Editorial

The great migration… To the Conventions…

January is the start of what many refer to as Convention Season. The time to wave the African hunting flag. Long flights, many shows, house parties, fund-raiser events and, of course, the major expos – the two big ones being DSC and SCI. It’s a proud time, an annual rendezvous with many familiar faces and, hopefully, meeting many more new ones. But for how long is this model “sustainable” – a word the industry seems quick to use in justifying its existence. The costs are prohibitive and favor the large vendors, or those selling highly priced items. I am not sure that if you were a standalone outfitter, like those of 40 years back, the original backbone of the shows, that you would make it now. Here’s an analogy: It was reported this past year that the wildebeest tended to remain in Tanzania – lack of good grazing so migrating elsewhere was not worth the move. Kenya saw fewer animal numbers. Could be a pure coincidence? Things are definitely changing.

African Hunting Gazette
On a brighter note: In this AHG Monthly is the link to our African Hunting Gazette’s “Convention Issue.” We hope you enjoy it as you click on the link and the digital version reveals our African hunting world. Open it. Pass it on. Share with friends. Please play a role in helping this continent’s wildlife thrive. The printed edition will be on the way to you if you subscribe. You can also find it in the gun permit office in Joburg, and at Afton if you visit us, or in your outfitter’s camp.   

African Dawn
January means you can see who’s IN this reputable group. Demand for the exclusive (and limited) African Dawn membership is increasing, as the program gathers weight and momentum. Weight, in that we have a robust line-up of major African hunting outfitters from who to choose your next safari; momentum, because we are doing more for, and more with this group of operators. They compete for your hunting time and dollars, and we promote them equally. And with plans to work even further as a team to boost the holy grail of hunting Africa, we hope you enjoy browsing through the 2022 catalogue.

Africa: Ready for your 2022 safari, and from all of us – have a wonderful year ahead.

Richard  [email protected]

PS: if you love what we stand for, what we produce and think you could play a role – we invite you to sign up, spread the word, and help build African hunting.

Wildlife column

One of Africa’s most colourful conservation personalities passed away on 2 January 2022 having lived a full life: “But what a life he had: in a career spanning more than half a century Leakey transformed himself from a fossil hunter, who became a bestselling author and television star – and made a seminal documentary on human evolution for the BBC – to a pioneering conservationist with the hide of a rhinoceros." The quotation above comes from Graham Boynton’s tribute in the Daily Mail where he also describes him as “The fearless fossil hunter who saved Africa’s living treasures: TV star, ladies’ man… and a swashbuckling adventurer who lost his legs in a plane crash. Richard Leakey – who has died at 77 – was like a real-life Wilbur Smith hero.” Renowned Kenyan palaeontologists, Louis and Mary Leakey, had three sons who grew up in Nairobi, where they attended the private Duke of York School.

Classic African Hunting Literature: Chui!: A Guide to Hunting the African Leopard

With few exceptions, African literature has generally been intended to allow the reader to live vicariously through the words and experiences of the author. As readers we’re inspired by thrilling tales of hunting adventure, and often it’s those stories that compel us to visit Africa for the first time. Once we go there, of course, we’re hooked, and African hunting literature helps quell our thirst for Africa until we can return.
Chui!: A Guide to Hunting the African Leopard is not like most African literature, but then, leopards are not like any other African game animal.

Adroda Safaris

Adroda Safaris provides its clients with the opportunity to hunt across southern Africa in large, diverse habitats and free-range concessions offering true fair-chase hunting.

Byseewah Safaris 

Byseewah offers a total African experience for hunters, fishermen, and photographers. Accompanied by professional guides, hunters stalk game on foot, following the tracks of antelope, hyena, and the occasional leopard. 

Bobby Hansen Safaris

Bobby Hansen Safaris has been operating now for 22 years and is a privately owned and operated business with a reputation for value for money and exceptional quality animals, whether the Big Five or plains game.

Makadi Safaris 

Makadi Safaris has been owned and operated by the Metzger family for three generations. Not only have we maintained our vast hunting areas but also expanded them with a sensible and sustainable game management program in place.

Daggaboy Hunting Safaris

Exclusive hunting for you alone or you and your group with Dawid ‘Daggaboy’ Muller himself as your PH and host as no other hunters will be in camp except you. 

Elandpro Safaris

Elandpro is owned by Gerrit and Janneman Breedt, both professional hunters with a shared experienced of more than 50 years in Namibia.

