route – This scenic driving route takes you along the northern Drakensberg escarpment, featuring viewpoints, waterfalls, hikes, and cultural interest points. Attractions include God’s Window, the Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and Graskop gorge.

Mariepskop Nature Reserve – A lush mountain ecosystem, with unique biodiversity including rare and endemic bird species. Mariepskop towers in the distance past Hoedspruit, and is visible from both Bushwise campuses. This reserve is excellent for hiking, bird watching and forest exploring.

Hoedspruit –South Africa’s safari town, Hoedspruit, is just an hour from both Bushwise campuses. Here you’ll have access to all essentials and more, including a local brewery, restaurants, shops, grocery stores and medical facilities. A great place to meet people and see local life.

Private game reserves – Limpopo and Mpumalanga are home to many of South Africa’s top public and private game reserves. You can plan a day trip to some of them, including game drives and meals, or treat yourself to a weekend away at a lodge.

Drakensberg Mountains – This 200km long mountain range across South Africa and Lesotho is by far the region’s most impressive, with tumbling cliffs, rising peaks, crashing waterfalls and rolling valleys. Explore its hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails or go rock climbing or kloofing.

Cape Town – Head to the Mother City and visit Robben Island, Table Mountain, the District 6 Museum and Boulders Beach. A short flight from Johannesburg or Hoedspruit, it’s well worth spending some time in Cape Town during an off week or just after your course.

Durban – Located on South Africa’s east coast, Durban is a warm beach-front destination city. Surfing, diving, paddling and swimming are popular activities here. Enjoy the unique dune landscapes and coastal forests. Grab a bunny chow or ice cream cone and walk the promenade.

Johannesburg – South Africa’s biggest city, Johannesburg, is roughly a five-hour drive from campus. While many people use Joburg as a stopover city, it’s well worth a visit on its own. Absorb history and culture at the city’s many museums (like the Apartheid Museum) or on a walking tour.

Register for Bushwise!