Photos and text provided by Test Malunga. Pictured from left-Binda Tomás, Samuel Pedro Nhambessa, Miguel Filipe André and Isaquel Jorge Nginga.
Local youth graduate with honors from South Africa’s top tracker academy.
Gorongosa National Park has joined forces with Tracker Academy to equip Mozambican youth with essential tracking and conservation skills. The partnership with the leading certified training provider for trackers in South Africa highlights the Park’s commitment to empowering local communities and enhancing conservation efforts.
In 2023, two young men from Vila Gorongosa—Felizardo Fernando Fungulane and Albertino Neto Martins—embarked on a year-long training program at Tracker Academy. The rigorous program prepared them for careers as tourism and conservation trackers, equipping them with skills they need to operate safely and effectively in wildlife-rich environments.
Building on this success, a second group of four young men from communities near Gorongosa National Park began their training in January of 2024. Binda Tomás from Mafambisse and Isaquel Jorge Nginga, Miguel Filipe André, and Samuel Pedro Nhambessa from Metuchira completed the program in December 2024. All four graduated with high marks, earning the Level 3 tracker certification, the program’s highest qualification.
Isaquel Jorge Nginga stood out among his peers, winning the Best Student Award for both 2024 classes at Tracker Academy.
We are extremely proud of this initiative,” said Test Malunga, safari general manager for Gorongosa National Park. “It allows us to conduct future training within the park, with these talented young men leading the way.”
Tracking skills are invaluable for guides working on foot in challenging and often dangerous environments. Tracker training teaches the students how to interpret key elements of the natural environment and prepares them to contribute to Gorongosa’s conservation mission.
By investing in local talent and collaborating with leading institutions, Gorongosa National Park will continue to serve as a global hub for conservation and sustainable development.
Isaquel Jorge Nginga
Albertino Neto Martins and Felizardo Fernando Fungulane