The whole trip, explained properly.
Around nine in ten of our clients travel from North America or Europe. This is everything we would tell you on the phone, written down: the flights, the firearm permit, the shooting standard we ask for, and how your trophies get home.
When to come
South Africa's hunting season runs year round, but the winter months are what most people picture when they think of an African safari.
May to August — the classic season
Cold mornings, warm afternoons, no rain and no insects. The grass is down, the bush is thin and the animals concentrate on water. Book twelve to eighteen months ahead for these weeks.
September and October — the hardest and the best
Hot, dry and every animal on the property is committed to a handful of drinking points. The best bowhunting of the year, and the toughest walking.
November to March — green season
Thick bush, long grass and afternoon thunderstorms. Harder hunting and better value, with excellent bird shooting and the impala rut falling in April at the tail end of it.
Getting to camp
Almost everyone flies into O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg. From there it is a four-hour road transfer, or a short domestic hop to Polokwane.
- Direct overnight flights to Johannesburg from Atlanta, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and Doha
- Arrive in the morning and you will be in camp by mid-afternoon the same day
- Fly Polokwane (PTG) on a domestic connection and the drive to camp is about an hour
- We meet you inside the terminal, not at the kerb, and we handle the firearm desk with you
- Charter direct to the camp airstrip is available, quoted on request
Bringing your own rifle
This is the part everyone worries about, and it is genuinely straightforward if the paperwork is done in advance. We prepare and pre-submit your SAPS 520 so the permit is issued at the firearm office while you are still in the arrivals queue.
What you may bring
Up to four firearms, no two of the same calibre, and up to 200 rounds of ammunition per firearm. No semi-automatic or fully automatic rifles, and no handguns without a separate motivation.
What we need from you
A completed SAPS 520 (we send you the form and fill in our side), a certified copy of your passport photo page, your proof of ownership or export permit, your flight itinerary and an invitation letter which we issue.
How far in advance
Six weeks is comfortable. Four is possible. Under three weeks and we would rather you used one of our camp rifles than risked the permit not being ready.
US hunters specifically
File a CBP Form 4457 with US customs before you leave, so you can prove the rifle was yours when you re-enter. Do it at your departure airport or an inland customs office; it takes ten minutes and saves an argument on the way home.
Rifle hire instead
Included in our daily rate with 20 rounds of ammunition. We keep .308, .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag and .375 H&H in camp, scoped, zeroed and maintained. Plenty of our clients now travel without a rifle by choice.
Visas, passports and insurance
Requirements are light for most of our clients, but the passport rules catch people out every season.
- US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most EU passport holders need no visa for stays under 90 days
- Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your departure date
- You need at least two completely blank facing pages, and immigration does enforce this
- Travelling with a child under 18 requires an unabridged birth certificate and, if one parent is absent, their consent affidavit
- We require every client to hold travel and hunting insurance, including medical evacuation cover
- No vaccinations are required for our main concession, which is malaria-free
Getting your shooting right
The single biggest predictor of a good safari is not your rifle, your calibre or your fitness. It is whether you can shoot off standing sticks.
Practise standing, on sticks
Almost every shot in Africa is taken standing, off a tripod, between 80 and 200 yards. If all your practice has been from a bench or prone, the first opportunity will feel very different. Build a set of sticks and shoot from them for a month.
The standard we ask for
Three shots inside a nine-inch paper plate at 100 yards, standing, off sticks, in under a minute. Nothing more exotic than that. If you can do it, you will be fine on anything on our plains-game list.
Bullet choice matters more than calibre
A controlled-expansion bullet from a .270 will out-perform a cup-and-core from a .300 magnum on eland every time. Bring a premium bonded or monolithic bullet and do not experiment with a new load two weeks before you fly.
You will shoot in on arrival
Every hunter, without exception, on the range before the first hunt. Scopes move in cargo holds. It is better to find out on paper.
What to pack
Less than you think. Laundry is done daily, so three days of clothing covers a two-week safari.
- Muted green, khaki and brown in a light, quiet fabric — skip the camouflage, nobody here wears it
- Boots you have already walked 50 kilometres in, plus a second pair in case the first gets wet
- A warm jacket and a beanie: winter mornings on an open vehicle are genuinely cold
- Gaiters, and long trousers rather than shorts — the thorns here are not decorative
- A wide-brimmed hat, high-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- Good binoculars. This is the one item worth spending real money on
- A soft rifle case for the field, a hard case for the flight
- Any prescription medication in its original labelled packaging
Getting your trophies home
Your PH prepares everything in the field and delivers it to a registered taxidermist. From there you have two routes, and the right one depends on whether you already have a taxidermist you trust at home.
Dip and pack
Raw trophies are treated to meet import regulations, crated and shipped to your own taxidermist at home. Typically six to ten months from the end of your safari. Cheaper up front, and you keep control of the finished mounts.
Full South African taxidermy
Mounted in South Africa and shipped finished. Twelve to eighteen months, and the work is world class at roughly half what the same mount costs in the United States. The saving usually more than covers the crating.
What it costs
Budget roughly $1,200 to $2,500 for crating and freight on a five-animal plains-game safari, plus your customs broker at the other end. This is billed by the taxidermist and the shipping agent directly, not by us.
Import permits
Plains game needs no CITES permit into the United States or the EU. Species on CITES Appendix I or II, including leopard and hippo, need both export and import permits arranged before the hunt. We will not book those species against permits we do not already hold.
Photographs either way
We photograph every animal properly in the field, in good light, with the animal presented respectfully. Those pictures reach you before you have landed at home.
Gratuities
Tipping is customary and genuinely appreciated, and nobody will ever ask you for it. These are the ranges our clients typically work to, given at the end of the safari.
- Professional hunter: $100 to $150 per hunting day
- Tracker: $20 to $30 per hunting day
- Skinner: $15 to $25 per hunting day
- Camp staff, as a pooled tip: $150 to $300 for the week
- US dollars or rand are both fine, cash is easiest, and we will help you split it fairly
This guide is written for planning purposes and reflects our understanding of current requirements. Immigration, firearm and CITES regulations change, and the responsibility for meeting them rests with you. Confirm anything critical with your own authorities, and ask us if you are unsure — we deal with this every season.
Ask it before you book, not after.
There is no question about an African safari we have not been asked, and no question we would rather you left unanswered.