Hunt In Africa - South African hunting safaris and big game hunts | Information on hunting in South Africa and Namibia

Hunting Destinations

Information on hunting in South Africa and Namibia

South Africa hunting
Eastern Free State hunting
Limpopo hunting
Kalahari hunting
North West hunting
Kwazulu-Natal hunting
Gauteng hunting
Western Cape hunting
Eastern Cape hunting
Mpumalanga hunting
Namibia hunting

Hunting in South Africa

The unrivalled choice
One of the few countries in Africa that can boast about having more game today than a 100 years ago, South Africa is a hunters' paradise. It is a country which can be revisited throughout one's hunting career without having to ever retrace your steps.

South Africa offers the hunter more than 40 different trophy animals to choose from, ranging from the largest (African Elephant) to the smallest (Blue Duiker). It is also the only country where all of the Big 5 can be hunted as it is home to the largest remaining populations of White and Black Rhino in Africa.

'A World in one Country' awaits and with the varying geographical terrain and unique indigenous species the 9 provinces each hold something new for the hunter.

South Africa is not a country for the classical "Hemmingway Safari" as the majority of game occurs on large privately owned ranches and in government reserves. There are no vast untrammeled hunting concessions where civilisation is kept at bay by tsetse fly and insurmountable barriers. There are very few places not reached by the influences of mankind. Rather, what you will find are huge ranches supporting the widest variation of game in Africa, all available at reasonable safari rates.

Ranch hunting
Often a misleading impression is created by the term "ranch hunting", conjuring up illusions of hand reared family pets and caged zoo animals being offered up for the chase. On ranches where regular hunting takes place, game is extremely elusive and wary, providing days of excitement and challenge. Perhaps here more than anywhere else, is the hunter able to dictate the method and manner of the hunt to suit their personal ethics. Hunting takes place on ranches (locally known as game farms) which vary in size from about 3000 acres upwards of 200,000 acres. These are vast areas of wilderness supporting naturally sustaining herds. In some cases, hunting does take place in specified areas of National Parks and Reserves as a profitable alternative to culling.

Today over 33 million acres are dedicated to game ranching and private reserves, almost twice the combined area of government parks and reserves. Land once used for farming now plays host to the majority of South Africa's varied game population and results in an unchallenged variety of trophies for the visiting hunter.

How do you want to hunt?
South Africa is divided into nine provinces which form the basis of species variation, hunting terrains and methods and hunting regulations. Each province is vastly different allowing the hunter to return for many safaris and trophies before they can claim to have truly "hunted South Africa". Certain species are endemic to the whole country while others are specific to a particular province. A situation exists where many species have been translocated from other provinces and in most cases do adapt well to their new environment. Most outfitters will be able to offer a list of between 12 to 20 different species or more on their ranch or within their province, whilst the larger operators can offer over 40 different species.

There are two basic ways you can structure your hunt. The most common hunting method is to be based on one ranch, usually belonging to the outfitter. You will primarily hunt on this ranch with trips to other ranches in the vicinity if you require species which the outfitter's ranch does not hold. You will probably want to do this if you have a priority trophy that you'd like to spend a good deal of time hunting. Another method is to move around the country, hunting specific species in their "home" provinces and moving location after a few days and when you have success. This allows you to see alot of the country and hunt in different terrains for indigenous trophies. You will need more time for this type of schedule and you'll have to choose an outfitter that covers the whole country.

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.

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.

Rifles
Each outfitter and PH has a different opinion regarding the rifle you should bring. Most important is to be comfortable with your rifle. All African game animals are tough, not just the Cape Buffalo, and no comparison should be made between the antelope here and the American and European species. Always keep this in mind: You are not hunting to save the meat, you are trophy hunting and the prime goal is to put the animal down as quickly as possible.

As South Africa is primarily a plains game destination, your choice of rifle is simplified and means you probably do not have to go out and buy or borrow a rifle. Most medium calibre magnums will serve the hunter well with the most popular ranging between 30.06, 300 and 7mm magnums up to 375 magnum. If you are hunting buffalo, elephant, rhino or hippo your minimum starting calibre is the 375 Magnum. The 375 Magnum is a very popular choice and is a good all round African rifle if you intend venturing further north. In fact many PHs will prefer their clients to use this calibre when hunting in areas where the bush is thick and heavy. It does count against you in the more open areas of South Africa like the Northern Cape, Free State, Eastern Cape and the Karoo while hunting alert species like gemsbok, springbok, mountain reedbuck, vaal rhebok and klipspringer.

