South Africa Hunting Info

South Africa is the easiest and cheapest place to hunt in Africa right now. It has an abundance of plains game and is easy to travel to from the US.

Private Hunting Concessions

Hunting in South Africa is an exceptional, bucket list experience. Nearly all hunting occurs on private game ranches, which cover over 25% of the country. Because wild animals are the property of the landowner, 99% of hunting is done on vast high-fenced private game concessions or ranches. Even though these hunts are on private concessions, international hunters are required by law to be accompanied by a licensed PH and outfitted by a registered outfitter.

Hunting Regions in South Africa

There are four main hunting regions in South Africa. All of the areas contain many of the common plains game species; however, each regions has some distinct species that are suited to that specific terrain.

East Cape

• The entire Eastern Cape is 100% malaria-free, making it the premier choice for family hunting trips and first-time travelers.
• A rugged landscape blending steep mountains, deep valleys, and thick coastal valley bushveld.
• Specialized regional species:
  • Bushbuck
  • Nyala
  • Kudu
  • Vaal Rhebok (Grey Rhebok)
  • Blue Duiker
  • Cape Grysbok
  • Steenbok
  • Caracal

Free State & Northern Cape

• Terrain consists of grassy, flat, open savannahs and semi-desert sandy soils of the Kalahari Desert
• Requires long-range shooting across open plains for herd animals like Gemsbok, Springbok, and Black Wildebeest.
• Specialized regional species:
  • Gemsbok
  • Springbok
  • Red Hartebeest
  • Eland

Limpopo

Mpumalanga

• Translates to “The Place of the Rising Sun”
• Features a dramatic landscape divided into two sharply contrasting hunting zones:
  • The Highveld: The western half is a chilly, high-altitude alpine grassland with the following specialized species:
    • Cape Buffalo
    • Nyala
    • Hippo
    • Crocodile
  • The Lowveld: The eastern half drops steeply down the Drakensberg Escarpment into the tropical, low-altitude bush and specializes in:
    • Black Wildebeest
    • Blesbok
    • Eland

Exporting and Taxidermy

Once an animal is harvested, international hunters must navigate the “Dip and Pack” process to get trophies home:

• Field Preparation: The outfitter’s skinners immediately salt, cape, and prep the hides and skulls at the skinning shed.
• Dip and Pack facilities: Hides and skulls are sent to a licensed South African taxidermist for mandatory chemical processing (dipping) to kill any diseases before export.
• Shipping: A specialized freight forwarder handles the export permits, CITES documentation (for protected species), and ocean or air freight to the hunter’s home country, where a designated customs broker clears the shipment.

How South African Hunts are Packaged and Sold

The most common way South Africa hunts are usually marketed is by a la carte itineraries, which means you are charged a daily rate plus trophy fees. This requires gathering information such as how many days you may need to hunt to get the animals you want. The alternative is a packaged hunt that gives you one set price that is all-inclusive of daily fees, trophy fees for specified animals, lodging, meals, and possibly other things like a free observer, etc. The packaged hunts are a simplified approach that helps with budgeting and also usually comes with a discounted price.

Daily Rates + Trophy Fees (A La Carte)

This is the typical way hunts are marketed in South Africa. This means you are charged a daily rate for each day at the hunting lodge plus trophy fees. This requires gathering information such as how many days you may need to hunt to get the animals you want.

• Daily Rates: You pay a flat fee per day for lodging, meals and hunting. If you have someone travelling with you, non-hunting observers typically have a lower daily rate.
• Trophy Fees: You only pay for the specific animals you successfully harvest or wound. Each animal has a fixed price on the outfitter’s price list.

Packaged Hunts

Packaged hunts give you one set price that is all-inclusive of daily fees, trophy fees for specified animals, lodging, meals, and possibly other things like a free observer added in. The packaged hunts are a simplified approach that helps with budgeting and also usually comes with a discounted price.

• Plains Game Packages: Typically bundled as a 7-to-10-day hunt including daily rates, 4 to 6 specified animals, lodging, meals, and drinks for a flat price. This is the all-inclusive hunt that can make budgeting for your safari easier and usually provides a discounted price.
• Dangerous Game Packages: “Big Five” animals are less commonly bundled into flat-rate packages. They require individual daily rates (often $1,000+ per day) and heavy trophy fees. However, you can find them more often with hunt brokers/booking agencies.