How To Become A Tour Guide In South Africa

Tour guides, or tourist guides, are members of the hospitality and travel industry who show visitors around places of interest. Tour guides may lead groups or individuals through historical sites, museums, geographic destinations and on outdoor excursions.

Who is a Tourist Guide?

Any person who, for monetary or other rewards, accompanies people who are travelling through or visiting any place within a country, and who furnishes those people with information or comments concerning a place or objects visited is defined as Tourist Guide.

Is a tour guide a good job?

The path on how to become a Tour Guide and its workloads may be a bit challenging, but being a Tour Guide is a really great job. You get to go to places either you’ve always loved going to on vacation or have never been before.

How do I become a private tour guide?

Generally speaking, you can usually become a private tour guide by obtaining a license, after which you can either join a local tour company or work independently. Some tour guides take visitors on specialized walking tours that explore different aspects of a travel destination.

Categories of Tourist Guides

There are three categories of tourist guides:

Site Guides – these tourist guides have attained the minimum qualification in order to guide in a “limited geographical area” i.e. Hiking in the Drakensberg, visiting the Natal Battlefields,  taking a day tour of Cape Town, visiting Soweto;

Provincial Guides – are qualified to take tourists around an entire province i.e. Limpopo or Gauteng;

National Guides – are permitted to conduct tours around South Africa, crossing all provincial boundaries. These guides would accompany people taking a comprehensive tour of South Africa, say, by coach.

Classification of Tourist  Guides

Adventure Guides – conduct a guided adventure experience e.g. rock climbing, paddling, abseiling, etc.

Nature Guides – conduct a guided nature experience in areas such as  Game Reserves, National Parks, nature conservation areas, trails, and the like.

Cultural Guides – conduct a guided cultural experience in a limited geographical area such as a  museum, community, wine farm, town or city.

Qualifications

Qualifications for tourist guides are governed by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

There are only two qualifications registered on the NQF:

National Certificate in Tourism: Guiding (NQF2)

National Certificate in Tourism: Guiding (NQF4)

Tourist Guiding Training and Assessors

All tourist guide trainers and assessors have to be accredited by CATHSSETA to be able to train according to the nationally recognized standards and qualifications network.

Assessors cannot issue certificates as they have to be working for/with an accredited training provider who will then issue certificates from CATHSSETA, upon completion of the assessment. The duration of the course, course content, dates and time of training, and the fee structure are determined by each training provider.

The guiding qualifications are made up of a collection of unit standards or building blocks.

Each unit standard represents knowledge that a person must have, specific to his profession. These unit standards were devised in close consultation with tourist guides and other stakeholders. Each guide will be assessed against these standards.

How to Find Work as a Tourist Guide in South Africa

Becoming qualified as a registered tourist guide is just the start. To find work, you’ll need to market yourself to tour operators and other employers. Of course, your contact details will appear in the National Database and relevant provincial tourist guide association websites (many of which you will have to join and pay annual membership fees).

However, the best way to be found by Tour Operators and contracted for work is by downloading the Recruit A Guide App and creating your profile and video CV on recruitaguide.co.za. Employers want to know “who” you are and not just “what” you do, which is what your video CV helps them to see.

What qualifications do you need to be a tour guide In South Africa?

You’ll need:

customer service skills.

excellent verbal communication skills.

patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.

to be flexible and open to change.

sensitivity and understanding.

an interest and knowledge of history.

a good memory.

knowledge of English language.

Where can I study tour guide in South Africa?

Tourist Guide Institute offers both full time and online courses to individuals who want to become registered tour guides and/or tour operators in South Africa.

Is a tour guide a good job In South Africa?

The path on how to become a Tour Guide and its workloads may be a bit challenging, but being a Tour Guide is a really great job. You get to go to places either you’ve always loved going to on vacation or have never been before.

How do I become a private tour guide In South Africa?

Generally speaking, you can usually become a private tour guide by obtaining a license, after which you can either join a local tour company or work independently. Some tour guides take visitors on specialized walking tours that explore different aspects of a travel destination.

Is it hard to be a tour guide?

Tour guides have a difficult job. If you like to tour the cities you visit, to see historical landmarks in addition to local hotspots and more, it may be a good idea for you to go on a guided tour. It can be difficult to figure out how to schedule in everything you want to see when you’re new to an area.

How do I start a tour guide business in South Africa?

Documents a tour guide needs to operate legally are:

certificate of a first aid course.

a copy of your work permit if you are not a South Africa citizen.

certified copies of your qualifications.

current registration details of tourism associations you’re linked with.

How much does a field guide earn in South Africa?

Entry level guides can expect salaries between R4,000.00 – R7,000.00 a month. This is all dependant on what lodge you will work for, the size, the star grading, the rates, the area and the occupancy. You will also have the opportunity to earn tips.

How much does a tourism manager earn in South Africa?

The average salary for a South African Tourism Administrator is ±R800,000.00 annually. Salaries are higher when candidates pursue Masters-level qualifications in the government sector, in tourism planning and development.

How much does a tourism manager earn in South Africa per month?

The stats on SA tourist job salaries

For their dedication and hard work, hotel managers earn up to R235,429 per month.

What is a benefit of being a tour guide?

A professional tour guide will help keep you safe when undertaking adventure activities such as safari trips, mountain climbing, trekking, scuba diving and whitewater rafting. The guide is familiar with the terrain and local weather conditions and aware of danger zones, and many guides are trained in first aid.