In your Post#15, you intend to go all the way to South Africa for a course.
No suitable educational opportunities any closer?
I'd expect the UK to have at least one of everything!
Alas I have had enough of the UK's terrible education system. The course is a FAGASA course (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa). I have spent years studying in the UK trying to get into any part of the wildlife industry, unfortunately our country is not nature orientated, jobs in the sector are scarce, badly paid and almost non existent. Even volunteering is becoming difficult here. Fagasa guiding courses are quite world renowned (in the sector anyway) and if you are qualified open many doors all over the world. You're unlikely to be able to become a guide in South Africa, but there are plenty of other places thar would be thrilled to have a guide. Having said all that, I would go and do the course just to get to spend a year living on a wildlife reserve , regardless of post job pontential.