NJ MORE Field Guide College

( 1 Reviews )

Activities: Adventure Holidays / Career Break / Wildlife Tours / Safari Guide Training Courses
Country: South Africa

Live your dream in Africa! You want to experience a once in a lifetime gap year? Or you would like to turn your passion for nature into a career? We train professional Safari Guides in South Africa. Join our six or twelve month course!

Become a Safari Guide

The Training Camp is set inside the Marataba/Marakele National Park (76,000 HA) which forms part of the pristine Waterberg Biosphere.

The Big Five roam in this untouched wilderness and the reserve is heaven for an impressive variety of wildlife and birds. As a Malaria-free reserve you don’t need to worry about taking any medication or other precautions.

Our Courses

6 months FGASA level 1 course contains the FGASA syllabus (Field Guide association of South Africa) and other modules like Trails Guide Back up, Tracks & Signs, Advanced Rifle Handling, Birding, Hosting and more.

Our intakes start twice a year - mid January and July.

An optional 6 months placement afterwards in one of the countries leading five star lodges can be arranged after achieving the necessary criteria during the first 6 months.

We offer professional training facilities and very comfortable accommodation (Spacious tents on stilts with En-Suite Bathrooms).

The Camp is near Thabazimbi (40 Min) with all the infrastructure needed. Small groups guarantee personal attention. Students will also be exposed to wildlife management as we work closely with the Ecologists/Vet in the park.

Our goal is to train professionals who might potentially work for under the umbrella of the five star properties of Luxury MORE Hotels Pty/Ltd. Or to give wildlife enthousiasts an unforgettable time in the african bush.

Contact Info

Go somewhere else

I went to NJ More Field Guide College in Marakele starting July 2019 and did the 3 month "experience" (FGASA Apprentice Field Guide) course. It cost zar 89,500 (expensive side vs others).

I picked it because the dates worked and the tents were ensuite. However time again I would pick a different provider (irrespective of accommodation) for 3 main reasons:

(1) No animals - the park has been in official drought for the last 6 years. While the animals congregate by water sources, these are on the other side of the reserve from the college. That side is the site of a lodge owned by the same group - while there will be the occasional drive to that side, you will not respond to sightings, rather actively avoid them so "students" don't get in the way or "guests". Forget the fact you paid US$7,000 for this, you will drive 6-8 hours a day and see 2 zebra if you're lucky.

(2) They skimp on teaching. There were 16 students split into 2 cars and only 1 instructor. The second car is driven by a student from the last intake now doing an internship with the lodge. Feel free to ask questions, they won't know the answer. The different vehicles won't go the same way or cover the same things, we found that one vehicle hadn't been taught a third of the trees needed for a field test. The instructor will claim he taught it to both vehicles. 8 people who never saw the trees before will know he's lying.

(3) The lead instructor is a bully. He will call 5am wake ups on study days, yell at and insult you as he pleases, "joke" about beating women, threaten actual physical violence (while yelling and around firearms), tell everyone how behind they are and how badly the group is doing to try to crush morale when actually everyone is doing well and ahead of schedule, make you stand or sit in 30C+ direct sun for long periods "because that's what guides do", the list goes on. He has numerous verbal and written complaints against him, but has been friends with group management for years and they don’t do anything.

A quarter of the 6 month (apprentice field guide + apprentice trails guide) course participants from my intake walked out part way through. It's that bad. (Those photos on the website / instagram? Staged with a pro photographer on days students were actually paying to be taught).

For sure do the FGASA course, but go where you can see animals, experience being up close, and have a great time (I met a bunch of people from EcoTraining who loved it, likewise a girl who went to Bushwise). It's an amazing thing to do, just not at NJ More Field Guide College.

By: Anonymous
Nationality: UK