Cost of an African hunting Safari
Although hunting safaris may be looked at as illegal by some people, there are a number of African countries where this activity has been legalized and within the specific areas where it is taking place they are following proper guidelines as offered by the wildlife conservation authorities in their respective countries.
in this article we are going to look at the various factors that affect the cost of hunting safaris in Africa and analyze some of the top hunting destinations on the continent.
Factors that affect the cost of a hunting safari in Africa
The cost of hunting in Africa maybe cheap or extremely expensive but this cost will depend on a number of factors among which are: where the hunting is going to be done, which areas the client wants to see, the level of comfort and luxury you want to have on your hunting expedition, and also how you wish to get around or travel around during the hunting Safari.
- How you want to get around during your hunting Safari
You may opt to go driving or flying through different methods like using a private helicopter or using a jetted aircraft an option that will surely increase your Safari quest as compared to using road transport. The drives may be bumpy and long since the hunting area are normally located in the remote parts of the country however this option is friendlier for those on a limited budget.
- The Hunter and observer fee
Depending on the country where the hunting is going to take place the hunting fee ranges from $250 to $1,250 a day basing on the outfitter and the type of hunt you are going to make, while the fee for the non-hunting observer ranges from $150 to $450 per day.
- The price the trophy animals
Different outfitters offer different prices for the different animals you will be hunting. You should keep in mind that these costs are not similar in all countries, and looking at the most popular hunting destinations in Africa such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia these may turn out to be less costly when compared to Botswana or Tanzania that offer hunting expeditions in more remote areas where charter flights may be required to access those places.
Below is a table showing the estimated cost for hunting different trophy animals in Africa
Animal | Cost in US dollars | |
1. | Baboon | $200 |
2. | Blesbuck | $400 |
3. | White Blesbuck | $800 |
4. | Bontebok | $1400 |
5. | Cape Buffalo | $8500 |
6. | Female Buffalo | $6,000 |
7. | Cape Bushbuck | $850 |
8. | Bush Pig | $700 |
9. | Caracal | $1,500 |
10. | Common Duiker | $300 |
11. | Cape Eland | $2,300 |
12. | Fallow Deer | $500 |
13. | Bat-Eared Fox | $500 |
14. | Cape Fox | $500 |
15. | Giraffe | $2,500 |
16. | Red Hartebeest | $1,100 |
17. | Impala | $480 |
18. | Klipspringer | $1,300 |
19. | Cape Kudu | $1,200 |
20. | Red Lechwe | $2,500 |
21. | nyala | $2,500 |
22. | Gemsbuck Oryx | $1,200 |
23. | Scimitar horned oryx | $2800 |
24. | ostrich | $500 |
25. | porcupine | $150 |
26. | common reedbuck | $1,200 |
27. | mountain reedbuck | $750 |
28. | Vaal | $2,000 |
29. | elephant | $2,300 to $40,000 |
30. | hippo | $9,500 |
31. | spotted hyena | $4,700 |
32. | jackal | $100 |
33. | Lion | $14,750 to $29,750 |
34. | Cheetah | depending on availability |
35. | rhino | depending on availability |
36. | Sable antelope | $4,000 |
37. | Springbok | $450 |
38. | Black springbok | $1,200 |
39. | tsessebe | $2,000 |
40. | waterbuck | $2,150 |
41. | Black wildebeest | $900 |
42. | Blue Wildebeest | $1,200 |
43. | common zebra | $1,600 |
44. | mountain zebra | $2,500 |
45. | Springbuck | $450 to $1,100 |
- The cost of riffle and ammunition
During hunting trips you will definitely need all rifles however some clients do not prefer to incur the cost of shipment so they prefer renting a rifle as well as the ammunition. In Africa, the cost of ammunition it appears that is quite expensive with higher calibers even costing more as highlighted below.
Item | Price range in US Dollars | |
1. | rifle | $25 to $30 per day |
2. | animation | $5 to $20 per round |
- Time of the year you visit
Depending on the country you will be visiting the time of the year that you will take you hunting Safari will be a very big determinant on the overall cost you will pay.
below we are going to analyze some of the top destination were hunting takes place and how the seasonality affect the hunting prices
South Africa: the peak Safari season here is from June to September when there is minimal rainfall and the vegetation is thin making it easier to spot the different animals. The hunting rates per person per day range from $250 2 $400 while for the non-hunter observer the rate ranges from $150 to $200 a day
Zimbabwe: hunting in Zimbabwe is conducted at the Victoria Falls and within the surrounding areas and for persons who will be staying at the Victoria Falls they will incur a much cheaper cost. although Zimbabwe is an all year-round destination for hunting safaris, May to October are considered the best months for hunting while from mid-September to the finish of October the days are very hot just as the nights making it rather uncomfortable unless if you have air conditioning at your accommodation. Being one of the best hunting destinations for the big game especially Africa’s big 4 which are elephants, lions, leopards and buffaloes as well as other smaller plain game. during the peak Safari season the hunting cost per day is about $700
Tanzania: hunting safaris in Tanzania are mainly conducted in the Selous game reserve found in the southern part of the country along the southern Tanzania safari circuit, and this beautiful country offers big game including Africa’s big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo. the nest time for taking a hunting safari is in the dry season when the vegetation is thin with hardly any rainfall; on an average the daily hunting cost during the peak season is about $2,700
- Type of hunting package
Different outfitters in different countries offer a variety of hunting packages basing on the kind of animals the client wants to hunt. if a client is comfortable with a hunting package for the common animals such as wildebeests, Impalas, warthogs and gazelles, such a package will be more cheaper compared to one that includes major trophy animals like the lion, elephant, buffalo and hippo. Taking for example a hunting Safari package in South Africa that features 5 to 7 animals on a 7 to 9 days safari, this may cost not more than $10,000 inclusive of airfare and all animal licenses.
- Type of accommodation
Because different African countries offer a variety of accommodation options, the level of comfort you will opt for on your hunting expedition will determine how much you will have to pay for your overall safari cost. Varying from cheap budget options to the mid-range facilities that offer average comfort and then the expensive luxury facilities African will have a place to stay for everyone irrespective of their budget.
How to cut costs on an African hunting Safari
There are number of online hunting brokers that have specialized in offering great deals for persons interested in taking hunting expeditions on the African continent. These have very impressive rates for instance an all inclusive hunt for buffaloes can be enjoyed at just $8,000 with a broken like Discount African Hunts.