Bushwise to Sabi Sabi
on Dec 17, 2024When I was around 10 years old, I told my parents with a lot of confidence that one day I will become a Game Ranger. Naturally, I was brushed off. I mean how many 10-year-olds know what they want in life? Over the years, I started researching conservation-based degrees and courses and came across Bushwise when I was 16. I immediately knew this was where I belonged. After some debate with my parents, I went to university where I studied for a BSc in Geography and Environmental Management. Finally, after I was done and two years of job hunting behind me, I joined the Bushwise course in July of 2023. Little did I know that my life was never going to be the same.
I was of course nervous leaving home and going off on my own adventure for the first time ever. My parents dropped me off on the 7th of July. I remember it like it was yesterday. I like to think of it as the first day of the rest of my life. All my dreams were finally coming true. I never would have imagined that the experiences I had at Bushwise would almost outweigh all my other life experiences. Along with the sheer amount of knowledge that you have access to at the hands of the amazing mentors and study materials. The friendships and relationships built among your peers will for sure last you a lifetime.
For my personal experiences just being outside daily and having the wind in my hair and the sun on my skin was incredible. Going out on drives and the open-air classrooms, the views of just endless nature. All these amalgamate into the perfect study environment. Getting distracted by birds and bugs didn’t matter because you needed to learn about them as well. Then of course there were our Trainers and Mentors.
Personally, I believe that my experience at Bushwise would not have been what it was if not for the patience and experience of my mentor Darryn.
If there was anything that prepared me for the transition from Bushwise to being a Sabi Sabi Guide, it was the advice and training I received for Darryn. The multiple years of dealing with guests, hosting, and guiding really do set the scene for what it would be like to guide at a high-functioning lodge such as Sabi Sabi. Apart from all the factual and practical knowledge that is taught by the curriculum, the fact that the trainers have so many years of experience as guides really prepares you for that guiding position that everyone strives for. When I heard about my interview with Sabi I knew that I was ready. I had a lot to learn and a lot of experience to gain. But I was ready.
Having an interview with Sabi Sabi is a little different. I was one of the lucky few who had the opportunity to do Nkombe Camp. This camp was a five-day camp where they essentially put you to the test. Are you personable? Can you hold a conversation? What is your knowledge base like? Can you take criticism and use that to improve? And I feel most importantly, do you have what it takes mentally, you have a positive attitude even in the worst circumstances. I won’t lie, I almost want to say I hated every second of the camp. But now I look back on it with fondness. I met Anthea, now one of my best friends, during the camp and together we made it through and started here as trainees together in December of 2023. The camp was hard, but it was truly an amazing experience. We got to walk the entire expanse of the natural environment on foot and experience some incredible animals and special moments, seeing things you would usually miss from a vehicle.
The training process at Sabi Sabi is intense. It begins with a three-month probation period during which trainees undergo induction training, presentation after presentation, multiple exams, host every morning and evening, sleep very little, become best friends with their fellow trainees, do the Book of Knowledge, and finally, after about two and a half months of shadowing, trainees experience a pivotal moment: accompanying senior guides on game drives! These drives are invaluable learning experiences and a chance to leave the confines of the Ranger’s office. Finally, after all this is said and done there are two final rites of passage that each trainee must complete before being truly welcomed into the Family.
Believe me when I say, that after those little initiations are complete, you truly become part of a new family. You live with these people, work with them, and inevitably become friends with them. I have created some of the best memories here not only in a professional capacity but socially as well.
While Bushwise equipped me with the foundational skills to become a Sabi Sabi guide, nothing could have prepared me for the profound love I’ve developed for this environment and the crazy people I’ve met along the way. This journey is as much about the connections you make as it is about the work you do, creating an experience that is both life-changing and unforgettable.
