The Safari Guide of the Year 2026 competition is under way, marking 15 years of raising the bar as South Africa's top field guides go head-to-head to find the best of the best.
The Greater Kruger region is currently a hotbed of competition and camaraderie as five of South Africa’s most accomplished field guides face off for the title of Safari Guide of the Year (SGOTY) 2026. This year marks the 15th anniversary of SGOTY, a celebration born from a vision to elevate professional guiding standards in a sector often underappreciated for its intricacies and challenges.
Initiated in 2011 by the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) and guided by the expertise of Lowveld-based private guide Mike Karantonis, SGOTY was introduced to address a crucial gap in the tourism industry. Until its inception, there was no independent benchmark to distinguish exceptional guides from their peers. Over the years, SGOTY has evolved into the most reputable measure of guiding standards, grounded in FGASA’s qualification framework rather than the potentially biased popularity or guest reviews.
This year’s competition is hosted at Amani Safari Camp within the scenic Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. The finalists are being challenged across a plethora of criteria, including tracking, birding, storytelling, hospitality, bush walking, FGASA advanced rifle handling, and environmental interpretation. Each skill represents the comprehensive experience that guests expect during a safari.