Your ammunition should consist of medium to heavy grained soft nosed or ballistic tipped cartridges. Bring 20 to 50 rounds (depending on how you shoot!) in total, you can always take the surplus home with you. Ammunition for the popular standard calibres are available throughout the country for purchase but you may not always find the brand you prefer.

Most hunters make use of telescopic sights sighted in at between 100 - 200 yards. Sometimes your outfitter or PH may advise more depending on the hunting conditions and species. A quality set of optics is always recommended as your rifle is likely to take some knocks. For plainsgame calibres, 2 x 7 or 2.5 x 8 or 3 x 9 is a good choice. If you are hunting big game, a 1.5 x 5 scope with clip-off detachable mounts is a good idea.

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.

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Hunting in the Eastern Free State region of South Africa

The Free State was once the bastion of Afrikaaner nationalism, a land of vast grass-filled plains perfect for agriculture and stock farming. Eventually, as the soil leeched and the grass faded farmers realised it was time to return the land to its original inhabitants.

The plains are now teeming with springbok, blesbok, Black Wildebeest, hartebeest, zebra, eland, gemsbok and more. The ranches are usually very large compared to bushveld areas, and despite the open vegetation, provide challenging hunting.

The plains are the home of the Black Wildebeest (the original gnu, named by the first British hunters), springbok and blesbok. Caracal, Small Spotted Cat and jackal are also common. Most ranches have a wide variety of species available and it is not uncommon to be able to shoot 2 or 3 trophies a day. The plains do however call for long range shots so a magnum of some kind is essential.

The major towns are Bloemfontein, Welkom and Bethlehem. The Free State is about half a days drive from Johannesburg and most hunters will use this as their starting point.

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Hunting in the Limpopo Province of South Africa

The old northern province
The Limpopo province stands proud as the hunting capital of South Africa with more than 4 million hectares of land dedicated to conserved ranches and reserves. A vast indigenous habitat, ranging from spectacular forests to rocky mountains and sandveld (sand bush) supports the incredible choice of species available to the hunter.

The principal towns / cities of the province are Pietersburg, Tzaneen, Hoedspruit, Messina, Ellisras (known as the Wild-West) and Louis Trichardt. All are easily accessible by road, with Pietersburg being the capital of the province.

Hunters are usually required to fly into Johannesburg where they are collected by their PH / Outfitter and driven to the hunting concessions - a journey taking anything from 2 hours.

The area is known for the massive southern greater kudu it produces each season with a Top 10 trophy being within every hunter's reach. Southern impala, common waterbuck, blue wildebeest, klipspringer, Limpopo bushbuck and eland are found in abundance with excellent trophies recorded each season. Most ranches offer an exciting array of species selection and the province has many outfitters and hunters to choose from.

Leopard in the province are also exceptional but extremely wary due to pursuit by stock owners. Many ranches have resident rhino populations, some being excellent trophies.

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Hunting in the Kalahari region of South Africa

The Northern Cape is the largest province in South Africa, stretching from the barren plains of the Karoo in the south to the red sands of the Kalahari in the north. Across the middle, open grassland interspersed with acacia woodland allows classical savanna hunting on large tracts of ranchland.

The most common species here are gemsbok, kudu, eland, hartebeest, wildebeest and most other common plainsgame species. Unique species like roan and sable antelope are also abundant. Due to the favourable climate and terrain most species are present and hunting is easy.

The northern reaches along the Namibian and Botswana borders are known for big gemsbok, while kudu do not seem to get as large as in other parts of the country. Springbok, Red Hartebeest and eland are also good here.

Hunting is good all year round as the average rainfall is low. June to September are the best times with cold nights and clear crisp days.

The major towns of the area are the diamond town of Kimberley, Upington and De Aar which have regular air services. Due to its size, Cape Town or Johannesburg are close entry points to the Northern Cape.

Although the area is perfect for game ranching, it is only recently that more farmers are turning to game. This makes for reasonable trophy prices and daily rates in the province.

