Job Description

Do you dream of inspiring travellers and helping them fall in love with their destination by immersing them in your local culture and exposing them to real life experiences? Being a Tour Leader with Intrepid, you will do just that!
Every day will be different, but every day you will:
Lead unforgettable overland adventures across Southern Africa - from setting up camp under the stars to guiding travellers through national parks, deserts, and local villages. You'll be the driving force behind a safe, smooth and enriching experience for everyone on board.
Keep your travellers safe and supported, no matter the challenge. Whether it's a vehicle issue in a remote spot, an unexpected medical situation, or a clash of personalities, you'll remain calm, professional, and solutions-focused.
Plan and execute every detail of the journey - from logistics, routes, and supplies to camp setups, budgeting, and reporting. You'll manage both the practical and people sides of the trip, ensuring everything runs to plan (and handling it when it doesn't!).
Be passionate about responsible and sustainable travel - sharing your love of Africa's landscapes, wildlife and cultures while inspiring travellers to explore responsibly.
Champion The Intrepid Foundation and local partnerships like the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and The Black Mambas, helping travellers see how their journey creates real, positive impact.
To be considered you must have:
Strong experience leading overland or adventure tours, ideally across Southern or Eastern Africa
Guiding certification (e.g. FGASA or similar recognised qualification)
Excellent communication and leadership skills, with proven ability to manage group dynamics and support both crew and travellers
Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, especially in remote or off-road environments
A valid First Aid certificate (Wilderness First Aid or higher preferred)
Confident navigation skills (maps, GPS, off-road routes)
Full rights to work in South Africa (we're unable to assist in obtaining work rights)
What you need to know:
This is a freelance contract position, with variable working hours depending on trip schedules. You'll need to be flexible and available during the peak travel season between May and October.
Our Overland Leader Training will take place before the 2026 season begins, approximately between February and March (exact date is still yet to be confirmed) - full details will be shared during the recruitment process.
You'll often be away from home for extended periods, travelling through multiple countries and environments, from deserts to savannas to coastal regions. The role can be physically demanding, involving long days, early mornings, and outdoor living - so you'll need to be mentally and physically prepared.
You can explore some of our overland trips here:
Our people reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities we visit:
Intrepid is made up of 58 nationalities across 46 countries, and we recognise that diversity makes us a stronger business. We support a culture where people can be themselves and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Including First Nations People, LGBTQI+ people, those living with a disability, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all people from different ethnicities, races, and religions.
For our Tour Leaders, the work perks may vary from country to country, but some of the work perks we offer include:

• Diverse departures through the year to lead! Including hiking or biking adventures, festival, family, premium and foodie trips
• Travel to where the trip starts (and home again) is included and covered by us
• Some meals and all accommodation included (often where the guests are staying, such as hotels, camping, homestays etc)
• Access to learning and development programs, e-learning and comprehensive tour leader training before you even start
• Internal career opportunities to further your your career in travel and beyond
• Amazing travel discounts for you to experience Intrepid as a passenger
• Recognition and celebration with awards nights and the chance for our top performers to travel to our yearly Global Summit!
• Opportunity to support not-for-profit Intrepid Foundations projects

We are Real. Together. Ambitious. Impactful. These are our values and to us they're more than just words, they are the pillars of our success and every day it's our people and the work they do that bring them to life.
At Intrepid ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important part of our recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to submit your application, please email careersupport@intrepidtravel.com with your name, location, and the accommodations you need, we will then be in touch to support your application.

Skills Required