African Bush Camps Celebrates 10 Years of Guide Training and the Future of Safari Guiding in Africa
What is African Bush Camps celebrating in 2026?
African Bush Camps is celebrating three major milestones in 2026: its 20th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of its annual Guide Training Program, and the fifth anniversary of its Female Guides Program.
Together, these milestones reflect the company’s long-term belief that extraordinary safaris begin with extraordinary guides.
Who founded African Bush Camps?
African Bush Camps was founded in 2006 by Zimbabwean guide and entrepreneur Beks Ndlovu. His background in Zimbabwe’s respected guiding tradition shaped the company’s approach to safari, conservation, and guest experience.
From its first camp in Zimbabwe, African Bush Camps has grown into a luxury safari operator with experiences across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Why is Zimbabwe important to African safari guiding?
Zimbabwe is widely recognized for one of Africa’s most rigorous professional guiding traditions. Its certification process includes demanding field assessments, walking qualifications, tracking expertise, firearm competency, dangerous-game knowledge, and natural history training.
African Bush Camps uses this tradition as the foundation for its guiding standards across Southern Africa.
What is the African Bush Camps Guide Training Program?
The African Bush Camps Guide Training Program is an annual intensive training initiative launched in 2016. Each year, the company temporarily closes its experiences for ten days so guides across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe can take part in practical and theoretical training.
Training areas include:
Driving proficiency
Shooting practice
First aid certification
Safety and emergency procedures
Radio use and etiquette
Animal behavior and habitats
Bird calls, trees, grasses, bones, and ecology
National park legislation
Guided walks and field-based assessments
The program is supported by experienced mentors and field specialists, creating a culture of continuous learning.
How does African Bush Camps support learner guides?
African Bush Camps supports learner guides through mentorship, monthly written assessments, practical benchmarks, external training opportunities, and field resources.
Approximately four learner guides each year are selected for an additional week-long external training program, fully funded by African Bush Camps. The company also helps guide trainees with equipment, camp infrastructure, and, in some cases, support for rifle purchases and proficiency assessments.
What is the Female Guides Program?
The Female Guides Program is an African Bush Camps initiative launched in 2021 to create more opportunities for women in safari guiding, a field traditionally dominated by men.
The program follows a structured two-year curriculum combining classroom education, practical field experience, mentorship, and on-the-job learning. To date, seven women have completed the program and received full qualifications through African Bush Camps.
African Bush Camps aims for women to make up at least 25 percent of its guiding team by 2030.
Who is Nomsa Nemukuyu?
Nomsa Nemukuyu is African Bush Camps’ first female Zimbabwean guide. Her achievement represents an important step toward greater female representation in safari guiding and conservation tourism.
Her role helps show young women that guiding, conservation, and hospitality are viable professional pathways.
How does African Bush Camps inspire future conservationists?
African Bush Camps Foundation supports conservation education through the Junior Ranger Program, introduced at Khwai Primary School and Khwai Pre-School in Botswana in partnership with Re Jala Peo.
In 2025, the program engaged 55 learners through twice-weekly sessions and achieved a 100 percent attendance rate across 30 sessions. The Foundation has also developed Junior Guides Training to give children immersive conservation and guiding experiences in the bush.
Why does guide training matter for conservation?
African Bush Camps views guide training as an investment in conservation. Skilled local guides help guests understand ecosystems, wildlife behavior, landscapes, and the communities connected to them.
By training professional guides, supporting women in guiding, and introducing children to conservation from an early age, African Bush Camps strengthens the future of responsible safari tourism in Southern Africa.
Where does African Bush Camps operate?
African Bush Camps operates luxury safari experiences across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its model combines conservation-led hospitality, local guiding expertise, community empowerment, and authentic safari experiences rooted in Southern Africa.
About African Bush Camps
Founded in 2006 by local Zimbabwean guide Beks Ndlovu, African Bush Camps connects travelers to Southern Africa through authentic, expert-led safari experiences. The company operates luxury safari lodges across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, set within UNESCO World Heritage Sites and iconic landscapes including the Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, and Hwange National Park. Through The Collective, a curated network of partner properties across Southern Africa including Mozambique and South Africa, guests can explore more of the region in one seamless journey. An independent, owner-operated safari company, African Bush Camps is guided by a mission to share and conserve Africa. This commitment is realized through the African Bush Camps Foundation, which supports conservation, community, and sustainability.
US media inquiries
Alexandra Avila,
REYA Communications
alexandra@reyacommunications.com
