Guiding skills, ethics & professionalism
How a guide thinks, behaves, narrates.
FGASA Level 1 Foundation
Nature Site Guide NQF 2 · Apprentice Field Guide
The foundational FGASA qualification. Vehicle-based guiding, fundamental ecology, the southern African vertebrate orders.
At a glance
FGASA Level 1 at a glance
- Legacy name
- FGASA Level 1 / Apprentice Field Guide
- NQF level
- 2
- Format
- 17 modules · theory exam + practical assessment
- Pass mark
- 75% theory · practical sign-off by Assessor
- Practical days
- First 50–100 days in the field
- Entry
- Open · 18+ · basic English literacy
- What it unlocks
- Entry-level guiding in DG and non-DG areas
Richard says
“If you finish Level 1 properly, you can talk for an hour about a single bushveld kilometre. That's the bar — not a multiple-choice exam, the ability to hold guests' attention with the truth of the place.”
Voice draft from session-1 scoping notes; will be replaced with a direct quote from Richard before broader release.
By the end
Outcomes you'll be assessed against
- Identify and interpret the dominant southern African vertebrate orders.
- Explain the major ecological processes — water cycle, succession, niche, food webs.
- Demonstrate guiding ethics, group management and safety on a vehicle.
- Read the landscape: basic geology, soils, biomes, weather and astronomy.
- Identify common trees, grasses and tracks for the region you guide in.
Before you begin
Prerequisites
- 18+ years old.
- Reasonable physical fitness (long days in the bush).
- Basic English literacy (assessment material is in English).
- A willingness to be assessed in the field, on foot and from a vehicle.
A week in the life
What a typical day on FGASA Level 1 looks like.
No two weeks are the same — but the rhythm is.
- 01
Pre-dawn
Vehicle prep, radio check, first game drive — Richard or your trainer alongside.
- 02
Mid-morning
Module reading on the deck — short, syllabus-cited, off-line readable.
- 03
Midday
Practical — usually a guided narration exercise, or species ID drill on foot.
- 04
Afternoon drive
Lead a guest experience under instructor observation.
- 05
Evening
Reflection in your twin: what you saw, what you missed, what to revise.
Indicative module list
Modules
Indicative — final module list tracks the FGASA Level 1 syllabus version current at your enrolment. Each module names its FGASA section reference on the module page itself.
Conservation management & history
South African conservation context.
Geology & soils of southern Africa
Reading the landscape.
Weather, climate, astronomy
Field-relevant earth & sky.
Biomes, ecosystems, vegetation
Trees & grasses (regional)
Invertebrates
Often the most-asked-about by guests.
Herpetofauna — reptiles & amphibians
Fish (marine / freshwater electives)
Birds (regional, foundational)
Mammals (foundational orders)
Animal behaviour & adaptation
Tracks & signs (introduction)
First proper tracker exposure.
Predator/prey relationships
Field safety & vehicle operations
Communication & interpretation
Sustainability & responsible tourism
Assessment
How FGASA Level 1 is assessed
Theory exam (75% pass mark) + a practical assessment in the field with a FGASA Assessor. Tingala assessments are logged on the FGASA Register by Richard Pearse personally as the named Assessor.
See accreditation for the SAQA → CATHSSETA → FGASA chain. See consent for what data your twin holds about your progress.
Next step
Ready to start FGASA Level 1?
We're keeping the first cohort small. Tell us where you are on the FGASA path and where you'd like to be 12 months from now.
Request an invitation