EcoTraining Game Ranger Courses

Wilderness adventure in Africa

You are passionate about nature and wildlife, are yearning for a wilderness adventure amidst Africa’s magical landscapes and even think about a serious career in the safari guide industry? For both time out seekers and those looking for a field guide and game ranger job in Africa, South African training course provider EcoTraining offers manifold nature guide and wildlife courses in South Africa, Botswana and other countries in Southern and East Africa.

Broad course portfolio

From courses with a focus on tracking or wildlife photography to FGASA endorsed training programs like the Apprentice Field Guide (former Field Guide Level 1) or Professional Field Guide training – each EcoTraining course gives participants the chance to experience unspoiled landscapes, to observe wildlife in its natural habitat and to gain a deeper understanding of Southern Africa’s fascinating ecosystems.

Official FGASA certification

Depending on which EcoTraining bush-orientated course you decide to join, you can acquire an official FGASA qualification after a final exam at the end of the course (FGASA = Field Guides Association of Southern Africa). A FGASA qualification serves as a door opener for finding field guide/game ranger jobs in Southern Africa and will help you along your way to becoming a professional safari guide. Learn more about

• why you should book your EcoTraining course through Natucate
• EcoTraining as a training provider
• the EcoTraining Apprentice Field Guide course (former Field Guide Level 1)
• the EcoTraining Apprentice Trails Guide course
• the EcoTraining Safari Guide course
• the EcoTraining EcoQuest course
• EcoTraining FAQ

Natucate support – Why book with Natucate?

Natucate is a trusted partner of EcoTraining and offers a multitude of EcoTraining nature training and game ranger courses. Booking through Natucate guarantees expert advice, quality care and lots of travel law advantages. Learn more about why booking with us is better for you:

• Expertise: We know what you are looking for! Natucate founder Daniel himself has finished his field guide training with EcoTraining and has been visiting the different EcoTraining camps each year ever since.
  
  As part of annual Private Wilderness Experience tours – private group tours which any nature lover is welcome to join – Daniel and some experienced guides lead our guests through Southern Africa’s wilderness and impart knowledge about the unique flora and fauna.
  
  As Daniel and his team continuously strive to understand Africa and travel the continent regularly, Natucate can provide you with EcoTraining/Africa travel advice based on experience, knowledge and passion.
  
  
• Comprehensive travel preparation: At Natucate we’ve been bitten by the Africa bug and maintain a close partnership with EcoTraining. As passionate globetrotters ourselves, we make sure to provide you with high quality service and support in planning your EcoTraining career course adventure in Southern Africa.
  
  Answering questions, adjusting expectations, talking necessary equipment, safety measures and the costs involved – as part of detailed phone calls and web seminars we offer our expertise and advice to help you organise your very own EcoTraining adventure.
  
  
• German travel law: Natucate operates under German Travel Law – this applies to each and every booking. German Travel Law includes some of the strictest requirements in the world and offers a premium level of client protection.
  
  
• Insolvency insurance: Each client receives a so-called risk coverage certificate from Natucate. By doing so, we prove to our clients that their funds are safe in case of insolvency.
  
  
• No extra costs: Natucate acts as an agent for EcoTraining – when booking with us, you won’t have any extra costs, though. We calculate your final booking price at the time of enquiry based on the latest exchange rate.
  
  
• 24/7 support: When booking your EcoTraining adventure with us, we offer 24/7 support during your time in Southern Africa. We have an emergency number at which you can reach anytime in case of problems or questions.
  
  
• Follow-up: You are striving for a career in the safari industry? Reach out to us and let us know! As part of follow-up talks and short workshops after your game ranger course, we will point out potential career paths, discuss the chances of finding a field guide game ranger job and provide you with additional information and contact details.

EcoTraining wildlife courses – What is EcoTraining?

EcoTraining is the leader and pioneer in Southern Africa as a field guide training provider. They offer accredited career courses, nature programmes, gap year and sabbatical programmes, custom courses as well as on-site professional guide trainings.

From Kruger National Park to the breathtaking Masai Mara: All EcoTraining courses take place in EcoTraining’s unfenced bush camps Makuleke, Selati, Karongwe, Pridelands, Pongola, Mashatu, and Mara. These are situated in outstanding wilderness areas across South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya.

Each EcoTraining course, no matter if a short wilderness course or professional preparation program, is designed to offer you further education and personal growth in equal measure. Obtaining an official FGASA qualification at the end of a course is an option, but not a must.

EcoTraining courses in Africa offered by Natucate

EcoTraining Professional Field Guide

The EcoTraining Professional Field Guide is often considered as a highlight among the game ranger training courses. The one-year field guide training leads you to the different EcoTraining camps in South Africa and Botswana and teaches you expert knowledge about the African flora and fauna as well as professional safari guiding. Half of the training is spent on gaining profound hands-on guiding experience.

The EcoTraining Professional Field Guide course provides an outstanding learning and lifetime experience amid Southern Africa’s pristine natural landscapes – from Greater Kruger National Park to Mashatu Game Reserve. When successfully passing all necessary exams, you will be given an official FGASA certificate at the end of your training.

EcoTraining Field Guide Level 1 (Apprentice Field Guide)

If an entire year abroad is out of your range, the 55-day EcoTraining FGASA Level 1 (now Apprentice Field Guide) course amidst the African wilderness might be what you have been looking for. As a student in this FGASA Apprentice Field Guide training course you spend almost two months in different EcoTraining camps in South Africa and/or Botswana and experience interactive theoretical lessons together with hands-on training in Africa’s untouched wilderness.

