Hesitations about Africa

This is not intended to be a negative thread and I do request that it doesn’t degenerate into any arguments or rudeness to one another like some recent topics I’ve read.

There are obviously lots of great things about hunting Africa but were there some things that you were apprehensive about or thought you may not like?
How did this pan out?

Some things may have been a non issue and soon forgotten, others perhaps you did in fact not enjoy.

Maybe it was the safety of where you were travelling, the culture shock, cost, being doted upon in a big lodge, being with other groups of hunters or being in a high fenced area or a great other number of things.

I recently was speaking to a friend who went with a mate and they both had some apprehensions about certain things. One loved it and is going back soon while the other decided never to go again.
Just yesterday I was talking to my father about it and now that he’s realistically in a position where he could do all but the most expensive hunts in Africa he’s lost all interest in going.

It seems some people’s desire burns greater over time while others diminishes and I’m curious to know why that is for different people.

Great thread! I look forward to reading everybody’s answers.

For me it was hunting somewhere that was high fenced for the first time and just seeing so much fencing, although the properties were of a decent size at over 10,000+ acres each it was still a shock entering each hunting property through a locked gate.

I soon realised it didn’t affect how the animals behaved or the quality of the hunting and I understand that in RSA that that is how hunting there works on pretty much all property’s. But it did still take a couple of days to get over it. However I had a fantastic trip and the animals (particularly the Buffalo) were very elusive when they wanted to be! and the fences never felt like they influenced my success during any of the stalks.

I totally fell in love with hunting wild Africa, and want to see more of it. I didn’t love hunting RSA for myself due to the high fencing, even with the properties hunting proving extremely large and open without much if any cross fencing. For parts of RSA this just must exist or there’d simply remain no game to hunt whatsoever.

RSA was my first trip and I’d honestly would have skipped doing another trip except it was already booked to bring my then 13yo daughter for her first trip. That hunt was actually booked before I went the first time with some buddies that had a gent get injured and fall out last minute. That was a fun trip but just not the African experience I was looking for.

When we returned the following year for my kiddos trip, we had an absolute blast. I also ended up hunting buffalo during that trip at the very beginning and tail end, but the majority of the time was just for my daughter and she had the time of her life and took some awesome trophies. It was also good for her to get the chances to shoot at live game every day or two vs our seasons in Alaska where you hunt for week/s hoping for a single opportunity.

Coming from hunting Alaska the last 20+ years, we typically hunt very remote portions of the state, flying in on a bush plane, so go days and weeks without seeing another hunter or human at all. So it just felt weird traveling around the world to hunt behind a fence with so many people everywhere else.

I have found more remote parts of Zimbabwe and Botswana totally amazing and hope to continue returning to explore other areas. I’ll have another adventure to Zimbabwe in October and plan to return again October 2027…which at some point I need to branch out to at least Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. I hope to get a buffalo from every country possible, so know it will include Cameroon and Uganda as well.

Think hunting Africa is generally like hunting anywhere else…there are some awesome aspects and some that one could live without…those pros and cons are of course unique to each location you visit.

I was used to traveling and hunting before Africa, bit of an odd duck for a Texan as I had hunted & Traveled Australia twice for a total of 3 months before I went to Zimbabwe and loved it.

Through American eyes though it can be an intimidating task; the majority of Americans have their passport in order to access beach vacations.

My buddy and his son wouldn’t be going to Zimbabwe in August 27 if I wasn’t going and their taking preparations seriously and we’re all dreading buying flights.

Cost is often the excuse for Americans especially Texas hunters, but look at the cost of Texas exotic hunts recently.

I don’t think that market would exist if not for travel anxiety.

Please accept this as one man’s preference, not as advice. I hunted unfenced properties in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe and loved every one of those trips. My one trip to the Limpopo area of SA was not much to my liking. All of the properties were high fenced but large enough to make that a non-factor. The time consuming treks to multiple properties to collect the animals I was interested in was the big turnoff. Had this been my first trip to Africa there might not have been another. I’m sure there are outfits in Limpopo with a large properties and good enough selection of game to make the running and gunning as I call it unnecessary. I’m planning another trip now. Zimbabwe or Mozambique. I’m well and truly hooked on everything about Safari. I don’t mind the flights, or the red tape both here and in Africa. I love the people, cultures and food. Can’t wait.

