Please note that this page is intended primarily for Drifters' recruitment purposes and as such is directed at South Africans and not at our international clientele. Due to the current legislation regarding work permits in South Africa, it is virtually impossible for anyone other than a South African to work for Drifters as a Safari Guide.

Guiding for Drifters can be an extremely rewarding and challenging experience. You will take groups of up to 18 international clients from all nationalities and walks of life on safari from the Cape to Nairobi. You will see the Serengeti Migration and solar eclipses, and witness wildlife interactions seldom seen and then only by a lucky few... Sound good? Welcome to the world of being a Safari Guide! But there's a catch - You also need to be totally dedicated, and good at what you do. The safari industry is a high profile game and positions for Safari and Ranger Guides are highly sought after.

Zero guiding experience

If you have noguiding experience and would like to become a Safari Guide (as opposed to a Field Guide - better known as a 'Jeep Jockey'), before you can approach Drifters with any real chance of getting a job you will need to have fulfilled the following requirements:

1. You will need a South African EC1 license - that is, a heavy duty truck drivers license. Driving schools are no longer able to book on prospective clients behalf, so in order to get a booking at any testing station, you have to be present in person. Once you have your EC1, you then need to get a PDrP.
2. The PdrP enables you to carry paying passengers. To be granted a 'PDrP' by the Department of Transport you will need
   • A doctors certificate certifying you fit to drive a heavy duty vehicle (a few hundred R's);
   • Have an eye test at the Department of Transport;
   • And, a criminal clearance from the South African Police Services (with fingerprints).
   • The application will cost you approximatley R300.00.
   • The best way to go about doing this is to go to your nearest (or best) testing station and ask them for the pack of forms you need in order to apply and take it from there.
3. You will also need a valid Level 1 First Aid Certificate. Drifters support the St Johns Ambulance Service in this regard and recommend their level 1 courses to any potential applicants (app. R 400.00). Their courses run regularly and are of a high standard.
4. Then you need to become an applicant member of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA). To enrol with FGASA you will need 2 X passport photos, your First Aid Certificate, and about R 300.00. After you have enrolled with them they will furnish you with a logbook in which you will record all your future trips, and they will inform you of the soonest Level 1 examination date. Please refer to the FGASA web site for more details about this.

Once you have done the above, and if you are serious about becoming a Drifters Safari Guide, then you should complete a guides course. There are several accredited training providers, who offer many different courses. You can find details on the FGASA website.

As you can see, this is not an easy nor inexpensive process! And it is not meant to be. Drifters only want guides of the highest caliber working for our company, and this is what it takes to become one of them....

Experienced Safari Guide

If you are already an experienced SafariGuide i.e. you have been guiding for at least 2 years, and have all of the requirements listed above, then you are welcome to e-mail a brief CV to buks@drifters.co.za.

I (Buks Griesel) am the Human Resources Manager at Drifters Adventours and I am responsible for the recruitment of all Drifters guides. I have worked in the industry for the past 12 years, and am intimately familiar with the safari industry in Southern Africa. I will be able to tell you if we have or anticipate having any guiding positions available at Drifters. Please feel free to send me an e-mail should you have any further questions.

Best Regards

Buks Griesel
Human Resources Manager
Drifters Adventours