When you’re participating in hazardous activities it makes sense to ensure that the people you’re entrusting your life to are properly trained, qualified and registered in terms of the applicable South African laws.
South Africa has very specific laws that govern all forms of Guiding, and it is important that visitors to our country only use properly qualified and registered guides, who have undergone thorough skills assessment and are legally registered. This is to protect you as well as the industry. Although we recognise that international guides (IFMGA for example) coming to South Africa may have good technical skills, they are not allowed by law to guide here and must attain the local legislated qualifications and register with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT).
Mountain Guiding in South Africa falls into a number of disciplines. These are listed in the links on the right side of this page. Once the list is shown – click the guides name for full details.
How do I check or find out if my Mountain Guide is legal & qualified?
- The quickest option is to search for your guide’s name on this site. You can also use this site to look for a guide in the area/region (top menu bar) you will be visiting or to look up the various mountain guiding disciplines recognised in South Africa. (right menu bar)
The next option is to ask your guide to show you their registration card. The back of this card will list what activities and/or areas they are permitted to guide. It should look like this with the guides scope or specialties they are allowed to guide. On the front will be the guides picture and date of expiry…
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