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Become a Tour Operator in the Northern Cape

18 February 2009 Have you ever wanted to offer your own tour operating service to visitors traveling in the Northern Cape? View the guidelines for the Northern Cape Tourist Guide registration and download all the relevant documentation and registration forms here.

Guidelines for the Northern Cape Tourist Guide Registration

The Second Tourism Amendment Act, 2000 which was promulgated in December 2000 explains the following: A tourist guide is any person who, for monetary or other reward, accompanies people who are travelling through or visiting any place within a country and furnishes those people with information or comments with regard to the places or sites visited. Many tourist guides may also wish to run their own tour operation business in which they are both tourist guide and tour operator.

There are three categories of tourist guides:

Site Guide: these tourist guides have attained the minimum qualification required in order to guide in a limited geographical area. i.e. within the boundaries of Kimberley or Upington.
Regional/Provincial Guides: These are tourist guides who are qualified to take tourist around an entire province.
National Tourist Guides: These are tourist guides who are qualified and permitted to conduct tours around the entire country, crossing all provincial boundaries.

Tourist Guides will also be classified as nature, adventure or culture tourist guides or a combination of two or all three.

How to become a Tourist Guide

Any person who wishes to be registered as a tourist guide must:

Submit valid proof of THETA assessment certificate, if you have not received your THETA certificate or letter of competence, you can provide the Provincial Registrar office with a certificate from your THETA accredited training provider. The office will issue you with ID cards which will be valid until THETA certificates are issued. To verify the accreditation status of your training provider, please contact THETA on 011 803 6010 or visit their website: www.theta.org.za

Submit a copy of your Declaration of Competence from your assessor indicating clearly the category for which you have been assessed.

Pay registration fee of R240.00, which is valid for a two year period and must be renewed bi-annually. Please deposit the registration fee into the departmental account and attach proof of your deposit to your registration forms. The banking details are as follows:

Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK- KIMBERLEY MAIN BRANCH
BRANCH CODE: 23122
ACCOUNT No.: 62 182 908 916

1. Include 4 passport size, colour photos with their registration.
2. Include certified copy of South African ID or valid residential work permit
3. Include a signed copy of the tourist guide Code of Conduct
4. Be at least 21 years old
5. Submit a valid First Aid certificate (three year period validation)
6. Submit proof of language proficiency
7. Sent the completed registration form with certified copies of THETA certificate, ID, higher education and valid First Aid to:

Street Address: Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Metlife Towers
Market Square
Corner Stead and Knight Street
Kimberley, 8300

Postal Address: Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation
Private Bag X6102
Kimberley, 8300

Important Contact Details

Provincial Office

Drinnie Samson
Director: Tourism Management and Development
Tel: 053 807 7300
Fax: 053 807 7328
Email: hsamson@ncpg.gov.za

Sipho Mampe
Deputy-Director: Tourism Management and Development
Tel: 053 807 7300
Fax: 053 807 7328
Email: smampe@ncpg.gov.za

Andries Mokgele
Provincial Registrar: Tour Guide
Tel: 053 807 7372/00
Fax: 053 807 7328
Email: amokgele@ncpg.gov.za

National Office

Dr. Joseph Raputsoe
National Registrar
National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Tel: 021 310 3587
Email: draputsoe@deat.gov.za

Tebogo Mphelo
Assistant Director: Tourist Guiding and Training
National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Tel: 021 310 3587
Email: tmphelo@deat.gov.za

Tourist Guiding Registration Documents:

Registration Form (MS Word)
Code of Conduct (MS Word)
National provincial registrar's contact list (MS Word)


Northern Cape Registered Tourist Guide database

You are requested to contact the Office of the Provincial Registrar for an updated Provincial or local tourist guide database.

Tourism Act and Tourist Guide Manual

The 2nd Tourism Amendment Act 2000 (Adobe PDF)
The Tourist Guide Regulation (Adobe PDF)
The Tourist Guide Manual 2005 (MS Word)


How to become a Tour Operator

A tour operator is a person who owns a business or company which transports tourist on scheduled itineraries and makes arrangements for the visitors or clients in terms of accommodation, transport and tour packages. The company often own vehicles to transport tourist.

There are three categories of tour operators:

Inbound Tour Operators: They provide services mainly for foreign visitors to South Africa

Outbound Tour Operators: They provide services mainly to clients in South Africa wishing to travel to destinations outside the country.

Local Tour Operators: They provide services to domestic for tours within South Africa.

Legal Requirements

Licencing and Registration

Contact the local municipality in order to register your business. A tour operator may not drive his or her own vehicle, acting as a courier with paying guest without being registered as a tourist guide.

Road Transportation Permit

Tourist guides may also wish to run their own tour operation business in which they are both tour guide and tour operator

Take note of the following:

Every vehicle that is to carry passengers for reward shall have its own Road Transport Permit. Application should be made to the Provincial Department of Transport/Board for the permit. The application must clearly state that you will be transporting tourists and mark clearly the routes that will be used or toured.

Public Driving Permit

To drive paying passengers or tourists on public roads you are required by law to have a public driving permit, you must hold a valid driving licence for the size of vehicle that you intend to drive. The application for the permit is subject to medical examination and a check for any criminal conviction through the police records.


International Tourist Guide Day: 21 February

The International Tourist Guide Day is an initiative of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Association (WFTGA).
The International Tourist Guide Day is held on the 21st February each year. Each member country contributes to the success of the day in its own way. Events are held for the local tourist guides including presentation and retraining courses. It is a general public relations par excellence which draws the attention of the local authorities, tourism and cultural heritage sector, fellow citizens and the media to the quality and value of work of professional tourist guides.

The aim amongst others is to generate goodwill and publicity for the tourist guides and generally to raise the profile of the tourist guiding profession.

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