You get what you research. Ask the right questions, compare outfitters and regions, check references. There shouldn’t be anything to be apprehensive about. You’re hunting with a white professional hunter so there shouldn’t be much culture shock. Cost should be in contract up front. If you are looking just at South Africa and Namibia, you can book with a large outfitter taking multiple groups at once or hunt with an outfitter that only takes one group or hunter at a time. The properties can be very commercial or very non-commercial and wild depending on outfitter. Accommodations can be from simple farm house to a nice lodge. I can’t say I’ve ever been doted on, but there are camps the waiter will bring you a beer or you can get your own. Once you get away from private land in south Africa and Namibia, it gets more wild. The camps are simple and the hunting more challenging. Whether I’d be successful or not has caused some anxiety, but I was never apprehensive about any other aspects of the hunt.

I will add this though. I think South Africa deserves some criticism particularly where game farming and fencing is most intensive in Limpopo. 90% of outfitters are selling the same hunt, so it’s created a lot of dishonesty in advertising to compete for clients. Property sizes get exaggerated and put and take hunting gets downplayed. The requirements to become a PH and outfitter are easy so not all are really passionate or even good hunters. The best deal should raise some questions. I’d recommend more research selecting an outfitter in Limpopo than any other region. For a first safari, I think Namibia or Eastern Cape are generally better options.

Africa is a continent characterized by vast differences between countries. The majority of hunting trips offered to foreigners in Africa are tailor-made for the client and take place primarily in countries that, despite everything, offer somewhat higher standards than many others; this refers above all to Southern Africa. Otherwise, in some parts of Africa, where often different hunting related structures have developed and there are poor tourism, many foreign hunters, especially those arriving from outside Europe, often have difficult to adapt to local traditions. Consequently, many hunts in the countries primarily discussed here are set up like other specialized tourism, and presents a world to the client that bears no resemblance to the reality experienced by 99% or more of the African population, locals or residents. There are certainly grounds for a lot of hesitations and concerns about Afrika, not least regarding safety, which is often only apparent, as is it the case everywhere in Africa, where the situation can change completely overnight.

It's great to get the different perspectives and there was/is certainly no loaded nature to this thread. I'm genuinely interested to hear about people's own experiences.

I was in various African countries many times, and not always as a tourist. As a result, I have some experience and was often confronted with the sad reality. Listing all would be a bit long. Despite everything, I have no hesitations about going to Africa regularly, but to have hesitations about Africa is absolutely justified.

For me:

Short background. I have deployed to Africa with the military to the non-hunting countries in the Sahara and NE Africa (Egypt, Somalia and Djibouti). I have travelled on vacation to South Africa, Namibia (hunted), Morocco. Yes even with a rifle in my hands, there were places I did not feel safe.

I saw a guy selling COT on the street in Djibouti murdered by another guy. He stuck him like a pig.

Namibia and South Africa are no worse or better than the worst of America. The worst bits are probably similar or slightly better than Detroit, LA, downtown Portland and Atlanta. Rural parts, by comparison to rural parts of New Mexico they are probably similar in crime. So it is not zero.

I don't like like the feeling of being a client. It will always feel like that at some level. Even if you go 20 times. I have my guide in Slovenia broken down here pretty hard, we spend our entire hunt giving each other crap and joking. I have hunted with him 5 times, couple times a year. But I don't stay at his house, I sleep in a local guesthouse and keep at some level the client thing separate. I also leave when I am done hunting. In Africa or anywhere else you would have to build a relationship, it would be harder to leave when you are done and give him his time back. I also still tip him.

I have not hunted a Texas game ranch, so I can't compare it to the experience in Africa. I have been interested but had such bad experiences with the inquiries that I am not sure I am interested. Africa doesn't feel so dirty and contrived. Hunted both free range properties in the Kalahari and Khomas and high fence.

I have hunted a big free range ranch in West Texas for aoudad. It was 100,000 acres. That was a tremendous experience, as we saw wildlife like I never imagined out there. No fences.

You have to find an experience that matches your wishes. Without it you will be wanting. I think you have to know what questions to ask.

On some properties there is an expectation to shoot things from the truck if you are not on a stalk. If you dont' want to do this, or you are ok with it you ought to tell them. There will be opportunities you will miss especially on small predators by having to dismount and put the sticks up. I have head guys complain about this, because it is not something we do in America.

These are the things that matter to me.

1. how big is your outfit
2. is it all high fenced
3. how big are the paddocks or pastures
4. do we travel to other properties and how big are they
5. how does the trophy clean up and dip pack work for the taxidermy or export
6. how many other clients will be in camp the same time I am there
7. how do you expect to be paid at the end of the safari
8. what happens if I am there for 10 days and I end up killing everything in my budget what can we do
9. is there 24 hour electricity for a CPAP
10. what is the average shot distance
11. I always tell them I am willing to shoot something from the truck, but I'd like to stalk a bit or sit some water holes to make things work as necessary

-number of flights or layovers etc
-time away from young family


-the spiders and snakes
Kidding not kidding.