Thierry Labat Safaris

Thierry Labat Safaris is a very small, personalized company based out of Zimbabwe, but also offers hunts in multiple countries that include Cameroon, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Mozambique.

SB Hunting Safaris

SB Hunting Safaris is a family orientated company. Not only the experienced but also the inexperienced hunters are more than welcome. It is SB Safari’s passion to keep hunting alive.

Spear Safaris

It is hard to tell a total stranger what puts you above your competitors. My answer: my optimism about pleasing my clients and producing a safari of a lifetime.

Aru Game Lodges

The scenery is vast, the game wild at Aru Game Lodges,a family-run safari company with two unique, well-appointed lodges — Kalakwa Lodge and Veronica Lodge — both a short drive from Windhoek.

Watts Trophy Hunting Safaris

Watts Trophy Hunting Safaris has more than two decades of experience in the hunting and safari industry. Every hunting party receives individual attention, and this helps us to give each of our clients a unique African experience.

Ken Moody Safaris

Ken Moody Safaris began offering high-quality bow and rifle hunting adventures in the early 1990s, and today continues to provide some of the finest hunting opportunities in southern Africa. 

Eland Safaris

Eland Safaris is located on the scenic family Paardenberg Farm in the most northwestern part of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, close to the Botswana border.

Strang Middleton Safaris

SMS is determined to provide quality, ethical, and exciting adventures for the discerning hunter. Strang is a seasoned bowhunter with 20 years of experience in the field as a PH. 

Monterra Safaris

Monterra Safaris is a privately owned 14,000 acre game ranch in the Limpopo River Valley of South Africa. Monterra was established as the exclusive hunting ground of an American business owner in the 1980s.

Kantanta Safaris

Daniele Ventriglia, initially started his hunting experience in Zambia in 1990 and Valerio Ventriglia followed few years later in the Kafue region in Zambia.  

Hotfire Safaris

With conservation at the heart of our business ethic and how we manage our reserve. We can assure you of an ethical honest safari to exceed your expectations.

Mayo Oldiri Safaris

We are the biggest hunting company in Cameroon with more than one million ha of hunting area. Therefore, we have more trophies and can provide better success than anybody else.

African Safari Trails

African Safari Trails is a family-owned and professional hunting lodge located in the heart of Namibia, in 18 000 acres of privately owned bushveld situated northeast of Windhoek.

John Sharp Safaris

John Sharp Safaris is a hands-on business and committed to personal service. I will meet you at the airport and guide you through the formalities, and then drive you to the camp.

Mashambanzou Safaris

Mashambanzou Safaris has been in operation since 2005 and become an established name in the safari circles providing access to over 1,500,000 hectares of wild unfenced hunting areas with varied bush types.

Rolling River Safaris

Set up as a family-run safari business in Zimbabwe, initially only catering for a limited number of plains-game safaris, the company grew over the next 26 years of operation, ultimately operating throughout the country.

Madubula Safaris

Madubula Safaris was founded by John Abraham in 1990 and it has grown into one of Africa’s premier safari companies. Safaris are conducted to the highest ethical standards only. No compromise.

BoschNel Safaris

As a team of highly experienced hunters, we can assure not only the safety of our hunters on Dangerous game hunts, but an ethical fair chase experience that any hunter could be proud of.

Richard Cooke Safaris

Based in Victoria Falls in northwest Zimbabwe, Richard Cooke Safaris offers hunting in some of the top unfenced concessions available in Zimbabwe. 

Northern Operations Africa

Based out of Miami, Florida USA, Northern Operations Africa is an all-inclusive African hunting outfitter specializing in bongo, Lord Derby eland and mountain nyala.

Kwalata Safaris

Kwalata Safaris os a wholly owned Zambian outfit and holder of Lower Lupande game management area which prides as one of Zambia’s premiere hunting concessions.  Professionally managed by Peter Chipman.

HuntersHill Safaris

Huntershill Safaris is located on the malaria free Wildschutsberg Game Farm in the picturesque foothills of the Stormberg mountains near Queenstown in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.

Bergzicht Game Lodge

Bergzicht Game Lodge offers  guided hunting safaris on our exquisite game ranch just south of Windhoek, Namibia, with 25 species of plains game on 60,000 acres of privately owned land.

Omujeve Safaris

If your lifelong dream is to take part in the perfect African Hunting Safari, you’ve come to the right place. Trophy hunting is our speciality, and we’ll make sure that you bag the species of your choice.

