ABOUT THE AFRICAN SNAKEBITE INSTITUTE.

Training:

The African Snakebite Institute is the leading provider of Snake Awareness, First Aid for Snakebite and Venomous Snake Handling training in Africa!

We provide both public and corporate on-site training. Our public courses take place at various venues around South Africa and are open to all members of the public, from all walks of life. From those with a general interest in learning more about snakes to avid snake enthusiasts.

We offer corporate on-site training in 19 African countries, and our clients include large mining operations, solar and wind farms, construction sites, government institutions, game reserves and game lodges.

Our courses are in-depth and up to date, covering all aspects of snake awareness and safe handling techniques.

Our trainers collectively have over 60 years of safe snake handling experience, writing scientific publications and presentation experience. Our key focus is on spreading snake awareness and teaching safe handling protocols.

Our CEO, Johan Marais, is a well-known African herpetologist with over 40 years’ experience and he is also author of several popular books on reptiles. Our safe snake handling protocols were developed by Johan Marais while working as curator at some of Africa’s leading snake parks and as a result of visits to various reptile parks and research facilities in the USA, Mexico, U.K., Spain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, China, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and various African countries.

We pride ourselves on teaching delegates the safest possible protocols for capturing and releasing venomous snakes and have a dedicated and dynamic team of trainers who are all passionate about spreading snake awareness and education.

Equipment:

We are the largest suppliers of quality snake handling equipment in Africa. Most of our products are proudly manufactured in South Africa and our designs have been tried and tested over many years.

Education:

We have a large following on social media and share daily educational content on our social platforms. We also have a free app ASI Snakes – which is a hugely popular resource for those wishing to learn more about snakes.

Reviews

African Snakebite Institute

5.0

Based on 301 reviews

review us on

Ronel Smith

2 weeks ago

A course I would definitely recommend to everyone. The presenter had a vast amount of knowledge and was able to answer questions from participants with ease and confidence. An absolute highlight was the snake handling portion. I truly learnt a lot from this and was secure in the fact that the trainers were closely watching each participant with the different snakes and were ready to intervene if need be. Thank you, guys, your patience and diligence were much appreciated. I walked away feeling less scared and more empowered.

The Catamaran Club

3 weeks ago

On behalf of The Catamaran Club, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the African Snakebite Institute for presenting the snake handling course.
The training was informative, practical, and greatly appreciated. Your expertise and professionalism have helped improve the safety and awareness for our members and staff, while also teaching us to treat the snakes we encounter with greater care, respect, and understanding when handling them.

A special thank you is also extended to the staff who presented and assisted with the course, namely Sake, Shwan, Tim, and Teacher and not least Michelle for all the emials. Your patience, knowledge, and hands-on guidance contributed greatly to the success of the training and were sincerely appreciated.

Thank you for your valuable contribution and support.

Johan Du Plooy
The Catamaran Club

Louis Schutte

3 weeks ago

ASI Bootcamp Course is a must do for any outdoors person to handle situations correctly and safely.

Bettina Engert

3 weeks ago

Highly recommended! I recently completed the Venomous Snake Handling Course including theory (relevant spiders, scorpions, snakes) and First Aid in Klapmuts. The course was perfectly structured, combining in-depth theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience. Our instructor Tim was extremely knowledgeable, and passionate about snake conservation and public safety. The practical sessions (handling with a Puff Adder, Cape Cobra and a Boomslang very different snakes, using various materials & techniques) have been amazing.
Tim not only taught technical skills but also fostered a deep respect for these animals and their behavior. Learned a whole lot, had an amazing experience, every single Rand well-spent.

ewa gurny

3 weeks ago

Beautiful experience.Very well presented and very informative.Will do it again soon.Thank you .

Karen McCarthy

4 weeks ago

The African Snakebite Institute presents venomous snake handling training in an exceptionally professional, safety-focused, and responsible manner. Their emphasis on risk assessment, correct handling techniques, and respect for snakes ensures that participants gain practical skills while maintaining the highest safety standards.

I attended the Level 2 Snake Handling Bootcamp which was extremely educational, providing valuable hands-on experience under expert supervision. The instructors shared a wealth of knowledge and experience, creating an engaging learning environment that reinforced both confidence and competence in venomous snake handling. It is a highly worthwhile course for anyone seeking to improve their understanding and practical skills in the safe management of venomous snakes

Johan Smit

4 weeks ago

Snake handling course attended 30/05/26. Very well presented by Sake & Shauwn. Both very knowledgable and subject matter experts.
Can highly recommend

Jaymee Gobetz

4 weeks ago

My boyfriend and I absolutely loved the Level 1 course with the African Snakebite Institute. We learnt so much and left feeling far more confident and informed about snakes, spiders and scorpions.

Sake and Shawn were exceptional – knowledgeable, patient, engaging and clearly passionate about what they do.

This course is invaluable for anyone wanting to educate themselves, learn essential snakebite first aid, and understand how to safely deal with snakes.

It is also perfect for anyone wanting to overcome fear and better understand some of South Africa’s most misunderstood species.

We are incredibly grateful for the experience and cannot wait for Level 2. Highly recommended!

