The Role
Conduct walking safaris and game drives for luxury lodge guests, ensuring exceptional hospitality and strict safety around dangerous game. Maintain safari vehicles, firearms, and walking equipment; educate guests about wildlife, conservation, tracking, flora, fauna, and astronomy. Support conservation and reserve management activities while delivering immersive, high-quality field experiences.
Summary Generated by Built In
Job Overview
A luxury 5-star safari lodge is seeking a highly professional, passionate, and experienced Trails Guide to join our elite field operations team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for delivering world-class, safe, and deeply immersive walking safaris and game drives for international and domestic high-net-worth guests. You will showcase the intricate nuances of the African bush while maintaining the highest standards of safety and hospitality.
Key Responsibilities
- Guest Experiences: Conduct professional, informative, and thrilling walking safaris (trails) and game drives.
- Safety First: Ensure the absolute safety of guests at all times during encounters with dangerous game, strictly adhering to conservation and safety protocols.
- Hosting Duties: Interact with guests during meals, standard hosting hours, and orientations, delivering exceptional 5-star service.
- Vehicle & Equipment Care: Maintain the lodge's safari vehicles, firearms, and bush walk equipment in pristine, working condition.
- Conservation Advocacy: Promote environmental awareness, track wildlife, and assist the conservation team with reserve management duties when required.
Requirements
Requirements & Qualifications
- NQF2 Or 4 with a valid Professional Trails Guide qualification.
- Firearms: Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH) certificate with valid PFTC unit standards.
- Registrations: Valid DEAT/NDDT registration, PrDP (Public Transport Character), and valid First Aid certificate.
- Experience: Minimum of 2–3 years of experience guiding walks in a Big 5 environment.
- Skills: Excellent communication skills, a refined hosting manner, and a deep knowledge of fauna, flora, tracking, and astronomy.
Benefits
Benefits & Package
- Competitive salary of R15 000 – R18 000 pm.
- Comfortable on-site accommodation.
- All meals provided while on duty.
- Uniform allowance.
- Favourable leave cycle.
Skills Required
- NQF2 or NQF4 qualification
- Valid Professional Trails Guide qualification
- Advanced Rifle Handling certificate with valid PFTC unit standards
- Valid DEAT/NDDT registration
- Valid PrDP Public Transport Character permit
- Valid First Aid certificate
- Minimum 2–3 years of experience guiding walks in a Big 5 environment
- Excellent communication skills
- Refined hosting manner
- Deep knowledge of fauna, flora, tracking, and astronomy
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The Company
What We Do
Bushwise provides practical field-guide and conservation career training in Southern Africa, with safari-guide courses lasting from three days to 12 months and conservation training from two weeks to one year. It is the exclusive Southern African training provider for International Field Guide Association certification and standards. Founded to address the need for professional, qualified safari guides, Bushwise aims to help ethically sustain the natural environment.
