My name is Melissa. I am a game ranger in Nelspruit who travels to various lodges around Africa to guide guests. I am a qualified field guide and trails guide and loves bush walks and birds. I dedicate my life in re-connecting people to the natural frequencies of the wild with the belief that this is our greatest chance of protecting wilderness.
You can find a number of different institutions within South Africa in which you could learn how to become a guide and they also offer several types of training. I have done a year-long course. I was stationed on a game reserve and remained there for one month at a time, and then a week back home, for 6 months. I did 3 hours of classes and 2 game drives with our trainers every single day, the majority of whom had formerly been rangers. And after that every single Sunday I took 2 exams, in which I need to pass to be able to get the FGASA qualification (Field Guides Association of South Africa). If perhaps you’ve got a specific passion, you may also decide to add on special skills in bird watching, frogging, cave guiding, river guiding and the like.