Avitourism, which is tourism centred around bird-based activities, is one of the fastest-growing travel industries in the world, with an estimated $659,4 billion spent each year. With over 850 species to be seen in South Africa alone, many of which are endemic, and easy access to the rest of southern Africa, our country is perfectly positioned to be recognised as a top global birding destination among both domestic and international birding communities. Our work focuses on capturing this potential and using it as a force for good in the conservation of South Africa’s avian treasures and for the empowerment of South Africa’s people and communities. Through our project, over 250 people have been equipped with the skills and qualifications to earn a living through specialist bird guiding over the past 26 years. We believe that through facilitating sustainable, responsible, and ethical ecotourism practices, we are serving a central role in the future of South Africa’s ecotourism industry.
The Avitourism Project is BirdLife South Africa’s flagship initiative that promotes sustainable, community-based bird tourism as a driver of conservation, economic development, and social inclusion. Through a holistic approach that combines accredited specialist bird guide training and structured mentorship, South Africa’s most comprehensive online birding platform ‘GoBirding’, a network of Recommended Service Providers who provide birder-friendly experiences, the South Africa Listers’ Club, and the South African Names for South African Birds (SANSAB) initiative, the project seeks to strengthen South Africa’s rapidly developing avitourism sector while creating meaningful opportunities for people and communities. By supporting professional specialist bird guides, fostering partnerships across the tourism value chain, encouraging citizen science, and promoting inclusive access to birding, the project contributes to the conservation of South Africa’s rich avian heritage while ensuring that the benefits of bird-based tourism are shared more broadly and sustainably
For more than 26 years, our Accredited Bird Guide (ABG) Training Programme has empowered individuals—many from communities situated in areas of high conservation value—with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to pursue careers in nature guiding, with a specialised focus on bird guiding. To date, over 250 individuals have completed the programme, with at least 51 graduates securing permanent employment in the conservation, tourism, and environmental education sectors. Many others have leveraged the skills and experience gained through the programme to advance into a variety of professional fields.
The programme extends far beyond initial training. Accredited Bird Guides receive ongoing mentorship, continuous professional development opportunities, and access to a range of resources designed to support their long-term growth and success. These include professional profiles on the Chamberlain GoBirding platform, online learning opportunities, uniforms, optics, business cards, and networking opportunities within the broader avitourism sector. By investing in people and supporting them throughout their professional journeys, the programme helps create meaningful livelihood opportunities while cultivating a network of skilled ambassadors for conservation and responsible tourism. These guides form the foundation of our vision for a sustainable, community-based avitourism economy in South Africa.
Funded by the Chamberlain Foundation, GoBirding is South Africa’s premier birding and avitourism platform, serving as a comprehensive hub that connects birders, guides, destinations, tourism businesses, and conservation initiatives. As the primary platform through which Accredited Bird Guides are promoted and supported, GoBirding plays a critical role in creating visibility, credibility, and economic opportunities for guide graduates across the country.
Beyond guide promotion, the platform showcases South Africa’s extraordinary birding destinations, highlights conservation success stories, and promotes responsible tourism experiences that benefit both people and nature. Through destination information, guide listings, tourism partnerships, educational resources, and industry networking opportunities, GoBirding helps strengthen the country’s avitourism value chain. By connecting visitors with Accredited Bird Guides and a growing network of Recommended Members—including accommodation establishments, tour operators, bird clubs, and training providers—the platform supports local economic development while encouraging ethical, sustainable tourism practices.
Visit the GoBirding platformThe Recommended Member Network brings together a diverse community of accommodation establishments, tour operators, bird clubs, training providers, and other tourism stakeholders who share a commitment to conservation, ethical birding, and sustainable tourism development. These organisations recognise the value of avitourism as a tool for supporting local economies while safeguarding South Africa’s natural heritage.
Members of the network actively support BirdLife South Africa’s Accredited Bird Guide programme and understand the importance of working with trained local guides to deliver high-quality visitor experiences. By fostering meaningful partnerships between guides, tourism businesses, and conservation-focused organisations, the network strengthens the broader avitourism ecosystem and helps ensure that the benefits generated by bird-based tourism are distributed more equitably among local communities. In doing so, it creates opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective action in support of conservation and responsible tourism.
Interested in joining? Sign up as a member today here
The South Africa Listers’ Club celebrates the passion, dedication, and contributions of birders who actively document and monitor the country’s remarkable avian diversity. More than simply a platform for recording bird sightings, the club promotes a culture of ethical birding, citizen science, and conservation stewardship.
By encouraging responsible listing practices and the submission of bird records to recognised databases, members contribute valuable information that supports scientific research, species monitoring, and conservation planning. The club also fosters a sense of community among birders, creating opportunities for engagement, learning, and shared experiences. Through its activities, the South Africa Listers’ Club helps inspire a deeper appreciation for South Africa’s birds and habitats while encouraging birders to play an active role in their conservation.
Visit the Listers' Club
The South African Names for South African Birds (SANSAB) initiative seeks to promote bird names that better reflect the country’s rich linguistic, cultural, and social diversity. By supporting the development, adoption, and use of indigenous and regionally relevant bird names, the initiative aims to make birding more inclusive, accessible, and meaningful for a broader spectrum of South Africans.
SANSAB recognises that language plays a powerful role in shaping people’s relationships with nature. By creating opportunities for communities to engage with birds through names that resonate with their own cultural heritage and lived experiences, the initiative helps create a stronger sense of ownership and connection to South Africa’s natural environment. In doing so, SANSAB contributes not only to greater inclusivity within birding and conservation but also to the celebration and preservation of the diverse cultural traditions that form part of South Africa’s identity.
