From June 16-21, FGASA hosted the 2025 Safari Guide of the Year Awards at Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape where five finalists underwent a week of training and assessments to compete for the title.
The event was founded in 2011 by FGASA and Mike Karantonis, Tintswalo Group Head Guide. It recognises guides across Southern Africa.
To be nominated, guides must have at least five years’ guiding experience, hold a Nature Site Guide qualification, be a paid-up FGASA member, hold a Trails Guide qualification and currently work as a field guide. Interviews are conducted and five finalists are selected.
This year’s finalists – Cameron Schmidt from Pumba Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, Kalie Otimile from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape, Jason Gipson from Lion Sands Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, Matthew Derry from Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape and freelance guide Megan Heramb-Smith – were assessed on core skills: game drive, bush walk, guided photography, birding, track and sign, advanced rifle handling, storytelling, and hospitality capabilities over the course of five days.
And the winner is…
On the evening of June 21, Gipson was crowned 2025 Safari Guide of the Year. He came first in the guided photography experience and hosting/hospitality categories.
During an interview with Travel News, Gipson shared his experiences as a guide over seven-and-a-half years. Discussing his decision to train as a safari guide, he said: “Being able to work outdoors was a tick in the box and not the normal path that most people take.”
Guiding is sometimes perceived as a short-term career with guides often branching off into different fields. Gipson said events like Safari Guide of the Year are a way to keep people in the industry longer. “It inspires younger guides and that’s one of the reasons why I’m here today. I was inspired when I was younger by a few people who entered the competition. When you’re a new person starting out in the industry and you meet somebody with 10 years’ experience, there’s almost an aura around them that you’re intrigued by.”
The runner-up was Otimile. He has been in the industry for over 17 years and also worked as a safari guide trainer. He won the storytelling and game drive categories.
For Otimile, being a safari guide was not his first-choice career. “I studied tourism management and, while I was job hunting, I saw an advert offering field guiding courses. There was a bit of back-and-forth with my Mom because the course was short but very expensive. During the course, I found myself. It was everything I knew, things I grew up doing. I grew up looking after cattle, staying out in the bush and studying which trees are good for what.”
He believes that organisations like FGASA play a huge role in the industry. “FGASA has been doing a lot by making various courses available. When I was a trainer, some students had good knowledge and communication but couldn’t write so they failed the exam. We managed to do oral exams and, by FGASA allowing service providers to do that, I think it can motivate guides.”
Heramb-Smith won the birding and guided safari walk categories. She has been guiding for 16 years. Guiding in a male-dominated industry has been one of her biggest challenges.
“I am a trails guide so I spend a lot of time on foot and, when you have a weapon in your hand, men look at you and question if you can really do this. I’ve faced a lot of that and have had guests refuse point blank to walk with me. You really do have to prove yourself and push yourself hard.”
It can be difficult for the industry to retain guides over the long term because of the long hours and long days. “A lot of guides want, or eventually want, families. They feel they can’t do that because lodges don’t cater for families. Finding more places that are tolerant of guides starting a family, and being able to cater for that, gives them a little bit of security,” said Heramb-Smith. Having started her own family, she believes there are ways to work around this and guiding can be a long-term career.
“The industry needs to keep the standards up, which I think an event like this does. It’s not just a hobby, it can be a profession,” said Derry. With 11 years’ experience, he won the track and sign assessment.
Schmidt, who has been in the industry for 10 years and won the advanced rifle handling category, believes it is up to guides to put in the effort to stay in the industry. “At the end of the day, we’ve been given the tools from our associations such as FGASA. It’s what we do with that to stay within this industry. It’s you taking it and using it to become that guide you’re meant to be.”
