Is South Africa still safe to hunt?

[Elkeater]

Went last year with my wife, 10 year old daughter and 9 year old son. Wouldn’t hesitate to fly over tomorrow if I could. One of the guys at work is actually marrying a gal from RSA. He can’t wait to move there in a few months.

 

[Sourdough]

In all the times I've been to South Africa, including earlier this month, I've never been treated but with the utmost respect, politeness and cheerfulness by the blacks, colored (their designation so don't anyone get their panties in a wad) and whites. Better than a lot of places in the U.S. Go have fun.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Flew through Kimberly in March, two hour drive to the farm, through a few towns. I would feel less safe traveling through a few neighborhoods within five miles of my home here in the states. PSA, If you have firearms going through Kimberly, the loader/handler gets CASH, $60 U.S. both ways, so $120 for guns RT, (or equivalent rand) and you can't use a credit card. Asking for a receipt, you'll get one they sell at Walmart. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.
If your bud's just trying to make an excuse to not go and cancels, go alone. You'll make friends there.

 

[Nyati]

Extremely dangerous, there are wild animals loose, even snakes

 

[mainjoshua]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the personal insight/experiences. After some of y'all's encouragement, I think I'm going to push on alone if he cancels. It'll be my first time traveling to another continent, so I'm just not looking forward to spending the layovers and 15 hour flight by myself

 

[Tango]

Good plan, you'll have a great time. I'd be more concerned about traveling to Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore or DC than I would So Africa.

 

[Hunt anything]

@mainjoshua , I did my first safari solo and I am really happy I did. I didn’t have to worry if a hunting partner was having a good time or not. It was to Mozambique, my others have been to South Africa and my wife accompanied me on those. I would love to get her to “wild” Africa in the future.

 

[Elkeater]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the personal insight/experiences. After some of y'all's encouragement, I think I'm going to push on alone if he cancels. It'll be my first time traveling to another continent, so I'm just not looking forward to spending the layovers and 15 hour flight by myself

Take me with you!!!!!!

Just kidding my wife (and kids) would be pretty upset if I went to Africa without them. Even if you go alone I’ll bet you can make the whole thing awesome! Meet some new people, enjoy your own pace for change, and most importantly shoot the big animals your buddy would have shot!

And if you’re buddy still goes, well share some drinks, share a campfire, share the successes and enjoy it all!

 

[Doug3006]

I live 15 miles outside of St. Louis. Population of less than 300,000. With 150-200 murders per year, St. Louis consistently ranks in the top 10 murder cities in the world per capita. From 2014 to 2016, we were #1.

So, I think any Southern Africa country is a peaceful garden spot by comparison. I’d wager if you looked at the violent crime rate in your nearest metro area you’d come to the same conclusion.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Tell your adventurous buddy this 13yo girl just survived the dangers of RSA. We made it home Monday. She hunted 5 different properties from close to Botswana to just southwest of Johannesburg. She actually now wants to live there now, which for that I’d have to say Alaska seems a much safer option. She never felt in danger while there, well, except a couple moments on my two buffalo hunts and the spiders in her bathroom were not her favorite at the time. She was always safe, just spooked for a moment or two.

That said, I’ll admit my 13yo girl is a bit more adventurous than some hunters.

 

[Hunt anything]

@Wildwillalaska , well done by you both! Tell her congratulations from an old Alabama Redneck!

 

[BryceM]

I did one solo DG safari, all the while trekking through airports on 3 continents with a rifle. Despite that, I found it to be rather relaxing.

 

[358 Norma]

If it was completely safe, it wouldn't be any fun!

One of the reasons Buffalo hunting is so addictive!!!

The wife and I were there last June felt safe the whole time, except for the traffic in Johannesburg! Traffic laws are only a suggestion there!

 

[TOBY458]

I just returned from Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. I travelled alone and had a layover in SA at the airport hotel. Although I never left the airport in SA, the people there are always very nice. Although I always prefer to travel with another person or group, I didn’t have any issues at all on my last trip. Just a bit boring with no one to talk to when traveling. I always use Riflepermits.com for my gun pre-approval, and they offer a VIP service. They’ll meet you at the terminal when you get off the plane and accompany you through the gun process and to your hotel, if you end up staying overnight. I know it’s a bit intimidating to travel to a foreign country, but I consider SA a very easy destination to travel to. I live near Atlanta, so it’s super easy for me to hop on Delta and go.

 

[Trogon]

@mainjoshua , go it alone if you have to.
Did a fishing trip in coastal Angola in March followed with a hunting venture with @Hogpatrol and our PH and the most concerning part for me was driving to the airport in Luanda with heavily congested traffic. It's crazy! Staying at Citilodge at the Joburg Airport between a couple flights and using Gracy Travel made any concerns a non-issue. My first Africa trip in 2021 to the Eastern Cape by myself was trouble free.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the personal insight/experiences. After some of y'all's encouragement, I think I'm going to push on alone if he cancels. It'll be my first time traveling to another continent, so I'm just not looking forward to spending the layovers and 15 hour flight by myself

Traveling solo does have its advantages. There are always kindred souls in the airports, on the plane and in the camp. Have met many fellow hunters on the way, going home and in the eateries. Struck up more than one conversation in the hotel and airport eateries; a couple years ago in Tambo, with two men returning to Australia. I forget what country they hunted but it was DG and gave me a detailed hunt report and compared notes on our rifles and ammo. From my perspective, speaking with hunters from different countries enriches the experience.

 

[Novice Huntress]

@mainjoshua, We were in SA in March and April, we flew in JNB then drove to Limpopo, then drove back to JNB and flew to the Eastern Cape for our last couple of weeks. We had a great time, at no time did we feel un - easy.

We did our own independent travel once we had finished with hunting renting a car and travelling to a couple of towns and staying we felt OK.

Like a good many have said here go and enjoy make new friends, new hunting experience, bend your friends ear to go and yes the risk is you will become addicted the experience of Africa!!!

 

[Daisy]

Most dangerous part of my trip was riding in car with ph from the airport to the farm. Man those roads get bad and they drive fast.

 

[PHASA]

Hi everbody. As some has already mentioned not much have changed at all. Be assured you will have a safe comfortable and memorable hunt in South Africa.

 

[Hogpatrol]

On Tik Tok, I've watched Europeans visiting the United States and commenting that what they see in their native country's media isn't anything like what it really is here. Their perception is the wild wild west with daily shootouts on every street in the country and that we live in an armed camp. Well, that last part's almost true.