Company Profile

Tourist Guide Institute is under the ownership of Scott and Julie Womack. Tourist Guide Institute and Cape Guide Training  merged in October 2013, having been acquired by the Womacks. Scott and Julie are registered tourist guides, with Cathsseta accreditation and the owners of All Africa Tours, a tour operating company specializing in educational tours. Scott Womack qualified as a high school History and Geography teacher (BA University of Port Elizabeth, HDE University of Natal, L.Th Baptist Theological College of South Africa) and worked for 26 years in the IT industry. Scott qualified as a NQF Level 4 Cultural Site Guide with Tourist Guide Institute in 2009, obtaining Theta accreditation (Reg. No.613/C/043346) with Level 1 First Aid training and as well as training in the Cape Wine Industry.  Scott is also an accredited Cathsseta, National Assessor (613/A/003031/2014). He has also completed a basic wilderness safari guide course in general bush familiarization in 1995 with Wilderness Guide Training. Scott is also a river guide with years of experience under his belt. Scott and Julie set up All Africa Tours in 2006. Julie Womack is a qualified primary school teacher (HDE Mowbray and Boland College of Education) with 29 years’ experience in the classroom. Julie left full time teaching at the end of 2010 to run All Africa Tours, guiding scholars and students on field trips and educational tours all over South Africa. Julie qualified as a NQF level 4 Cultural Site Guide with Cape Guide Training in 2013, obtaining her Cathsseta accreditation (Reg. No. 613/C/066257) with Level 3 First Aid and Emergency Care and also training in the Cape Wine Industry. She is also an accredited Cathsseta, National Assessor (613/A/003032/2014). Both Scott and Julie have experience in designing, planning, organizing, costing, managing and guiding tours all over Southern Africa and Europe. They have experience as driver/guides for 1 – 10 individuals and guiding  groups of up to 65 passengers on a coach.

The merging of two well established and esteemed companies, Tourist Guide Institute and Cape Guide Training into a single consolidated entity “Tourist Guide Institute”, combines the history and wealth of expertise from both Tourist Guide Institute and Cape Guide Training.

History of the company

Tourist Guide Institute (CC) was founded in 1992 by Andre and Kim de Waal, with the aim of providing training to potential tourist guides.  At that stage no formal syllabus existed for tourist guide training, leading Andre and Wally Brandt, the then SATOUR National Registrar of Tourist Guides, to share their experience and knowledge in compiling the original course. In an effort to standardise tourist guide training, the Tourist Guide Training Steering Committee (consisting of tourist guides and SATOUR officials) was formed and the syllabus for Tourist Guide Training drafted.  The Tourist Guide Institute was a founder member of this Steering Committee and subscribed to the syllabus and standards prescribed by SATOUR.   This function has now been taken over by the CATHSSETA (Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality & Sports Education & Training Authority). Training is done according to a NQF (National Qualifications Framework). The Unit Standards for tourist guide training has now been registered with SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority). The Tourist Guide Institute aligned its training to these new requirements.

Cape Guide Training (Pty) Ltd (formerly Livingstone Tourism Academy) was founded by Wally and Bernie Brandt and registered as a tourist guide training provider in 1995. With the introduction of the Outcome Based Education System, the company was accredited by Cathsseta as a service provider for the training of tourist guides. Wally Brandt was a former National Registrar of tourist guides in the RSA. He has been involved in the Tourism Industry for 25 years and is a Cathsseta accredited Advanced Assessor, Moderator and Trainer. Bernie Brandt was responsible for the administration of the company. She held various academic qualifications and is an accredited Assessor, Moderator and Trainer.

Tourist Guide Institute’s Mission Statement

To improve and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in the tourist guide industry through quality training to both aspirant and existing tourist guides.

Strategy

Presenting a well structured training course conforming to the requirements of the syllabus for the training of tourist guides as required by the industry.  Experienced guides are used to present training courses and both the theoretical and practical aspects of tourist guiding are covered in these courses.

Philosophy

The Tourist Guide Institute is apolitical and dedicated to improving standards in the tourist guide industry.  The Tourist Guide Institute does not support any specific political ideology and training is available to all people, irrespective of race, sex, colour or creed.

Further aims of the Tourist Guide Institute are:

• To promote excellence and professionalism in the practice of tourist guiding
• To provide and encourage education and training in all aspects of tourist guiding
• To provide a professional service to individuals and organisations in tourist guiding
• To serve the tourism industry by encouraging guides to adhere to a strict code of ethics
• To promote Cape Town and South Africa as a tourist destination to both locals and internationals