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Hunting in the North West Province of South Africa

The Northwest province is perhaps one of South Africa's best kept hunting secrets due to its displacement from the rest of the country. It is a large province bordering Botswana and the sands of the Kalahari. Its Eastern reaches are relatively close to Johannesburg, a series of rough low-lying hillocks covered with acacia thorn and withaak trees. Best known for the fiercely independent Afrikaans farmers who have perfected the art of mampoer distillation and story-telling. The Southern Greater Kudu found here are amongst the biggest in the country.

It is home to the magnificent game reserves of Pilanesberg and Madikwe where controlled hunting is allowed in some sectors of the reserves. In South Africa, this is the closest one will get to hunting as it was 100 years ago, vast concessions with abundant varied wild game. Elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, eland, sable, kudu and other plainsgame occur here as they did hundreds of years ago. Quotas are limited though and trophies are not always up to the standard found on private ranches.

As one moves west, the land becomes more unforgiving, the climate drier, the thorn scrub disperses and the wide open spaces more abundant. Some ranches have cleared much of the thicker thorn scrub away allowing easier hunting whilst others have been left to grow wild. Wherever you hunt, species are abundant and rates are reasonable. In the past, the area was known for its black-maned Kalahari lion crossing from Botswana, however today they are few and restricted to the national reserves.

The province offers excellent Southern Greater Kudu, gemsbok, Cape Eland, Common Waterbuck, impala, Red Hartebeest and many other common plainsgame species as well as exotics like Addax and Scimitar Horned Oryx.

The major towns of the area are Mmabatho, Vryburg and Kuruman. For hunters it is most common to be collected or met by the outfitter in Johannesburg, Kimberley or Upington from where it is a couple of hours drive to the hunting ranches.

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Hunting in Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa

Kwazulu-Natal and more specifically Zululand was once the hunting grounds of Africa's most famous and revered warrior, Shaka - King of the Zulu nation. The province has one of the most unique and varying terrains in South Africa, from the staggering snow tipped peaks of the Drakensberg to the humid lowlands of Zululand. Hunting occurs throughout the province but tends to be concentrated in the north-eastern parts where the temperatures are more humid.

Natal also holds some of the most sought after species in the country; nyala, red duiker, suni and common reedbuck abound in most parts of the province except the very highest peaks. The Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Reserves are today known for their single handed re-establishment of Africa's dwindling white and black rhino populations. For many years the Natal Parks Board was seen as the most innovative and forward thinking in the country and are today, reaping the long-term rewards. Their annual game auction is the biggest of its kind in Africa, if not the world.

Elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino are numerous but expensive and the usual collection of common plainsgame occur on most ranches. Decent kudu, bushbuck, waterbuck, impala and other trophies are common but the main quarry tends to be nyala. For the best nyala in South Africa it is necessary to visit Natal as they do not fare well in other parts of the country where they have been translocated.

Natal is a humid region and it is best to hunt here towards the end of winter (July, August, September) when temperatures are cooler and the brush is less abundant.

Major towns and cities are Durban and Richards Bay with regular air service. The towns of Pongola, Mkuze, Hluhluwe and Vryheid tend to have the highest concentrations of game ranches in close proximity.

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Hunting in the Gauteng Province of South Africa

This is the commercial and economic power house of South Africa with the large cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria its core. In most areas industrial and agricultural development blur the horizon and there are few places where virgin bush still survives. However, on the fringes of the province, especially in the northern and eastern regions, there are some fine game ranches with a variety of species including rhino.

Hunting is fairly easy as the terrain is flat and open, mostly grassland and well dispersed acacia thorn scrub. In many cases hunting rates and trophy fees are reasonable as ranches mostly cater to local hunters.

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Hunting in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

This is not traditionally a hunting or game ranching area and the reserves in the province do not hold the variety of species found elsewhere. The terrain is also restrictive, with Karoo scrub and mountain fynbos throughout most of the province which is not conducive to supporting grazing animals.

However the spectacular mountains and plains, often next to the ocean, are home to some of the more alert and hardy species of South Africa. The Vaal rhebuck, mountain reedbuck and klipspringer are abundant here. In the Karoo, springbok, blesbok and gemsbok are common. Also found here are the beautiful bontebok, almost shot to extinction in the early 1900s. Ranches are more common on the Karoo plateau than in the coastal belt with a large variety of the common species available for hunting. Kudu, eland, Blue and Black Wildebeest, hartebeest and the smaller plainsgame are most common on the ranches in the Karoo whilst Vaal rhebuck are most common amidst the peaks separating the coastal belt.

