South Africa

One month ranger training in South Africa

Right in the national park
animals in the wild
High learning value

Roaming through the South African wilderness, observing wild animals, reading tracks and learning more about everyday work as a ranger - that's exactly what you'll experience during the one-month ranger training in the national park in northern South Africa. The ideal experience for your sabbatical, because you will return with a lot of new knowledge and exciting experiences!

Marakele

from 18 years

4 weeks / from €3.500

Wednesday, Sunday

life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Project ID : SA-SÜ464

As a volunteer
South Africa

4 weeks / from €3.500
to the cost overview

Ranger in the national park in South Africa

Working in the South African National Park

If you volunteer in the field of wildlife and animal welfare, you should make sure that the welfare of the animal and species protection are the top priority for the project. With our magazine article, we don't just want to help you with what to look out for when choosing a project. We also want to show you why animal welfare is important in tourism and during a project assignment.

South Africa has a great diversity of species and extensive savannah landscapes. The ranger training in South Africa in the national park not only offers you the opportunity to get to know South Africa's nature and wilderness intensively, but also a varied break from your job. From the day you arrive you live like a ranger with the other safari guides and other participants in the camp in the middle of the national park. You will quickly find like-minded people among the other participants who share your enthusiasm for wildlife. Experience an exciting break from everyday life that will help you personally and at the same time gather valuable knowledge about wildlife and nature.

The camp sets itself high standards to enable qualified training and diverse experiences. In addition, great importance is attached to the participants gaining a comprehensive insight into various methods of preserving nature. With a deeper understanding, the trained safari guides can also provide future guests with more comprehensive information.

The Ranger training in the national park in South Africa

Your assignment in the national park

The camp in the approximately 24.000 hectare national park in northern South Africa is the ideal starting point to get to know the South African wilderness. Numerous wild animals such as lions, elephants, giraffes, hyenas and many more live in the protected area, which consists of diverse savannah landscape, mountains, rivers and pristine valleys.

The experienced rangers are happy to pass on their specialist knowledge to the participants. For an optimal learning environment, care is taken to ensure that each ranger looks after a maximum of eight participants. This gives you a comprehensive insight into South Africa's nature and wilderness as well as into the daily work of a safari guide.

The aim of the training is to train responsible safari guides and to give them the necessary awareness of Africa's wilderness.

Variants of Ranger training in South Africa

There are different variants of ranger training in the national park in South Africa. You can choose between four weeks, three and six months. Depending on the time you have available, the program content of your training will vary and you will achieve a corresponding qualification level at the end.

1 Monat

During your one-month ranger training, you will discover the African bush under professional supervision and become one with nature. In addition to long walks in the national park, one thing is particularly important: the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide training. In a total of seven modules, you get content on various topics, such as the right equipment for a trail guide, orientation skills, approaching wild animals, knowledge about dangerous animals and animal diseases, and how to deal with incidents.

Please note that in the one-month program you only take part in the courses, but do not take a final exam. This means that you will not receive the Ranger title at the end of your stay. This requires at least three months of training.

Start dates 2023: January 9, 2023 and July 10, 2023

Your working day during the Ranger training

During the ranger training - regardless of whether it lasts four weeks or six months - you have to get up early because the day begins in the morning with a 3,5-hour game drive. Observe elephants, buffalo and other wild animals in their natural habitat and learn about their behavior along the way. You sit behind the wheel of the 4x4 off-road vehicle and learn to become a safari guide with your trainer.

In addition, you will learn to interpret tracks, identify bird calls and get a lot of knowledge about wild animals. After the safari, head back to camp for lunch and then some time to relax before heading back on safari in the afternoon. You can then end the evening comfortably with the other participants, listening to the sounds of the bush and enjoying the view of the South African starry sky.

Accommodation Catering

Camp in the national park

The lush bush camp is set in the heart of an 24.000-hectare National Park in northern South Africa. Your home during your stay at the camp is a spacious, comfortable safari tent with views of the wilderness.

The main house has a kitchen where the chef prepares three meals a day. There is also a lounge with a pool table, darts, library, PC and comfortable sofas, which invites you to relax and chat after a busy day. The room is open to you at all times and also has WiFi. In summer, the swimming pool invites you to cool off.

Location

Marakele

The camp for the ranger training is located in the middle of a national park in northern South Africa. There is a lot to discover on the approximately 24.000 hectare site.

Located near the Waterberg massif, the mountains meet flat savannah landscape. But the national park has a lot to offer not only because of the impressive landscape, but also because of the great diversity of species. You can encounter numerous wild animals such as lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, leopards and hyenas. In order to preserve this biodiversity, the national park is strongly committed to nature conservation.

Due to the good location in the national park, the camp offers the perfect location for living and learning. From the comfortable safari tents, you can still watch the wilderness after work or just enjoy nature.

So if you want to live right in the national park, surrounded by wild animals, this is the perfect adventure for you!

