Hunting Namibia VS South Africa

[Letzhunt]

I am headed back to South Africa early next year and I'm sure I will be planning future trips back to Africa soon after. I hunted in Limpopo before and now headed to the Eastern Cape. I am curious to know what the differences are in hunting in Namibia vs South Africa. I'd like to know all the differences: weather, terrain, game, cost, travel ease, and political and safety reasons to choose one over the other. From what I have read and heard Namibia is a much more stable country, but I am not that informed.

 

[Dirtdart]

If you choose to hunt with your own firearm the single page form Namibia requires is about as easy as it gets.
From what I have read South Africa has tried to see how difficult they can make the process to temporarily import a firearm. There are companies that will handle the paperwork on the hunters behalf but still a nuisance IMHO. Point for Namibia.

With Joberg being the "hub" for the southern part of the continent there will be more flight choices which would give a point to SA.

Both countries have plenty of private high fenced property with a wide variety of species both indigenous and introduced.
One of our members more familiar with SouthAfrica will be able to provide insight as to the free range unfenced hunting opportunities in that country. I do know that Namibia has multiple outfitters that hunt free range concessions.

 

[375Fox]

It would be a very long list. The biggest difference you’ll immediately see is the amount of space in Namibia compared to South Africa. South Africa has 60 million people. Namibia has 3 million people. A 10,000 acre farm in South Africa is generally a large farm. A 10,000 acre farm in Namibia is a small farm. 25k+ acres is common. South Africa however has many different distinct environments within the country Limpopo is very different than the Karoo is very different than coastal regions and many more landscapes so it can support a lot more variety of game. Most of Namibia is generally the same semi-desert environment with some less distinct variations, but it has significantly more free range hunting than South Africa. Another big difference is South Africa can have buffalo on private farms. That is not allowed in Namibia, so buffalo hunting is much more limited to Caprivi and more expensive. I personally find Namibia has a much more honest hunting industry and feels much safer than South Africa. Namibia is generally going to cost slightly more because there are less outfitters and game ranching is not the intensity of South Africa. Both are easy to travel to and easy to bring a rifle, but Namibia is a very simple 5 minute firearm permit on arrival.

 

[Sika98k]

Personally I like the wildness of Namibia. Hunting areas are big, very big. I’ve hunted on farms of up to 30,000 hectares. That’s difficult for me to comprehend when you get up onto a high point and can view the land or some of it stretching to the horizon. I feel very privileged.
I have been quite comfortable walking around ( in daylight ) in the towns I’ve visited. Windhoek, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Henties Bay, Swakopmund.
Namibia also has the benefit of being extremely easy to import a firearm for hunting with.
South Africa was described to me as a 1st world country on a 3rd world continent by my PH last year.Possibly an apt description. This year I travelled by road from Jo,burg to close to Alldays. I was surprised to be on motorway, dual carriageway and stopping at large service stations. My PH carried a pistol at all times in public areas. He had never had to use it but coming from a country with a very low incidence of firearms crime it made me a tad uncomfortable.
Importing a firearm into SA ? Well, let’s not go there. It still gives me a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Letzhunt]

Thanks for all the thoughts on this topic. What would be an average cost to hunt a Buffalo in Namibia?

 

[Frederik]

Thanks for all the thoughts on this topic. What would be an average cost to hunt a Buffalo in Namibia?

That will be on average much higher than South Africa.

Both countries has their own special areas and I would rather opt to go to these special areas and hunt the species that are and have been resident in that country.

You can go to a game farm in Namibia stocked with all sorts and it would feel excatly like South Africa and you can go to the North West province Kalahari in South Africa and hunt close to the Bostwana border and that would feel excatly like hunting Namibia.

Like @375Fox mentioned the list can get very long in short Namibia is a neighbouring country so a lot of the same but different it's not like comparing Uganda to South Africa both completely different.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Thanks for all the thoughts on this topic. What would be an average cost to hunt a Buffalo in Namibia?

For a trophy hunt, $20-25k. For a cull, non-trophy, there are deals to be had for under $10k.