A tour guide's role is vital as often it's the tourist's first impression with the people and culture of the place they're visiting.
Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa, capital of the Western Cape and the most beautiful city by the sea, is on everyone's 'bucket list'.
'Fynbos' part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the richest in the world with more than
8 500 different species and only found in the Western Cape.
Bontebok only found in South Africa and Lesotho, with the Western Cape home to the largest numbers.
Our 9 different Wine Regions offer tourists more than 500 different wine estates to visit and sample cultivars such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz and even our own exclusive Pinotage.
Tourist will love South Africa's sunshine and exquisite scenery. We offer many outdoor activities such as hiking in the Cedarberg Mountains. "Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." - Gustave Flaubert
Hermanus, only 1,5 hours from Cape Town, rated the best 'whale sighting' destination in the world. Join us for the Whale festival in September.
The spring flowers along the West Coast cover the land with a colourful carpet each year from July to September.
Coastal towns along the Cape coastline offer tourists scenic beauty, tranquility and rest.
Share your love for Cape Town and South Africa with others by becoming a tourist guide. "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tourist Guide Institute offers both full time and online courses to individuals who want to become registered tour guides and/or tour operators in South Africa.
To be a tourist guide you must have a love for this country, be able to work with people and have a desire to learn more about South Africa. Learners must be able to work hard and have access to a computer. Non-RSA residents must be in possession of a valid work or residence permit before they will be registered as a tourist guide. All learners must be able to communicate in basic English. The full time courses are 2 weeks (10 days) long made up of theoretical and practical training. Thereafter there is a period of 6 weeks in which to complete the set Unit Standards Assessments and a written examination at the end. The training is provided by accredited tourist guides who have the experience and expertise. Our Online Courses are 8 weeks long, offering lectures in the form of videos and then end with 5 days face to face practicals. In order to work as a Tourist Guide a person must be registered with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). Every province has a Registrar of Tourist Guides. In the case of the Western Cape the registrar falls under the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT). DEAT stipulates that the potential Tourist Guide must successfully complete a Tourist Guiding Course with a CATHSSETA accreted training provider. Tourist Guide Institute has CATHSSETA Accreditation and B-BBEE Level 4 status. Once the potential Tour Guide is in possession of a Tourist Guiding Certificate he/she can register as a tourist guide with DEAT for the area indicated on the certificate. Additional areas/provinces can be added to a tourist guide’s qualification/s after the successful completion of an exam on the additional area/s. The South African tourist guiding industry is controlled by the Tourism Act (Act no. 72 of 1993 + the Tourism Amendment Bill 2001) and states that no person who has not been registered as a tourist guide shall, for reward, act as a tourist guide. Note: The Act furthermore stipulates that tour guides must renew registration every three years and that prospective tourist guides should complete a prescribed training course at an accredited training institution approved by CATHSSETA (Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality & Sports Education & Training Authority).
What do I need to register as a tourist guide?
- Completed application form from the Registrar in St George’s Mall or off the internet (http://www.westerncape.gov.za/other/2011/11/tourist_guide_app_form_2011.pdf)
- Certified copy of ID document / Passport and Work Permit, Resident Permit, Refugee Status Document
- Certified copy of your First Aid Certificate (Level 1)
- Certified copy of the Wine Certificate (optional)
- Certified copy of Tourist Guide Institute Certificate (or other accredited provider) and Cathsseta Certificate
- 4 recent colour photographs ID size
- Proficiency Language certificate (Should you apply to guide through the medium of another language besides English or any other official languages in RSA)
- R240 Registration Fee or R40 in the case of an extension