MGT Courses

⏰ THE CLOCK IS TICKING… DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND!
Are you still guiding with a Skills Programme qualification, dreaming of becoming a fully qualified National Tourist Guide?
👉 This is your FINAL CALL to upgrade to a FULL GUIDING QUALIFICATION.
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❓ “But do I really need to upgrade?”
You might be thinking:
“I already have my badge and multiple provinces… why should I bother?”
Here’s the reality:
🔹 You’re missing over 100 credits of essential skills and knowledge
That’s a massive gap in professional development — the difference between good and exceptional.
This is what gives you confidence, credibility, and that professional edge clients notice.
🔹 The industry is about to change — completely
A new guiding qualification is coming (expected end of June), and it will bring:
• More complex requirements
• Increased practical assessments
• Higher costs
👉 And yes… you could be told at the registrar’s office:
“You need to redo your qualification.”
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🌍 Remember who you are
You are not just a guide.
You are an ambassador for South Africa.
Every tour you lead shapes how international visitors experience our country.
💡 So the real question is:
Are you equipped to represent South Africa at the highest level?
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🚀 This is your moment
Upgrade now while you still can:
✔ Stay ahead of the new qualification changes
✔ Secure your professional standing
✔ Become the guide you aspire to be
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📩 Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Take the next step. Become fully qualified. Stand out.
Contact us for more information:
[email protected]
WhatsApp: 082 321 7569 (Maria)

Get legal before the new qualification kicks in!

Discover the Adventure of Guiding!

💥 Black Friday Special: Ends Saturday, 30th November
Turn your passion for South Africa’s culture, history, and natural wonders into a rewarding career! Become a certified tourist guide and open doors to a world of adventure and opportunity.

Why Choose Us?

✅ Expert Training
Prepare for an exciting career with industry-leading guidance and support.
✅ Explore South Africa’s Rich Diversity
Delve into vibrant townships, cultural treasures, and breathtaking natural heritage.
✅ Flexible Learning Options
Study at your own pace, anytime, anywhere, with resources tailored for your success.
✅ Cathsseta-Certified Programmes
Earn certification through two comprehensive programmes designed to kickstart your guiding journey step-by-step
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Learn to design, market, and present your own tours, setting you apart in the industry.
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📱 082 321 7569
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.mgtcourses.co.za

Join a community of passionate guides and help travellers experience the magic and beauty of South Africa like never before.

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ALL ‘SYKED’ UP …

I love nature, but no pro unfortunately, and therefore always grateful to pick the brains of people like Zania Collin and a new ecologist guide trainee, Beate Holscher, who worked for SANBI.

Today’s dilemma was about the Samango monkey (also known as Sykes Monkey). I knew that this lesser-known primate of South Africa (we have 6 species excluding H.sapiens) inhabited forests areas such as the Afromontane and Indian Ocean Coastal belts. I always assumed that they were present in the Tsitsikamma forest because of the habitat, but today I learned they don’t occur this far south!

According to SANBI, researchers disagree as to how many subspecies in South Africa – either two / three.
To contribute to the confusion, the taxonomy of samango monkeys is also still disputed on species level - some listing them under the C. mitis group and other prefer C. albogularis.

The proposed three distinct subspecies in South Africa is:
C. a. labiatus, C. a. erythrarchus and C. a. schwarzi.
In accordance this is where you will find the different subspecies:
1. C. a. labiatus is endemic to South Africa and its southern range limit is the Pirie Forest in the Eastern Cape from there it extends northeastwards to the midlands of the KwaZulu-Natal Province
2.C. a. erythrarchus occurs in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and up to Malawi. Within South Africa it occurs from southern Mpumalanga Province to northern KwaZulu-Natal Province
3. The distribution of C. a. schwarzi comprises Mariepskop in the Pilgrims Rest District, north to the Magoebaskloof area including Woodbush (Mpumalanga Province), as well as the Soutpansberg mountains in northern Limpopo Province.

To conclude, Samatha Oosthuysen (adventure guide, and culture guide trainee) described her first encounter with a Samango monkey at Kosi Bay as follows: "I saw this strange-looking, lonely monkey sitting on the beach and it looked like something cut from a coconut (apparently it tried to swim from one side of the forest to the opposite side) … thanks Sammy for igniting the research on this interesting little creature😊

Definitions:
Subspecies - not biologically different, but distinct populations that occur in isolated geographical pockets of indigenous forests with individuals that may vary slightly in colour and size, etc.
Species - defined as a group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature / produce off spring.

Samango monkey - SANBI Common names: Sykes’ monkey, Stair’s white-collared monkey, Schwarz’s white-collared monkey (Eng.); samango-aap (Afr.), insimango (siSwati, isiZulu), ndlandlama (Xitsonga), dulu (Tshivenda), […]

Why Africans are fortunate😊

Swedish scientist Svante Paabo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine yesterday for his discoveries concerning the *genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution. In layman’s terms, his work can be likened to an archaeologist / palaeontologist ‘excavating’ the DNA of humans, and other hominins in search of evidence for human origins.