Experienced guides will teach you about subjects like ecology, animal and plant life, animal behavior, bush safety, and conservation management as well as conducting guided experiences in the wild. At the end of the course, you have the chance to take the official FGASA Apprentice Field Guide exam to receive the FGASA Field Guide NQF2 certificate.

EcoTraining Apprentice Trails Guide

Gaining profound knowledge about the wildlife and nature that surrounds you, sharpening your situational awareness and learning to lead bush walks through big game areas – that’s what you will get when joining the EcoTraining Apprentice Trails Guide course. The course is suitable for everyone passionate about nature, no matter if you are simply an outdoor enthusiast thirsty for new adventures or striving for a FGASA Trails Guide NQF2 qualification.

EcoTraining Safari Guide

The EcoTraining Safari Guide training in South Africa, Botswana or Kenya is not as intense as the career courses mentioned above but still provides a unique learning experience in nature. As a Safari Guide student, you will be enabled to experience Africa in an exceptional way and to gain essential nature skills and knowledge. For 28 days you and your international team live in EcoTraining's wilderness camps, acquire knowledge about nature and wildlife as part of theoretical and practical training units, and learn how to safely conduct guided experiences.

EcoTraining EcoQuest – also a family adventure

The one- or two-week EcoTraining EcoQuest course amidst Botswana’s, South Africa’s or Kenya’s wilderness is an ideal option for all nature and wildlife enthusiasts who would like to gain a first insight into the African bush. You and your group will be familiarized with the secrets of the animal and plant life and provided with valuable background knowledge on the fascinating ecosystems.

Roaming the depths of Kruger National Park, observing elephants and lions in the Land of Giants, and witnessing wildebeest migrations in the Masai Mara – your EcoQuest sneak peak will surely infect you with the EcoTraining fever.

Another extra: The EcoTraining EcoQuest course can also be joined as a family. The five-day family adventure allows even the youngest ones to explore and understand the unique environment of Southern Africa.

Further EcoTraining courses

But there’s more to it than that! Natucate furthermore offers EcoTraining courses with a special focus such as the EcoTraining Tracking Course in South Africa and Botswana, the EcoTraining Wildlife Photography Course in South Africa, the EcoTraining Birding Course in South Africa and the EcoTraining Wilderness Trails Course in South Africa and Botswana.

EcoTraining FAQ

Where do the EcoTraining courses take place?

Kruger National Park, Mashatu Game Reserve and the Masai Mara – EcoTraining has different wilderness camps in South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya. To learn more about the camps, just click on one of the following names:

EcoTraining Camp Makuleke
EcoTraining Camp Selati
EcoTraining Camp Karongwe
EcoTraining Camp Pridelands
EcoTraining Camp Pongola
EcoTraining Camp Mashatu
EcoTraining Camp Mara

Am I too old to join an EcoTraining course?

No – adult participants of all ages are welcome in the EcoTraining courses we offer. What is important, though: You need to enjoy a reasonable level of fitness as driving and walking in rough terrain and at often high temperatures can be physically quite strenuous.

All participants need to be at least 18 years old to join – the only exception are any EcoTraining family courses in which we accept participants from 8 years of age (accompanied by an adult).

Which costs are involved when joining an EcoTraining course?

The course fee is always dependent on the course itself. What applies in general: the longer the course and the more services included, the higher the programme fee. When booking with Natucate, there won’t be any extra costs. We will take the EcoTraining price and calculate the final course fee at the time of enquiry based on the latest exchange rate.

In general, the course fee includes accommodation and board, daily game drives and walks, training by experienced guides (theory/in the field) and course-related transfers throughout the course. National park entrance fees are dependent on the course. In the Field Guide Level 1 course, the fee also includes FGASA registration, exam and tuition fees, the SASSETA Competency Certification and DEAT registration. In addition to that, uniforms will be provided for you in the Professional Field Guide course.

Prior to departure, the Natucate team helps you prepare your journey and assists you in finding flights and suitable travel insurance. Furthermore, we offer 24/7 support during your time as a course student and conduct follow-up talks after course completion. The included and excluded services for each course can be found on our website, on the corresponding course description.

Difference: What is a guide and what is a ranger?

The terms “game ranger” and “field guide/nature guide” often get mixed up, although they describe two different fields of responsibility. Whereas a game ranger is mainly responsible for the resource management of national parks and game reserves and maintains these wildlife areas, a field guide/nature guide interacts with the tourists who come to visit these regions. Field guides act as interpreters between visitor and the environment, sharing their knowledge about nature and wildlife with safari guests.

What happens after my EcoTraining course?

Many African countries do not have their own guiding authorities (such as FGASA in South Africa). As a result, possessing a FGASA qualification often turns out to be beneficial and may help you on your way to find a game ranger job in Southern Africa. What is important to understand: In general, finding a job as a game ranger/safari guide is very difficult for non-natives – even though it is not impossible.

After you have successfully taken part in a FGASA EcoTraining course, you need to be offered a job by a lodge/institution before you can apply for a work visa. In order to determine the exact requirements to legally guide in a specific region it will be necessary for you to approach the relevant country's department of tourism/wildlife.

Natucate is happy to discuss your future plans and job chances as part of a follow-up talk after you have finished your EcoTraining course.

What is FGASA and CATHSSETA?

FGASA is short for Field Guides Association of Southern Africa. CATHSSETA is the Culture Arts Tourism and Hospitality Sector Education Training Authority for the South African government. Both FGASA and CATHSSETA are responsible for regulating the guiding standards in South Africa. EcoTraining is a FGASA-endorsed training provider, with the Professional Field Guide, Apprentice Field Guide (Field Guide Level 1) and Apprentice Trails Guide course being FGASA-endorsed training programs.