Cape Town is of course the major city of the province with the smaller towns of George and Oudtshoorn also having regular air service. There seems to be more game ranches in the northern and eastern half of the province which gradually become less the nearer one gets to Cape Town. Rates are reasonable as the province is not traditionally a ranching area. However, prices are on the increase and only the very remote ranches still offer a bargain.

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Hunting in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Birthplace of Nelson Mandela, the Eastern Cape is a large province with many fine ranches supporting a large variety of indigenous and introduced game. The province is divided into the coastal plain and the inland plateau, two greatly different habitats. The inland plateau forms part of the great expanse of the Karoo, a semi-desert arid hinterland home to vast herds of springbok and blesbok. The sparse vegetation and harsh weather dictate the occurrence of indigenous species in this region.

It seems the hardy springbok (common, black and white) is the most suitably adapted with the blesbok running a close second. Mountain reedbuck, Vaal rhebok, steenbok, east Cape greater kudu and caracal also occur as indigenous game. The coastal belt features rolling hills of dense thorn and cactus bush with interwoven grassy patches. This is home to Cape bushbuck, east Cape greater kudu, Cape grysbok, blue duiker, caracal, bush duiker and the many angora wool goats (the predominant farming activity is sheep and goat raising).

In the early frontier days lion, elephant, buffalo, eland and a host of other plainsgame roamed the Eastern Cape but sadly, today their occurrence is due to their re-introduction rather than natural occurrence. Game Ranches in the area offer many different species including: gemsbok, black and blue wildebeest, red lechwe, fallow deer, nyala, buffalo, lion, leopard, caracal, genet, impala, bontebok, red hartebeest, zebra and a host of others. In addition, trophy fees and daily rates are probably the most favourable in the country. However, the hunting methods and areas do tend to leave one remembering that you are hunting on a ranch.

Major towns of the province are Port Elizabeth and East London which are served by South African Airways and other smaller airlines from Cape Town or Johannesburg. Other towns of importance are Graaf-Reinet, Cradock, Queenstown, King William's Town, Umtata and Aliwal North. In most cases you will be required to take a connecting flight from your point of arrival (Cape Town or Johannesburg) to Port Elizabeth or East London where your outfitter will collect you.

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Hunting in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa

Mpumalanga means "the place where the sun rises", and is perhaps blessed with the most favourable hunting species, terrain and climate. It holds the bulk of the Kruger National Park in what is known as the lowveld (lowlands) and the game reserves and ranches along its boundaries are the main attraction to the hunter.

Mpumalanga rates as one of the most scenic of all the regions in South Africa, with awesome views around the Drakensburg mountains and some of the largest planted forests in the world. It is here that some of the best deals on Cape Buffalo, lion and elephant have been offered in the past years. Most of the common plains game are abundant on many game ranches across the province, from the boundaries of the Kruger Park to the peaks of the Drakensberg.

Price may tend to be higher here than in other more remote provinces, however it still remains one of the better places to hunt buffalo in the country. The close proximity to Johannesburg make getting there easy and hassle-free. The major towns of the area are Nelspruit, Pilgrims Rest, Barberton, Piet Retief, Sabie and Lydenburg.

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Hunting in Namibia

The history of trophy hunting in Namibia started in 1962 when several private farms owners decided to provide professional and controlled hunting on their farms. The Namibian Professional Hunting Association, one of the main controlling organizations in the country, was established in 1974 and now has more than 300 members.

The Namibian code of hunting ethics was formed under strong influence of German hunting rules and regulations also because of large number of farms' owners of German origin. According to Namibian hunting regulations the presence of professional hunter/guide is compulsory during the whole duration of hunting safari. It is illegal to start a safari without proper obtained hunting license, where all desired animals must be stated. The export trophies permits will not be issued for animals not stated in the hunting license. If, during the safari, an animal was wounded and its blood was found, the animal regarded as killed and paid in full.

Professional taxidermy studios
There are several professional taxidermy companies in Namibia. Their rates for preparing trophies depend on type of trophy (shoulder mount, full mount, etc.) and type of animal. As a general practice the preparation takes 8 - 12 month. The shipping costs normally charged separately.

Hunting rifles, shot guns and bows can be temporarily imported into Namibia. Revolvers, pistols and automatics are not allowed. Permits are issued by the police at the port of entry. For application a hunter will need a passport, original license for rifle, invitation letter from farmer to hunt.

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