Daniel Razafimandimby, an experienced tour guide from Madagascar, recently travelled to South Africa to join the Bushwise IFGA Professional Safari Guide Course (2 months). His goal? To enhance his skills, deepen his knowledge, and bring these insights back to inspire and elevate guiding standards in his home country. This is his story.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, it’s safe to say Madagascan tour guide Daniel Razafimandimby is an expert in his field. Though he giggles as he recalls being completely stumped by Bushwise’s Track & Sign module during his first week in South Africa.
“Nobody explained to me about the tracks and signs,” he laughs as we connect via Zoom. “And then I thought, what were they doing? When the instructors stopped and explained about the toes, about the lobes [animal tracks in the sand], what were they doing?”
Fueled by curiosity and encouraged by his fellow students, Daniel referred to his course material, quickly working to understand tracks and signs and other essential guiding skills. And so began his 2-month journey as a Bushwise student in the South African savannah.
“I think the best way to describe the 2-month IFGA Professional Safari Guide Course is to say it's an ‘experience of a lifetime’,” says accomplished Bushwise trainer Andrew Kirton. This high-level course, backed by the International Field Guides Association (IFGA), is perfect to get students ready for the guiding industry. “It takes a lot of hard work from the trainers, but even more so from the students,” he adds.
The Bushwise IFGA Professional Safari Guide Short Course (2 months) course consists of 17 modules including ecology, botany, astronomy, arthropods, taxonomy and more. Students also participate in daily game drives, learning to operate viewing vehicles, track animals, identify bird calls and distinguish between different flora. “The modules are the foundation of what a guide should know,” says Andrew.
And while courses like astronomy were introduced to Daniel in Madagascar, he praises the comprehensive approach Bushwise implements.
“Here [we’re equipped with] a practical way to combine everything. Especially the practice drives helped a lot; we don’t have that in Madagascar,” Daniel tells me. “My instructors really helped me have extra practice with driving. That doesn’t exist in Madagascar – to combine everything together and to be assessed on it, that doesn’t exist at all. We have a written test at the end of the program, and that’s it.”
Daniel’s course with Bushwise was made possible through Noble Caledonia, a boutique wildlife and marine expedition cruise company based in the UK. Recognising the value of Bushwise’s field guide courses, especially their focus on soft skills training, Noble Caledonia sponsored Daniel’s studies. Over two months, he acquired these invaluable skills and will now share them with his network back home.
“Soft skills are one of the most important aspects of being a guide,” explains Bushwise trainer Andrew. “We work on developing great communication skills, verbal and non-verbal skills, teamwork and being a team player, but also having the responsibility of being camp manager for a week, which ensures delegation skills and teaches students how to work under pressure. Time management is also an important aspect within the many soft skills we cover.”
With these skills in hand, guides gain a deeper understanding of the tourism industry, says Andrew. “Bushwise has mastered this throughout the years, ensuring the best possible guides come out of this course, which is an important aspect for us – they are, indeed, the future of the guiding industry.”
In his short time with Bushwise, Daniel gained insights from his trainers and identified ways that guides in Madagascar could enhance their customers’ experience. “We don’t have hotboxes [insulated cases designed to keep drinks and food hot or cold] in Madagascar; we don’t have any drink breaks, even during a trek that can start from 06:00am until 16:00pm. I think I can tell them how it's quite the highlight of a tour just to add a kind of hotbox to have a drink break.”
Daniel also plans to share his experience on the Bushwise way of learning. “I think the most important thing will be how to combine astronomy with geology, the climate and wildlife. Because in Madagascar, the guides are mainly focussed on wildlife, and that’s about flora and fauna (plant life and animals) most of the time. Some will add a bit of history and culture. But it’s a big world, I think everything should be included, because I was told I might not see animals during a game drive, and so I had to talk and get the guests interested in what I’m talking about.”
Daniel’s passion for guiding can be felt even through the computer screen, and Andrew says it was even more of a joy to behold in person. “Daniel was such a great person to have on the course. One thing I can say is, the Daniel who arrived is not the same Daniel that left.”
Learn more about Bushwise courses and how you can take your guiding expertise to the next level with the IFGA.
