4 Ways To Spot A Certified Tour Guide

South Africa is a hive of opportunity for prospective tour guides. With safaris and tours to national monuments among other tours the possibilities are great. That being said, it can often be a nightmare for an employer to find a certified guide who is suitable for the job.

What makes matters worse is that there are also many scam artist trying to pass themselves off as tour guides without the relevant qualifications or registration.

If you are in charge of a tour operator there are a few tips that you should look at to confirm that the person you are thinking about employing is a legal tour guide.

Are they trained?

In order for someone to become a tour guide they need to be formally trained at an accredited institution. On completion of training they will receive a certificate or diploma to verify that they have received all relevant training.

It is the guide’s responsibility to make sure that the institute they train through is registered with the Culture Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority. CATHSSETA have an entire list of accredited training bodies available on request. You could use this as a reference.

Have they been registered?

After training all tour guides have to be registered by their local tourist guide registration board. The tour guide would then have obtained a badge with a tourist guide registration number. This number is unique to every province. The badge will also contain the details of where said guide is allowed to operate and how long the registration is valid for. It is thus important to also ensure that a guide’s registration has not expired.

Are they valid first aiders?

All tour guides have to complete a valid first aid course. Insist on proof of the successful completion of said course to ensure that a guide will be able to handle medical emergencies.

Do they have a valid driver’s license?

A prerequisite for becoming a tour guide in South Africa is a valid driver’s license. The candidate has to provide you with proof that they are legally allowed to be on the road.

Being a tour guide is a great opportunity for many young people residing in South Africa, whether they are looking to be employed by a tourism business, or start out independently.

This article was brought to you by Career Junction, where you’ll find vacancies for tour guides and more.