Bushwise and the
International Field Guide Association
Bushwise is the exclusive Southern African training provider for the International Field Guide Association (IFGA) certification and standards.
What is IFGA?
The IFGA is a global association, registered in the UK, that evaluates guides on their hospitality and communication skills, rather than just their textbook knowledge. While traditional certificates test technical skills like animal tracking and wildlife knowledge, IFGA measures how well a guide actually connects with guests and manages group dynamics.
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Built to help guides advance their careers and consistently strive for higher standards, it gives them a reliable way to prove their real-world experience to potential employers. Ultimately, the "IFG" designation shows that a guide excels at the human side of guiding, ensuring an exceptional experience anywhere in the world.
IFGA is
straightforward.
Download the IFGA App
The IFGA app is a free digital platform designed to fast-track your guiding career by connecting guides, training providers, and lodges under one roof. It turns your training, field hours, and hard-to-prove hospitality skills into a live, verified digital portfolio. Because lodges use this platform to recruit talent, you can also find and apply for guiding jobs directly through the app – giving you a professional, reliable way to showcase your real-world experience and stand out to employers.
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Beyond career growth, the app eliminates all your paper admin by pulling your daily operations into one secure place. You can log your walking hours and wildlife encounters on the fly for instant verification, and safely back up essential certificates like First Aid, ARH, and PFTC right on your phone. It also keeps you connected to the wider bush community with interactive features that let you track your species life list, debate tracks with fellow guides, and check the leaderboard to see how your field stats stack up.
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How can I become IFGA certified?
Guides can become IFGA-certified in two ways:
1. For new guide candidates, by earning their qualifications with an IFGA-certified training provider.
2. For existing guides, an IFGA-certified assessor can conduct an assessment onsite or at their training campus.
Bushwise is the exclusive Southern African IFGA-certified training provider, and our trainers are IGFA assessors.
Here is our simple breakdown of South Africa’s guiding compliance, grading systems, and standards so you can plan your guiding career with confidence.
Here is our simple breakdown of South Africa’s guiding compliance, grading systems, and standards so you can plan your guiding career with confidence.
Dates and costs
IFGA training program
The IFGA training program is offered in conjunction with the Bushwise Professional Safari Guide course, at no additional cost for qualified students. Please contact us for additional information.
On-site assessments for existing guides
Assessments can be arranged with our IFGA-certified assessors for on-site assessments. We also host assessments on the Bushwise campuses. Please contact us for dates and costs.