My childhood bedroom had wildlife field guides on every shelf. I had a degree in engineering beca…
T=0: The Decision
Twelve years in gold and platinum mining around Johannesburg. R680k a year, company car, three weeks annual leave. Occupational doctor told me at my 2021 check-up that my lung function was declining — not unusual for my field, not reversible.
My childhood bedroom had wildlife field guides on every shelf. I had a degree in engineering because it was "practical." In November 2021 I applied for a FGASA field guide training programme in Limpopo. My colleagues thought I had lost my mind. My wife had been suggesting it for four years.
A qualified field guide position on a private reserve. Breathing clean air.
6 Months Out
Training is intense and the stipend is R6,000/month — a 97% income reduction. My wife went back to full-time nursing. The bush is everything I remembered from childhood. The finances are genuinely frightening.
“Have 12 months of household expenses in savings before you start guide training. The stipend covers food and accommodation on the training reserve but nothing back home.”