Prospectus
Tourist Guide Institute has been accredited by CATHSSETA as a National Service Provider to offer courses to train tourist guides. (CATHSSETA Accreditation Number: 613/P/000053/2005) The course co-ordinator is Scott Womack. Scott and Julie Womack are the CATHSSETA accredited assessors and Yvette van Zyl the CATHSSETA accredited moderator.
Tourist Guide Institute offers 4 full time courses for 2025 and Online courses with practicals in Cape Town.
Courses
Culture Site Guide: LEVEL 4 (SAQA ID: Tg/CultSiteGd/4/0031) (Western Cape Province Regional Guide)
To qualify for this certificate competence in the prescribed unit standards must be achieved as well as the embedded knowledge of the various areas and will entitle you to guide in the following geographical areas:
First Phase for CT courses:
a. The Cape Metropole
b. The Winelands
c. The Overberg
d. West Coast, the Swartland & the Sandveld
e. The Breede River Valley
Second Phase for CT courses:
f. The Garden Route
g. The Little Karoo & Great Karoo
h. Olifants River Valley
i. Port Elizabeth & environs
j. Namaqualand
After the two week full time course (contact time for full time course) or 6 practical days (contact time for the Online courses) and the FIRST written examination, you will qualify as a Culture Site Guide and will be able to guide in the first five sub-regions as set out above. To be able to guide throughout the Western Cape Province you have to write the SECOND examination – knowledge of visiting sites only. If this exam is done within a month of doing the course, the cost is included in the initial course cost except for the manual which is R250. If this phase is done at a later stage, the study material is available from our office at a cost of R850 (The examination cost is included).
Course Fees for 2025:
R7,900 Full time and Online
Non-refundable deposit of R 3,900.00 for Full time
Course Venue:
Intaka Island Eco Centre (full time and Online weekday exam day)
Park Lane, Century City
Course Dates for 2025:
Full time courses: 08:30 – 17:00
27 Jan – 7 Feb (projects hand in 17 March)
5 – 16 May (projects handed in 5 June)
14 Jul – 25 July (projects handed in 1 September)
6 – 17 Oct (projects handed in 17 November)
Online (weekday) course:
Approximately 5 – 8 weeks made up of (i) 5 – 7 weeks of online lectures, formative assessments, 4 written assignments, research and self-study, followed by (ii) 6 – 7 days of face to face practicals and a final exam on the 7th day.
Start date: You start as soon as you’ve registered and paid in full
Practicals: Weekdays 08:30 – 17:00
31 January, 1, 3, 4, 5 February with 7 February as the exam day
9, 10, 12, 13, 14 May with 16 May as exam day
18, 19, 21, 22, 23 July with 25 July as exam day
10, 11, 13, 14, 15 October with 17 October as exam day
Course Content for Cape Town Courses
The course comprises of two modules.
Module 1:
- Introduction and Course Outline
- Unit Standards and Outcomes Based Education
- Planning an itinerary
- How to do research
- Guiding techniques: – Expectations of the Tourist Guide; Role of a Tourist Guide; Communication; Responsibilities; Meet and greet at the airport; Problem handling; Care of the customer, Coping in an Emergency; Code of Guiding Practice; Professionalism; Guiding people with special needs; Route Planning; Guide-lines for a successful tour; Code of Ethics as a tour guide
- History of South Africa
- Geography of SA and Western Cape
- Demographics of South Africa (Population)
- Architecture of Cape Town
- Fauna and Flora of South Africa
- South Africa’s Cultural Heritage
- South Africa’s Government Institutions and Social Services
- Table Mountain National Park
- Cape Town City Tour
- Cape Peninsula Tour
- Cape Winelands Tour
- Full day intermediate wine course with a wine maker
- Overberg including whales
- West Coast
- Breede River Valley
Module 2:
Practical tour conducting.
Five or six tours are done under the guidance of experienced tourist guides.
a. Wine practical
b. Historic Cape Town City Tour
c. 2 x Winelands Tour
d. Peninsula Tour
e. Overberg Tour
Duration of Lectures (for full time course) & Practicals:
starting daily at 08:30 till approximately 17:00 (See programme)
Wine Industry Course:
The intermediary certificate course on the wine industry is presented as part of the course syllabus.
Course Material:
A comprehensive set of notes, covering all aspects of the course, will be issued at the commencement of the course.
Parking:
Free parking is available on the days of the theoretical work done in the classroom and R20/d on practical days. MyCiti bus runs 200m from Century City venue.
Registration:
- The completed registration form (p. 3-4 of Prospectus).
- A non-refundable deposit of R3,900.00 upon registration for 2025
- A short CV containing information pertaining to your education and employment history.
- A recently certified copy of your RSA I.D.
- A recently certified copy of highest education qualification certificate
- A recently certified copy of Alternate ID (if applicable): Work Permit (TOURISM RELATED) / Pass Port / Refugee Status Document / (Permanent) Residency Document etc.
- A PASSPORT Number is very important if you have an Alternate ID.
- If you speak a language other than ENGLISH & Afrikaans or the other 9 official languages of SA, you are required to hand in proof of fluency: a letter from an official body such as a university or embassy.
For your convenience please deposit the required amount directly into the account of TOURIST GUIDE INSTITUTE. Please SCAN and EMAIL the Deposit Slip & Registration Form, ID copy & CV. See the bank account details on registration form.
It is a prerequisite to obtain a basic First Aid Certificate to qualify for registration as a tourist guide. It can be done through any accredited First Aid Training Institution. A list of the accredited training companies will be handed to you at the commencement of the course.
Download registration form here.