SA hunting facts

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basic safari facts

Your safari will be decided by what you want to hunt and your "wish list" is the first thing a prospective outfitter will ask for. Trophy selection usually determines in which provinces you will hunt and the hunting schedule. Remember, as some outfitters are restricted to one province they may not be able to effectively offer all the species you desire.

Most outfitters base their fees upon a Daily Rate which covers certain essential services necessary for hunting. These include a licensed PH, skinning, tracking, accommodation and complete meals, camp staff, transport and more. This is usually listed in the outfitters brochure (which also has to be approved by the authorities) and is standard across the industry. Daily Rates in South Africa are some of the lowest on the continent.

Daily rates differ according to if you are hunting plainsgame or any of the big five. Most outfitters will charge a daily rate of between $200 and $400 for a plainsgame hunt while the daily rates for any of the big five will start at about $500 and upwards per day. Big 5 animals will always have a set minimum number of days to be paid for even if the trophy is shot on the first day. 

Hunts last from 7 up to 21 days or longer in duration and most outfitters have a minimum number of days that you must pay and hunt for. BUT remember there are no government restrictions regarding hunt duration and outfitters should be very flexible to your needs. It could mean if you book a hunt for 10 days and only hunt 7 days, the outfitter may only demand the daily rate for 7 days and it is always good to confirm this with the outfitter prior to booking the hunt. This is an advantage of South African hunting, you can bargain with a prospective outfitter as competition is fierce.

In South Africa many hunts are offered as package deals, where the hunter will pay a set price for a certain number of days and a specified list of trophies. In fact these are probably the most popular type of hunts sold each year as they represent good value for the purchaser. Usually these type of hunts are tied to one game ranch where the client will hunt most of the available species on the ranch only. These hunts are good if you do not have an extensive trophy list which does not require movement to different areas of the country for specialist species.

Facilities offered by most outfitters are exclusive well-appointed bush camps or lodges with modern conveniences such as power, flush lavatories, comfortable beds with mosquito nets, dining, lounge, bar and boma areas. These are usually permanent brick and mortar structures but some may be tented accommodation. Some ranches, especially in the Free State and Eastern Cape, will accommodate clients in period farmhouses. All facilities are fully serviced and catered for by camp staff.

trophies & species

Your major safari expense is determined by the amount of self control you are able to exercise! Each outfitter will provide you with their trophy price list before you book the safari. Trophy prices vary greatly with the more desired species fetching a premium and many clients will use this to judge which outfitter they choose to hunt with.

As a rule, species hunted in their natural surroundings produce better trophy opportunities and quality. In addition, it allows the hunter to experience more of the country by moving to another province. There are certain prime species, especially nyala, which are often translocated due to the high demand for the trophy.

On most safaris it very unlikely that you will not have a shot on a record book trophy for each species that you are hunting. Most outfitters will assure you that they will only allow you to bag a trophy that makes the record book.

While most of the species in South Africa are widely distributed throughout the African sub-region there are many which are endemic and can be hunted only here. Also, while it is possible to hunt most of the sub-regions species in South Africa it is not always recommended to do so as other countries offer superior trophy quality and hunting experiences.

South Africa's endemic species are: East Cape greater kudu, Black wildebeest, Cape bushbuck, Cape grysbok, common and white Blesbok, Bontebok, Gray or Vaal Rhebok, Springbok (common, black and white).

Other species which should be considered due to price and their limited distribution across the sub-region are: White rhino, Southern or common nyala, Southern mountain reedbuck, Limpopo bushbuck, Red duiker, Blue duiker, Livingstone suni, Cape eland and Caracal.

wounded game

• There is a strict rule amongst outfitters regarding animals wounded by the client. If you wound it, you pay for it. Regardless of amount or color of blood or if you find it or not, your PH is obliged to inform the outfitter or ranch owner and you are required to pay the trophy fee.

• In most circumstances fresh blood is deemed to constitute a wounded animal and most PH's will adhere to this principle. If the animal is clearly wounded, a sure way of earning immediate disrespect from your PH is to argue the situation. This is often the point where an enjoyable safari turns sour.

• However if you feel you are getting the raw end of the deal, you do have recourse through the SCI Ethics Committee, the Professional Hunters Association of SA (PHASA) or the relevant nature conservation authorities in the province where you hunted.

• If you do have a complaint of any sort the best is to first contact PHASA and present them with concrete facts. They will investigate the matter and  will and have taken punitive action against unethical operators and practices.

Safaribwana LLC, registered office: 5250 Cherry Creek South Drv, #16J, Denver, CO 80246 - tel 720-277 1920 email:info@safaribwana.com