Your free time in Marakele National Park

During your assignment in the project you will find yourself in the middle of the Marakele National Park in South Africa. In your free time, you can decide whether you would rather stay in the national park or explore the surrounding area.

In order to find a balance to everyday work, you don't necessarily have to leave your place of residence. There is a library in the lounge, you can play billiards with the other participants or cool off in the swimming pool.

If you want a little more variety, all you have to do is take a look at the national park. The full beauty of the park reveals itself in the form of large plains, vast bush landscapes, rushing rivers, imposing mountains and deep valleys. It is home to many different animal species: from lions, leopards and hyenas to elephants, rhinos and hippos to giraffes, antelopes and numerous bird species including the rare Cape vulture. With a bit of luck you can discover and marvel at these animals during your stay.

If you have a little more time available, for example after your project work, a trip to Johannesburg is worthwhile. The city is about 250 kilometers south of the Marakele National Park. The Maboneng district is particularly worth seeing. Creativity has a home in this hip district. Mainly young people, artists, designers, photographers and entrepreneurs hang around here. There are cool restaurants and cafés, street art, numerous galleries, boutiques and hip shops for you to discover.

If you are interested in historical and political backgrounds, a visit to the Apartheid Museum is also worthwhile. There is also something for book lovers. In Johannesburg there is a huge bookstore with over two million books.

Incidentally, Johannesburg is an ideal starting point for tours to Pretoria, the Drakensberg, the Krüger National Park, Pilanesberg National Park and the Panorama Route.

On-site procedure

Arrival in Johannesburg

For the ranger training in South Africa you first fly to Johannesburg. From the airport you drive directly to the meeting point with the team and the other participants: You can either travel on your own or use the pick-up service of the hostel where the introductory program for the training takes place. This is where you will also spend the first night.

Orientation Program in Johannesburg – Kick-Off

The introductory program takes place on the first evening. Here you get to know the team on site and receive all information about the camp. The training content and the daily routine will be explained to you. You will also learn everything you need to know about safety. All your questions will be answered here.

The next day we continue to camp together. After a 3,5 hour drive you arrive at the camp and your exciting time in the national park can begin!

Your first day in the project

Thanks to the kick-off meeting in Johannesburg, you are well prepared for your time in the national park. In the next few days you will get a more detailed introduction to the organization. Then you start with the first course for the training.

Pricing

base fee

€ 3.500, -

4 weeks of participation

included
Services

Before departure

Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
Non-binding flight advice
Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
RGV t-shirt

On site

Orientation program with the team on site
Support and guidance from the on-site team
RGV 24h emergency number
Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities

Airport transfer on the agreed arrival and departure days
Accommodation at the job site

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

After return

Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
Reflection course on your experiences abroad
Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion

useful additional services

not included
Services

Round trip
Private expenses on site
Excursions with microlight flights
Travel and cancellation insurance
Visa and Vaccinations
All nights outside your agreed accommodation
Public transport and extra transfers

Individual Recommended additional offers
& must-haves

Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?

With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.

" Round Trip
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.

" Insurance
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.

"Volunteer Teaching Focused" online TEFL/TESOL course

245 €

Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course for volunteers
Intensive online TEFL/TESOL course (120h)

460 €

Interactive online TEFL/TESOL course
Personal development introductory course

Free of charge

Two tools to get you started on your personal development

Marakele Team
site

Your local contact in the national park is Stephanie. After studying cultural economics and years of professional experience in marketing and PR in Germany, she went to South Africa in 2010. There she fulfilled her longtime dream of becoming a ranger.

She has now been the camp's ranger and general manager for over six years. It is her fulfillment to support others who have a similar dream with advice and action, to pass on her knowledge and to support them in the implementation.

RGV FAQ
to the project

What are the project fees used for?

Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.

What visa do I need for South Africa?

You can apply for a tourist visa for South Africa when you arrive at the airport. This is valid for 90 days.

What language skills do I need for the project in South Africa?

You definitely need good English skills for the project. An Afrikaans course is also recommended.

What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need?

If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.

We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.

You can get general information about recommended health care and vaccinations online Center for Travel Medicine as well as on the side of Foreign Office.

When does the project always take place?

The start dates for the project are January 9.01.2023th, 10.07.2023 and July XNUMXth, XNUMX.

What are the requirements for the project?

For this project you should have an interest in safari, a willingness to learn, outdoor activities, animal and nature conservation, physical fitness, the ability to work in a team and a well-groomed appearance.

What do I have to bring?

For this project you will need to bring outdoor clothing in muted colors, sturdy shoes, a daypack, sun protection and a flashlight.

What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?

Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.

For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.

General FAQ about sabbaticals

Ready to get involved as a volunteer in South Africa? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!

Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.

You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.

Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.

RGV Your way
to the volunteer

1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.

2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.

3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.

4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.

Gallery Impressions &
Impressions

Learn from nature and wildlife in the sabbatical

Learning wildlife photography during Ranger training

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With RGV you achieve flexible volunteer work in different countries worldwide. Maybe there is one too Internship abroad the ideal choice for you to gain valuable experience abroad.