WELCOME TO

The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa

Est. 1990

The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa is a CATHSSETA accredited Training Provider. The Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) is mandated to facilitate skills development within its sub-sectors through the disbursement of grants for learning programmes as well as the monitoring and quality assurance of educational and training programmes as outlined by the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS).

The Association that sets the standard and level of professionalism in the guiding industry.

The Fields Guides Association of Southern Africa’s philosophy is one of representing and promoting a high standard of guiding and skills development within the tourism industry for its members. FGASA is a well known, highly regarded and respected brand across the world for all guiding and non guiding members.

Do you have the qualities to be an exceptional nature guide?

Are you filled with Enthusiasm? Curiosity? Objectivity? Are you a people person who loves to interact with others? If yes, then read on …

Being any kind of guide, whether you are a nature guide or a culture guide, means you need to be a colourful and exciting person ready to let those qualities bubble and spill over into the lives of your clients (or guests). A lot of people who want to be nature guides, make the mistake of thinking it’s all about the animals. It’s not. Guiding is all about people. Yes, a nature guide works in areas surrounded by the wonders of nature – animals, trees, grasses, birds, insects, etc. But at the end of the day, the aim of the guide is to look after their guests.

A culture guide focusses more on the history and culture of an area, the museums, galleries, architecture. Again the aim of the guide is to provide an unforgettable guided experience to the guests, but in the urban environment. The animals, the landscapes, the history, the buildings – these are the tools of the guide, to enhance the experience. A nature guide will mainly conduct a guided experience either using a game drive vehicle, or conducting a walking trails experience. Culture guiding can be conducted in many different ways from guides on buses, in smaller vehicles, urban walking routes or even focussing on guiding in one specific site.

If the above describes you, then you have the makings of a guide.