I would say that to me Africa doesn't feel like Disneyland, I also feel like that is the point. There are probably some Disneylandesque ranches in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana maybe Zambia and Zimbabwe. But the experience won't be the Disneyland very controlled a bit contrived experience from a game ranch in Texas.

I have not hunted the YO, but I have been to the YO on one of their wildlife tours when they used to do them. It was kind of a shitty version of Disneyland when I went there. It needed a lot of capital to get turned around.

For me the biggest anxiety is: “Will I get along well with this guy (the PH)?” Will our personalities match? Are his ethics parallel with mine? Is he going to work hard? Does he have a good plan to get the job done? Is he not only good at his job, does he really enjoy it?

In the bush, in a new place I’ve never experienced, I get lost in the newness of it all and notice small things. I like to learn and ask a lot of questions. A PH who takes time and entertains my questions and can point out things I didn’t see or notice and doesn’t take himself too seriously will earn my loyalty.

Trust is a big deal for me. Communication, or lack of it, will make up a large part of my apprehension or excitement going into a new camp.

The fences, flights, thirdworldness of it all..? Meh.., no big deal to me. That’s all part of the game and I expect it, so I don’t dwell on it. But the atmosphere and personality of each camp and location are unique and part of what still makes Africa mysterious and so appealing to me.

This is a good topic. I have only been on a photo safari to Kenya -which was awesome. My hesitation on hunting is that i have read so many good old books and known several good old PHs that my expectations will never be met because I have set the bar so high.

baxterb said:

This is a good topic. I have only been on a photo safari to Kenya -which was awesome. My hesitation on hunting is that i have read so many good old books and known several good old PHs that my expectations will never be met because I have set the bar so high.

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You certainly should not expect exactly what is described in the books. After all, those are mostly novels or highly subjective hunting reports that often embellish the facts. Unfortunately even a lot has changed over the last three decades that I am hunting in Africa. Hunting in Africa, especially in the southern part, has become very commercialized and at times resembles to a form of specialized mass tourism. Nevertheless, I would approach the whole thing with an open mind, go ahead and book it. You can still have wonderful experiences and create lasting memories.

there shouldnt be any hesitation, book with a decent outfitter and have a fantastic holiday/hunt

i have travelled to most countries in europe, far east, usa etc and i live in Sunny South Africa
All countries have bad cities, bad places and areas you should avoid if someone says their country or city doesnt have that, they are lying!!!

the world is a big place and we have access to most of it, if you have any adventurous spirit, go and see it, and enjoy diffierent cultures etc, you will be richer for it.

Betterinthebush said:

For me the biggest anxiety is: “Will I get along well with this guy (the PH)?” Will our personalities match? Are his ethics parallel with mine? Is he going to work hard? Does he have a good plan to get the job done? Is he not only good at his job, does he really enjoy it?

In the bush, in a new place I’ve never experienced, I get lost in the newness of it all and notice small things. I like to learn and ask a lot of questions. A PH who takes time and entertains my questions and can point out things I didn’t see or notice and doesn’t take himself too seriously will earn my loyalty.

Trust is a big deal for me. Communication, or lack of it, will make up a large part of my apprehension or excitement going into a new camp.

The fences, flights, thirdworldness of it all..? Meh.., no big deal to me. That’s all part of the game and I expect it, so I don’t dwell on it. But the atmosphere and personality of each camp and location are unique and part of what still makes Africa mysterious and so appealing to me.

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well said sir, well said

I don’t really understand what apprehensions there would be? Presumably because I don’t have a Vagina…
Distance and length or complexity of travel? IDK… I do have some friends that just cannot stand international travel for some reason. It’s just not for them.
It does get worse as you get older.
Is it “safety”? See above…. It’s perfectly safe unless you do something stupid which could be anywhere like walking one block too far in Memphis.
Someone would have to tell me what they are apprehensive about

kpoynter said:

I don’t really understand what apprehensions there would be? Presumably because I don’t have a Vagina…
Distance and length or complexity of travel? IDK… I do have some friends that just cannot stand international travel for some reason. It’s just not for them.
It does get worse as you get older.
Is it “safety”? See above…. It’s perfectly safe unless you do something stupid which could be anywhere like walking one block too far in Memphis.
Someone would have to tell me what they are apprehensive about

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I am kind of in this boat. The only thing that slows me down is being away from my family. I look forward to when I can actually take a 21 day or multi country safari.

Im not sure why travel freaks people out. You just roll with it, I have had more issues on domestic flights than international ones.

LivingTheDream said:

<snip> I have had more issues on domestic flights than international ones.

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I often joke that the only decent airlines are the ones owned by dictatorships.