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A profession the public can trust.

SA AIA is working toward SAQA recognition as the professional body for Adventure Tourist Guides and ABL/LOTC and Outdoor Education Practitioners.

Two practitioners developing rope-system competence in mountain terrain
Professional recognition connects ethical practice with evidence of current, role-specific competence.

What a professional body does

  • Defines professions and credible professional pathways
  • Awards and maintains professional designations
  • Sets ethical and professional expectations
  • Supports qualifications, CPD and recognition of prior learning
  • Maintains a public register of designated practitioners
  • Represents the sector with government, employers and education partners
Status: SA AIA’s application and supporting processes for SAQA recognition are underway. The site should distinguish clearly between current membership or accreditation and SAQA-registered status once achieved.

Chapters & working groups

Chapters create an ongoing professional home for a defined part of the adventure industry. Working groups bring practitioners together to develop a field, build technical standards and prepare the foundations for a future chapter.

Each community connects its field-specific guidance, technical competencies, articles, news and opportunities to participate, while remaining part of one SA AIA professional system.

Explore chapters & working groups

Professional designations

SA AIA professional designations recognise competence, ethical practice and continued professional standing. They sit beyond course completion or minimum legal compliance and give practitioners a structured way to demonstrate professional growth.

Professional recognition Adventure Tourist Guide pathway For people progressing from training and experience to legally registered, continuously developing professional practice.
  1. 01
    Aspiring Adventure Tourist Guide

    Building an accepted qualification, technical competence and guided experience, but not yet legally registered to guide independently.

  2. 02
    Certified Adventure Tourist Guide

    Qualified and legally registered with the relevant Provincial Registrar, with a commitment to professional and ethical standards.

  3. 03
    Certified Professional Adventure Tourist Guide

    Advanced recognition of current competence, experience, CPD, ethical practice, mentorship and sector leadership.

View the guide competency framework
Framework in development ABL/LOTC Practitioner pathway For practitioners facilitating learning, development or therapeutic outcomes through structured outdoor and experiential practice.
  1. 01
    Developing practice

    Building relevant learning, supervised field experience, facilitation competence and an evidence portfolio.

  2. 02
    Demonstrated professional practice

    Showing competent facilitation, programme design, participant care, ethical practice and an appropriate technical scope.

  3. 03
    Advanced professional practice

    Demonstrating sustained competence, reflective practice, CPD, mentorship and leadership in experiential education.

Read the designation policy

Public register

Find SA AIA professionals and Corporate Members whose current standing and published information have been reviewed by SA AIA. Only records with the required consent and current approved status appear here.

Student/Aspirant memberships and private member records are never shown in this public register.

Two different registers: The SA AIA Professional Directory shows professional recognition; it does not replace statutory tourist-guide registration. Adventure Tourist Guides should also be checked on the Department of Tourism’s official central register. Search the official tourist-guide register →
People Find a Professional

Search by name, verified professional title, province or approved activity scope.

Open Professional directory → Organisations Find a Corporate Member

Find organisations with a current Corporate Membership and an approved public profile.

Open Corporate Member directory → Training Find training providers

Find current Corporate Members that have declared training as an approved public offering.

Open training-provider directory →

“Offers training” is an organisation offering, not proof of SA AIA Skills Development Partner accreditation. Formal accreditation will be identified separately when applicable.

Code of Conduct and Professional Ethics

Members commit to act lawfully, work within scope, prioritise safety, represent credentials honestly, respect people and communities, protect confidentiality, manage conflicts, care for the environment and remain accountable.

The current document is Revision 4, dated 14 May 2026, and applies to all SA AIA membership categories.

Download the current code Read the PDF in your browser →

Skills Development Partner & Instructor accreditation

The 2026 programme introduces a nationally consistent technical-skills system beginning with 4×4 Off-Road Technical Skills. It includes provider and trainer review, competence standards, CPD alignment, certificate traceability and public registers. Further disciplines are intended to follow in phases.

Browse the Technical Competency Framework, activity curricula and accreditation requirements →

Corporate SDP R2,000

Once-off accreditation, valid three years. Corporate membership applies separately.

Instructor / Trainer R800

Once-off accreditation, valid three years. Professional membership applies separately.

CPD activity R500

Registration per activity, valid three years.