Guide
Academy
Invest in the future of guiding
Our Guide Academy is designed to develop exceptional guides for your lodge while creating lasting opportunities for local communities. Guides are trained directly on your property, immersing themselves in your lodge’s culture, methods, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring they are equipped to meet your lodge’s exact needs and integrate seamlessly into your team.
This scalable and sustainable programme gives you preferential access to graduates who have trained specifically at your lodge, as well as all Bushwise graduates across all campuses. This ensures you’ll always have a steady flow of skilled professionals to choose from.
As a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO), the Guide Academy offers your lodge a chance to contribute to the future of guiding and local communities, while also benefiting from tax-deductible donations. Contributions are eligible for Section 18 receipts, providing a meaningful way to support the programme with financial incentives.
Case study: Guide Academy at Sabi Sabi
This case study explores our partnership with Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve to bring the Guide Academy model to life in 2024. It highlights how our community-driven training approach has created a tangible, lasting impact for both the students and the lodge.
We recruited aspiring guides from nearby communities and provided them with immersive, on-site training. Living and learning at Sabi Sabi, students were exposed to the full spectrum of lodge life – from ecology and tracking to hospitality, communication, and guiding ethics.
After graduating, they stepped into six-month placements at Sabi Sabi and other leading lodges, applying their knowledge in real-world settings under the mentorship of experienced guides.
With all of our graduates securing full-time roles at Sabi Sabi after graduation, the success of this model speaks for itself. Our partnership with Sabi Sabi has proven that this approach not only equips students with essential skills but also nurtures a new generation of guides. These guides are deeply rooted in their environment, committed to conservation, and ready to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
The Guide Academy reflects what we believe in – investing in people, wildlife, and the guiding profession.
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