Karen Heydenrych

5 months ago

I attended the Snake Awareness and First Aid for Snakebite course held at Cradle Moon Lakeside Lodge in Muldersdrift on 31 January 2026. Our instructor for the theoretical section was Sake, who was excellent. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning more about the snakes, spiders and scorpions of Southern Africa. Thank you to the ASI for all the hard work that went into this course, and for educating us about these incredible reptiles. I’d also encourage people to visit their website, which has a wealth of valuable content and information.

Lauren Agenbag

12 months ago

Fantastic course! I attended the level 1 snake awareness and venomous snake handling course. It was very interesting, insightful and enjoyable. I had a great time and would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning about snakes.

Response from the owner 12 months ago

Thanks Lauren, hope to see you at Bootcamp soon.

Emma Fagan

1 year ago

Great courses teaching safe handling for both the handler and the snake. Highly recommend!

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Thanks Emma, looking forward to seeing you at a future course.

Francois du Toit

1 year ago

Amazing course! Had a wonderful time.

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Great to have you there Francois!

Moyra Keane

1 year ago

The Snake Awareness and Snakebite First Aid course was amazing. I learnt a great deal of interesting and useful information. Excellent presenter and very professionally organised.

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Thanks for your review Moyra! Glad to hear you enjoyed the course.

Darren Evans

1 year ago

I really enjoyed the amount of practical time we had. Gives you time to gain the right confidence. The trainers had a wealth of practical advice and experience. So it was lovely picking their brain. This was the third time I've done the Bootcamp, but first time the tree scenario was included - which was great. I also liked the smaller group giving everyone a few more opportunities to practice the techniques.

Response from the owner 4 years ago

Thanks for the kind words. See you at a future course.

Rudie Cronje

1 year ago

I wanted to improve my nature guiding skills, but I had little knowledge about snakes and had never handled them before. The team that presented the course was extremely knowledgeable and ensured that all handling was safe. The critical role of first aid was well presented. Thank you for this great opportunity.

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Great to have you there for both days Rudie!

Leigh-Ann Van Der Linde

1 year ago

Had such an amazing experience last year with Level 1 & this year with Level 2! Keep up the awesome work ASI! 😉

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Thanks Leigh-Ann! Great to have you on the courses.

Maria Scheepers

1 year ago

Needed snake gaters, GOT IT
Highly recommended!

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Hi Maria, thanks for your review, we are so glad you are happy with your purchase.

Doron Frantzen

1 year ago

Thank you Sake, Shawn and team for an awesome weekend about snake awareness and handling !!!!
Appreciating snakes with more insight and confidence 😃

Response from the owner 1 year ago

Thanks for your kind words Doron. It was great to have you there!

Crispin Thompson

1 year ago

The ASI Snake Awareness, First Aid for Snakebite and Venomous Snake Handling course provided an ideal opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of Southern African snakes, scorpions and spiders. The information and instruction provided by Johan Marais and his team was very useful and the calm, friendly atmosphere made the experience even more enjoyable.

Antje Madden

1 year ago

I attended the Advanced Snake Handling course because I needed more confidence with how to handle a snake situation by myself. I was so impressed by Johan and the Trainers. The way the course was run was top class and I now have more confidence. I can highly recommend the course. Good luck for the future.

Bernard Madden

Mariëtte Van Rooyen

1 year ago

I attended the had the greatest experience on 18 & 19 January 2025 with the ASI team!
I attended both the "Snake Awareness, First aid for snakebite and Venomous Snake Handling", and the "WC- Venomous Snake Handling Bootcamp" courses.
The team (Johan Marais, Tim, Quin and Megan) is professional, they assisted and supported each person under their individual circumstances (fear, doubt, hesitancy, eagerness) during both the courses.

It was great to have a female instructor's (Megan) guidance and understanding during the course.

Thank you ASI team!

Sorita Holtzhausen

2 years ago

(For the website) I found a scorpion in my house and this was the best identification and helpful information. PS it was Plain Pymy-thicktail, safely relocated it to the garden it came from.

Matthew Boshoff

2 years ago

All the instructors were really nice and helpful with any questions, they all made sure your safety was the number one priority. I recommend if you regularly encounter snakes or just love snakes to do the course.

Daniella Jones

2 years ago

Thank you to the ASI team, we completed the venomous snake handling course on Saturday. We thoroughly enjoyed the course. A special thanks to Johan, Shawn, Tim, Brian and Teacher - your team is absolutely incredible! We will definitely be partaking in the bootcamp training very soon!

Thank you team!

Reviews

Accreditations

Johan Marais is a well-known African herpetologist with over 40 years’ experience and author of several books on reptiles. The African Snakebite Institute provides a variety of snake awareness, first aid for snakebite and venomous snake handling courses that are accredited by the International Society of Zoological Sciences (ISZS), and registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for CPD points. The course contents and handling methods has been developed over many years and after visits to snake parks and reptile research facilities in various countries throughout the world.

Reviews

Reviews

Accreditations

Search

Shopping Cart

Featured Products

Find a Snake Remover

Newsletter Signup

Free Posters