How to get into guiding

If you haven't guided before

A South African EC1 license - that is, a heavy duty truck drivers license. Booking your learners license is done through the new Department of Transport call centre.
Once you have your EC1, you then need to get a public driver permit (PDPn). The PDPn enables you to carry paying passengers. To be granted a PDPn by the Department of Transport you will need to go to your nearest testing station and ask them for the pack of forms you need in order to apply and take it from there. The following are required: a doctors certificate certifying you fit to drive a heavy duty vehicle (a few hundred R's);to pass an eye test at the Department of Transport; a criminal clearance from the South African Police Services (with fingerprints); approximately R400.00 to lodge the application.

You will also need a valid Level 1 First Aid Certificate.

Then you need to become an applicant member of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA). To enroll with FGASA you will need 2x passport photos, your First Aid Certificate, to join FGASA - R1530 (subs, reg and exam fee) plus approximately R500 for the books for Level 1 - so that's R2030). After you have enrolled with them they will furnish you with a logbook in which you will record all your future trips, and they will inform you of the soonest Level 1 examination date. Please refer to the FGASA web site for more details about this. www.fgasa.org.za. Thereafter you will need a CATHSSETA NQ (field guiding / tourist guiding) before you register with DEAT. This can be done through Gauteng Tourism Authority. While in the above process you should then contact us at +27 11 465 4905 and e-mail a brief CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We would like to know of your intention to approach us while you go through getting your ducks in a row.

If you are serious about becoming a Sunway Safaris guide, then you should complete a field guiding course. There are a number of companies that offer an introductory course into field guiding. Details from FGASA. On these courses you will experience what an overland safari is all about, whether it is the interaction between people, early mornings, game viewing and meal preparations. Overall a guides course is a worthwhile investment on your part because it will give you a chance to see if you have what it takes to be a safari guide.

If you are offered a training position within Sunway Safaris you might be required to complete a probationary period with us in a junior position (in our workshops for example), after which you will do training trips with other fully trained and full time Sunway guides, before becoming a guide yourself.

As you can see, this is not an easy nor inexpensive process! And it is not meant to be. Sunway Safaris only want guides of the highest caliber working for our company, and this is what it takes to become one of them....