ABOUT OGS
OUR TRAINERS
ABOUT OGS
// ABOUT
OUR TRAINERS
Our team of highly knowledgeable and passionate trainers will teach you to interpret behaviour and understand the complex and fascinating interactions between the Okavango species and their environment.
African Guide Academy has a team of safari guide trainers that are unsurpassed in their qualifications and experience.
Grant Reed
Born into a family of naturalists, Grant put up little resistance and by the age of 5 he had a modest collection of snakes and a love of birds. A childhood in the foothills of the Magaliesberg Mountains was the perfect place to nurture this passion and by his early teens he shared an impressive collection of reptiles with his brother Brent. The constant hunting for prey for the captive snakes sparked an interest in frogs, small mammals, nesting birds and other elements of wildlife.
Grant would often join his father Mike on walks he would lead for the Wildlife Society of South Africa for birders, tree-lovers and general wildlife enthusiasts. At the tender age of 16 Grant became the youngest Senior Honorary Ranger for the Wildlife Society of South Africa as well as qualifying as a botanical guide with the National Botanical Institute, and so began his guiding career.
Grant continued his weekend guiding while completing a National Diploma in Nature Conservation through Pretoria Technikon. He completed his in-service training in the Kruger National Park and moved to Botswana in 1996. Grant went on to do a post-graduate degree in Nature Conservation and did his thesis on waterfowl census.
In 2001 Grant and his brother Brent started the highly successful mobile safari company- Letaka Safaris and in the following year they registered Okavango Guiding School. Grant has become one of the most highly qualified guides and trainers in the industry, having completed his FGASA Special Knowledge and Skills (SKS) Dangerous Animals, SKS Birding and SKS Wildflowers and his passion for learning and teaching continues…
FP grew up on a small holding along the crocodile river at the foothills of the Magalies berg Mountains.
From a young age, FP had an eagerness to learn from nature. If he wasn't out fishing or collecting snakes, he was planning some kind of wild hike or camping trip with friends.
His real love for wild open spaces started when he was 5 years old on an annual family Safari to the Okavango Delta.
It was here that he made most of his favorite childhood memories, laying in a tent , listening to lions, hyaena and other night sounds.
FP started his guiding career in 2013 and since then, he has had the privilege to work in a multitude of African countries. In addition to guiding, FP was also involved in monitoring and reintroduction of pangolin into Zululand in South Africa.
"I have had a passion for Africa, her wild spaces and her people since I can remember and find absolute pleasure in showing guests and students alike the small and wonderful relationships that nature show us, when we take the time to look carefully."
FP holds a FGASA NQF4 and Lead Trails Guide qualification.
FP Aucamp
A true Botswana success story! Pako started with AGA as a camp-hand and waiter. Through our one-year guiding program we offer all our camp staff, Pako qualified as an assistant guide. Pako chose to remain on with AGA and underwent his trails guide training while working as a more senior camp staff member.
Through our relationship with Tracker Academy, Pako was offered a placement on the 1 year tracking course. Pako excelled at the academy and graduated with 96%. After this he returned home to AGA as an assistant trainer and graduated to trainer status in 2023.
He holds a FGASA NQF 2, BQA Level 2 and Lead Trails qualification in addition to his Tracker Academy certification.