African Bush Camps marks 10 years of guide training and expands women’s pipeline

African Bush Camps is marking its 20th year in business, 10 years of guide training and five years of its Female Guides Program as it doubles down on guide development across Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The company says the effort is central to safari quality, conservation leadership and a broader push to open more paths for women and local communities.

Why it matters: - African Bush Camps is tying growth to guide quality, saying strong guiding is the foundation of a high-end safari experience. - The company is also using training to build future conservation leaders in Southern Africa. - The Female Guides Program is aimed at widening access in a field that remains male-dominated.

What happened: - African Bush Camps is marking three milestones in 2026: 20 years in operation, 10 years of its annual Guide Training Program and five years of its Female Guides Program. - The company was founded in 2006 by Zimbabwean guide Beks Ndlovu and has grown from one safari camp in Zimbabwe to operations across Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - The 10-year guide training anniversary reflects an annual program that has run since 2016. - The company is also celebrating five years since launching its female guiding initiative.

The details: - Zimbabwe’s guiding tradition shaped African Bush Camps’ training model, including rigorous field assessments, dangerous-game walking qualifications, tracking, firearm competency and natural history knowledge. - Each year, African Bush Camps closes its Experiences temporarily to bring guides together for intensive training. - Every guide is paired with an experienced mentor for ongoing coaching through the year. - The annual ten-day program covers driving, shooting practice, first aid, safety and emergency procedures, radio use and etiquette. - Training combines practical and theoretical learning with field specialists. - Learner guides complete monthly written assessments on grasses, animal bone structures, national park legislation, animal behavior, habitats and guiding knowledge. - Learner guides must also meet monthly practical benchmarks, including guided walks, approaching animals on foot, identifying at least ten bird calls, identifying trees and grasses and completing shooting assessments. - About four learner guides a year are selected for an additional external week-long training program, fully funded by African Bush Camps. - The company supports guides through the final certification stage with equipment, camp infrastructure, mentorship and field resources. - African Bush Camps also creates employment pathways for newly qualified guides. - The company says this helps keep knowledge in the safari industry and supports conservation tourism across Southern Africa. - Beks Ndlovu said his own training in Zimbabwe taught him that guiding is about understanding ecosystems, reading landscapes, earning trust and connecting people to nature.

Between the lines: - African Bush Camps is treating guide development as both a talent strategy and a conservation strategy. - The emphasis on mentorship and repeated assessments suggests the company wants to professionalize guiding beyond one-time certification. - The female-guiding push signals an effort to broaden who gets to enter and lead in a traditionally closed career path. - The company’s school-based conservation work suggests it sees the talent pipeline as starting long before formal guide training.

What's next: - African Bush Camps wants women to make up at least 25% of its guiding team by 2030. - The Female Guides Program continues with a two-year curriculum that blends classroom education, field experience, mentorship and on-the-job learning. - The African Bush Camps Foundation will keep building youth conservation programs, including Junior Ranger and Junior Guides training. - The company plans to keep supporting aspiring guides through certification and early-career placement. - To learn more, visit the company’s announcement.