This exciting course offers volunteers an experience of a lifetime with a packed 28-day program that will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the African wilderness.

A typical day on the course will see you rising early, usually before sunrise, enjoying hot coffee and biscuits while you listen to the bush waking up and then leaving the camp for an outing into the wilderness. The outings are extremely flexible and are determined by the unpredictability of what is found during the outing in combination with the subjects that have to be covered.

You could find yourself on a game drive following up on the roar of a lion heard during the night, or on a walk following fresh elephant tracks, learning how to track the animal and finding it, or it could be a game drive to a waterhole where animals come to drink.

Students return to camp in the late morning for a hearty brunch, which is followed by a lecture on the subject of the day. Study and rest time is then followed by afternoon tea and another outing into the wilderness until sunset, if walking, or until well after dark if on a game drive.

Afternoon outings could include night drives looking for nocturnal animals such as owls, bushbabies and leopards, or it could be a walk looking for and learning how to identify interesting birds. It could be time spent studying the night skies or even time for students to test their 4x4 driving skills.

It is then back to camp for dinner, stories around the campfire, discussing the day’s experiences and wondering about tomorrow’s adventures.

During your course you will cover a wide range of subjects including Animal behaviour, Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, Insects, Plants, Animal tracks & tracking, Approaching Dangerous Game, Setting up a Bush Camp, Bush Skills & Survival, Radio procedures, Weather & Climate, Geology, Astronomy, Basic Ecology and Conservation Management.

You will also enjoy additional activities including Basic 4x4 Driving, Sleepouts in the bush and Basic Rifle Handling. The course also covers Eco-Tourism related subjects which include Field Guiding as a Profession, Ecotourism & Guiding, Attributes, Skills & Duties of a Field Guide, Planning of Game Drives & Walks, Creating Photographic Opportunities for Guests, Presentation Skills and Working in the Industry.

Established in 1993 with a mission to raise the standard of guiding in Africa, this training centre was one of the first organisations to conduct formal training programs for game rangers. For more than a decade they have been taking people of all ages and backgrounds into the best of the African Wilderness to teach them about the web of life in wild places.

The course is designed to build empathy with, and an understanding of, one of the planets last great natural resources. Students gain a greater appreciation of the deeper meaning of conservation in our lives and knowledge of what it really takes to become a game ranger.

The course philosophy maintains that nobody can truly experience Africa’s wild places without actually spending time in the wild. That is why each course is conducted from our simple bush camps in the middle of a stunning wilderness landscape, with elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and a vast array of other wildlife as neighbours. Our students eat, sleep and breathe the wild African bush!

Students that have attended the course have returned to the ‘real world’ with a different outlook on life. Some have taken this new outlook into their day-to-day lives and others, inspired by their time with us, have completely changed their lives and careers.

What's included?

• Johannesburg Airport collection and drop-off.
• Overnight accommodation in Johannesburg before and after your Course.
• Return transfers between Johannesburg and the camp.
• A welcome brief and introduction with a member of the on-site team.
• Accommodation for the duration of your stay.
• All your meals during your course.
• All bedding and course related materials.
• All course lectures, practicals, game drives, bush walks etc.
• A certificate of attendance. (A pass certificate will be issued to students who pass their exams).

If you are adding the optional Cape Town Week, the following will also be included:

• Cape Town Airport collection and drop-off.
• A Welcome Pack complete with many useful items that will help you settle in, and an opportunity to let your family or friends know you have arrived safely.
• An embroidered AVIVA Fleece.
• 9 nights’ accommodation at AVIVA House in Cape Town with self-service breakfasts (8 nights before your course and 1 night when you return to Cape Town after your project).
• A full-day Peninsula Tour which includes lunch, visits to Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Cape Point, Simon's Town, Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and much more. An incredible day rich with history and some of the world’s most beautiful scenery.
• A half-day Cultural Tour, a fascinating introduction to South Africa’s recent political history before and after Apartheid, includes highlights of Khayelitsha, South Africa’s second largest township after Soweto.
• A full-day tour to the Cape Winelands including the Paarl, Franschoek and Stellenbosch regions. Wine tastings and lunch included.
• Our booking service for all attractions and events.
• Advice and support from our experienced team during your stay.
• Return flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg to join your course.
• If required, extra nights can be added to your stay to meet your flight dates for only R120 per night. This may help you to take advantage of any cheaper flights that arrive in Johannesburg (or Cape Town) before your planned arrival date.