*Genome - an organism's complete set of DNAS

Here are some of the key findings from his research.
• According to the evolution theory, early humans, after moving from Africa, encountered the Neanderthal and Denisova hominins living in Europe and Asia respectively. These species are believed to have interbred with the new arrivals and it was concluded through these studies that modern humans with European or Asian descent contain a percentage of the genomes of these two hominin species.
• Reference is also made to how this gene transferal has influenced adaptation, for example Tibetans share a gene with Denisovans that helps them adapt to high altitude.
• In relation to the recent pandemic, it is also suggested that one million individuals died due to the Neanderthal variant that they carry. In other words, the researchers believe that the major genetic risk factor for severe symptoms because of the disease was inherited from Neanderthals. Statistics from different regions correlate with these findings.

As a matter of interest, I searched for previous Nobel prize winners in the field of medicine and physiology which included Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin, and Robert Koch for his work on tuberculosis. In 2015 it was awarded to scientists who developed new drugs for roundworm parasites and malaria that improved the lives of 3.4 billion people around the world. Irish parasitologist William C. Campbell and Japanese microbiologist Satoshi Ōmura shared half the prize with a Chinese researcher (who worked on malaria), for discoveries that led to ivermectin, which has dramatically reduced the incidence of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).

Recently, I also watched a programme where a health authority in Uganda was interviewed about the influence of the pandemic on Africa. Apart from South Africa, the continent did not struggle as much as the rest of the world in terms of combating the disease. Likely reasons for the mild impact that were discussed, included (but not limited to) the absence of a western, and affluent lifestyle, as well as possible resilience due to exposure to other viruses and parasitic infestation.

So, it may be due to the lack of the Neanderthals influences on the genome of Africans, or/and possibly the introduction of certain medication to combat disease, (or other unstated reasons), either way, this time Africans benefited from the valuable research contributed by Nobel prize laurates. 😊

References
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2022/press-release/
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-04/nobel-prize-medicine-geneticist-genome-human-evolution/101498110
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28284-breakthrough-drugs-for-malaria-and-roundworm-win-medicine-nobel/
https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/A-Brief-Guide-to-Genomics
https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/malaria_worldwide/reduction/vaccine.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYyoiFEUq-Y

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022 The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022 was awarded to Svante Pääbo "for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution"

Mapungubwe and the 'royals'

Interesting chat with Steven, tourist guide at the Mpungubwe museum ( University of Pretoria) last week.

According to the latest research it was not a Kingdom, but rather a State. Apparently, the golden rhino, septer and bowl were found in three different graves on top of "the hill of the jackal" - one of the graves belonging to a woman. All three believed to be rulers - so not a king buried with one of his wives, etc.

Did not have time to pop into the archives division, but maybe one of you have a reference to the latest interpretation? I recently watched a very informative documentary about Schroda, K2 and Mapungubwe and the trade, and all the references was to a king...

Also briefly visited the Anglo Ashanti gold collection at the Javett Art Centre (across the street) - take care that clients do not lean against the glass display since it is connected to an alarm.

Both exhibits are worth the visit!

Tips for visiting:
Send booking request at least four days in advance to [email protected]. Payment is electronic, and you will receive a one-time pin to enter and park at the university. Only accessible from Mondays - Fridays.

For the Javett, visit their website to make an online booking and payment.

There is also the possibility of walking from the Museum view the gold collection in the Javett via pedestrian bridge (if you have made your bookings online). Apparently only possible from Tuesday - Friday, but check first:)

Noordgesig, township in Soweto

Enjoyed a heritage drive (Smart cars)- and walk-about this wonderful community yesterday with two of my students as part of their assessment. Many of us have driven past this area en route from a Soweto tour, totally oblivious of what it has to offer…

Some famous personalities:
• Tuli House – home to Jake Tuli, the first black South African boxer to hold an Empire championship (later known as Commonwealth Games) title
• House of Ma Vee (Vesta Smith) – courageous opponent of apartheid who joined march to Union building. She also gave shelter to children evading arrest after the Soweto Uprising resulting in her being arrested. A founder member of the UDF. Both she, and Jake Tuli were awarded National orders.
• Mama Glover’s house – a beautiful soul that did so much for her community! Many murals in this community testify of her selfless deeds – my favourite, the “Tree of life” that depicts all the activities she engaged in.

Murals brighten up and bring hope to the community from depictions of days gone by to happy celebrations for newly wed couples!

How fortunate we were to have joined Lavinia (artist and designer of many of the murals), and her husband Fabian Otto! They managed to give us a glimpse into the everyday lives of the residents and introduced us to all the projects aimed at changing perspectives and quality of life. A bonus was the performance by the local dance group at the Otto’s home (opposite Tuli house) – the youngsters were full of energy conveying the township vibe.

Credits
Johannesburg Heritage
Lavinia and Fabian Otto