Heritage Safaris

Heritage Safaris is a seasoned Outfitter operating in partnership with Luke Samaras Safaris in the glorious Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania.

Rovos Rail

During the height of wingshooting season, Rovos Rail operates a unique eight-day sojourn with variety of shoots ranging from guinea fowl to waterfowl and doves.

Mike Currie Adventures

Working behind staunch pointing dogs has always been a passion of mine, and something I never get tired of seeing.

Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris

Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris is a family-run operation dedicated to providing a small number of clients with an unequaled opportunity to hunt Africa’s great game.

Stone Hunting Safaris

Stone Hunting Safaris operate in South Africa, Namibia, Ehtiopia, Zambia and Tanzania, offering top quality hunting safaris in the best areas Africa has to offer.

Ndumo Safaris

Ndumo Safaris based in the Zambezi region  of Namibia from where we operate one of very few companies that specializes in hunting dangerous game. 

Bowker Safaris

We provide the ultimate in comprehensive hunting experiences throughout Southern Africa. We specialize in dangerous game and Eastern Cape plains-game safaris.

Royal Karoo Hunting Safaris

Royal Karoo Hunting Safaris is situated in the  Eastern Cape. The region is rated as the best African Hunting spot for Kudu in South Africa and a world-class Bow Hunting destination.

Mokore Safaris

Mokore Safaris is one of the leading safari companies in Africa. Established in 1979, it has over 40 years of experience offering high quality, personalised hunting safaris.

Eastern Cape Bowhunting

Guided by a professional hunter, you’ll find unequaled opportunities to hunt the most prized game including cape buffalo, sable and over 30 other native South African species.

Khomas Highland Safaris

The hunting area in the Khomas Highlands is a 43,000 acre free-range conservancy, and is one of the most game-rich areas of Namibia.

Johan Calitz Safaris

JCS’ mission was always to create realistic expectations, address all possible grey areas, and stick to the contractual agreement.

Chris Troskie Safaris

Chris Troskie has more than 23 years of experience in hunting Africa’s big game. We are based in the Waterberg region of Limpopo Province.

Namibia Safari Corporation

Namibia Safari Corporation entered the international trophy hunting world in 2001. The 109,000-acre family-owned hunting ranch is situated in the homas Region.

Rann Safaris

Jeffrey Lynn Rann began his professional hunting career in 1977 after completing a 3-year apprenticeship with Zambia Safaris.

Rob Lurie Safaris

Rob Lurie has been in the Safari industry for 25 years guiding hundreds of clients on successful, memorable safaris. 

Ekuja Hunting Safaris

Ekuja Hunting Safaris was founded 15 years ago by Drikus Swanepoel. Over the past 15 years Ekuja Hunting Safaris has grown from a family ranch operation into a premier hunting safari destination.

Axel Engman Safaris

Attention to detail and a very personalized experience geared towards your requirement and wishes, be it purely hunting or acombination with photographic,fishing and sigh-seeing, family/friends or on your own.

Hunters Safaris Southern Africa

Hunters Safaris Southern Africa is a truly authentic African safari outfit, formed by Africans, run by Africans, within wildest Africa. 

eZulu Adventures

Our fifth-generation family-run safaris offer an exceptional African hunting experience in three biodiverse areas that teem with large herds of a great variety of species.

Hotfire Safaris

Hotfire Safaris, which is owned and run by business partners Patrick and Ryan, is a highly personal business which focuses on clients’ individual needs over profit, still aspiring to the Handshake being our promise to deliver on what we say.

Quality Hunting Safaris

What makes Quality Hunting Safaris unique from other is that we provide top quality trophies, and a lifetime experience to our clients. We don’t only hunt, we enjoy nature and we enjoy the experience nature allows us.

Keibeb Safaris

Keibeb Safaris, founded by Steph Marais in 2006, offers exceptional trophy hunting, luxurious accommodation and uniquely Namibian hospitality.

Russ Field Safaris

Russ Field Safaris was founded in 1994 and has offered first class hunting to discerning clientelle from all over the world since inception. 

Wayne Grant Safaris

Wayne has been licensed for big game hunting in Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa and has run safari operations in all of those countries.

WOW Africa

WOW Africa is an established safari company, striving since 1996 to create the African Dream for international visitors. 

Game Trackers Africa

Game Trackers Africa is a Namibian-based company that also serves as the marketing agent for various endeavors in different parts of Africa, including Tanzania, Cameroon and South Africa.