SA or Zimbabwe

[IdaRam]

Some very good advice from experienced and knowledgeable folks above. One other aspect that might warrant some discussion amongst your group is your preference and expectations when it comes to accommodations. Regardless of which country you settle on you’ll be well taken care of and comfortable by any reputable outfitter. However, speaking in general terms, it is likely your SA outfitter may have a more luxurious lodge and your Zim outfitter will have a more rustic but still very nice bush camp. If this matters to any of the members of your group you should probably discuss and maybe ask for pictures from your outfitter or look closely at their website. Many safari companies post pictures of their lodge/camp on their website. This might be of particular interest to the non-hunting members of your group.
Here’s a couple pics of typical safari tent accommodations you might see in Zim.

Sengwa Research - Zimbabwe

One of the upsides to the tented safari camp is hearing the sounds of the night which can include leopard sawing and lion roaring.

Another consideration depending on the experience you are looking for, hunting in an area with abundant Dangerous Game adds an element of excitement and game viewing opportunity even if your quarry is plains game. Seeing and potentially interacting with elephant, buffalo, lion, hippo, etc is an added dimension that will thrill whether hunting with a rifle or camera. Both SA and Zim can offer this experience, but the options may be more limited in South Africa than Zimbabwe.
On the flip side, depending on the duration of your safari, your non-hunting members may prefer to not go out on the hunt every day and would like to go see some of the sights and experience some other activities. They may have more options available to them in SA.

Hope this helps and keep us posted on your plans!

 

[CO_mtnman]

This has all been great advice! Often times I scowl at technology and how it's getting out of hand but I am very thankful for this forum and all of the great information that has been shared, it has helped me turn my childhood dreams of hunting africa into a very real reality and this forum has helped a very great deal

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

What are you wanting to hunt? If you want to hunt buffalo I’d suggest Zimbabwe. If you want to hunt plains game I’d suggest eastern cape South Africa. Limpopo generally has too many fences for me now. Comparing Zimbabwe and South Africa is difficult because it’s two completely different hunting models. The biggest draws to Zimbabwe to me are quality of PHs and tracking teams that know how to hunt in difficult areas. It is also wild Africa with dangerous game and no game farming. However, there are many very marginal areas that shouldn’t still be marketed in my opinion and many quality areas don’t have large amounts of plains game. I’d stay with one of the well known names in this country or speak with references you trust. Biggest draw to South Africa is availability of high quality plains game. Nearly all is going to be high fenced. You need to search out properties/outfitters that are managed on quotas and not continually supplementing trophies from game farming. To differentiate outfitters/PHs in South Africa I’d ask how long they’ve hunted the properties they’ve hunted and how long they’ve worked with their trackers and skinners. There are a lot of PHs in South Africa because requirements are easy and land is readily available. I’d focus more on the outfitter you are hunting with in South Africa. In Zimbabwe, the concession you’re hunting would be my top consideration.

Also, I would only hunt Zimbabwe with a Zimbabwe outfitter. I would not book a Zimbabwe hunt through a South African outfitter.

Very well said.
I’d add that it sounds like you have 2 different safaris and are trying to combine them into a single hunt. Just like with guns there’s no perfect for everything and you’re compromising somewhere unless you have multiple each with a specific purpose. I’ve not personally hunted Zim but it’s on the list for the very near future, with Zambia and Mozambique all neck and neck.

If you’ve never been to Africa, I’d suggest focusing on PG for your first trip. I shot a buffalo on my 2nd hunt (1st trip) and it kinda spoiled things for me. Now all I want to do is hunt DG.

Not sure what your reason for Zim over RSA is or your fathers, but you want free range or a more wild hunt but in South Africa reach out to Rad at Crusader Safaris. He can definitely put something together.

However you cut it, wherever you go, whatever you hunt, you’re going to have an amazing time.

 

[TSALA HUNTING SAFARIS]

Hi CO_mtnman

You are definitely in right place here , with very knowledgeable and experienced hunters that have done it before and will gladly share their thoughts.

My advice for a first time safari would to have a good look at the arrangement side of things.Even if after you have chosen the area and outfitter there are a lot of loose ends that needs to be tied up.Some have been mentioned here , like trophy shipment , gun imports , time and extra cost that you need to get to hunting area.

Zim , Moz and Zam have great areas but don't throw away SA.Yes there are a lot of small areas with fences but there is also big areas that is very accessible with excellent quality and diversity of animals.Each region is also different and can provide a quality safari.

Most of all enjoy the process of planning and what great privilege to able to plan a hunt with your Dad.

Regards

Rouan

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

hi mtnman

for your group, (assuming wives are observers) SA will be better especially for first time trip
i doubt if you are hunting in Zim in a "decent" area that there will be any day trips etc for ladies
i have sent a few different couples on hunts in Zim, but those wives are with on every walk and every minute of every hunt. so if your wives arent keen on the actual hunt and cant lie in camp all day reading a book, then i wouldnt chance it. happy wife happy life as they say

in SA sure your lodge my be rustic but always cater for wives and kids
there will always be some kind of outings or day trips which can be organised etc

wishing you the best

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

These are hunt reports of my South Africa Kalahari and Limpopo two-outfitter hunt that Stuart of Tally-Ho set up for me and my wife. She is a non-hunter but thanks to Stuart's planning, both hunter (me) and non-hunting wife were very satisfied. Happy wife, happy life! Next time she may even hunt!

Phase 1: Kalahari Lioness Hunt:

SOUTH AFRICA: Kalahari Lionesses Hunt With Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS

Expectations, we all have them. How often are ALL of one’s expectations fulfilled? For me, this was the case in my second hunt with Stuart Williams’ Tally Ho Safaris. Granted, my expectations were realistic based on much research and having hunted with Tally Ho a year prior. My wife tells me...

www.africahunting.com

Phase 2: Limpopo Plains Game Hunt:

SOUTH AFRICA: Cull Hunt With Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS - October 2022

Cull Hunt at @Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS – October 2022 I had arrived in SA on Sunday evening. We traveled to the Kalahari on Monday, hunted lionesses on Tuesday thru Thursday morning, and drove to Limpopo the remainder of Thursday. (See the thread Kalahari Lionesses with Tally Ho Safaris) The...

www.africahunting.com

The above cull hunts were affordable with accommodations nice enough for a lady.

 

[Frederik]

So my dad and I have met with multiple outfitters and like them all and would love to hunt with all of them eventually but we can only go to 1 at a time. We have our short list narrowed down to a handful but we are having a hard time deciding which would be the best for us and would like to get some opinions of some veterans, how would you compare between the 2 and which would you suggest for a 1st timer, we would have an observer each if that makes a difference, it would also be our 1st international hunt as well

There are a lot of good outfits on this forum alone as a first timer to Africa and brining non hunting observers South Africa would be a good choice its deep enough water that you can stand but not the deep end. There are some spectacular places in South Africa that although might be fenced you will not find a kudu bull or a buffalo for that matter chewing on feed around every corner.

There might be even a chance on hunting 7 full days to not even get a shot at a proper trophy of either kudu or buffalo just do your homework. Not because numbers are low but because its hunting weather coulkd be bad bush extremely thick as to excess rain. Although fenced they are not petted or livestock.

Give Stuart from TallyHo a call or chat to him there is some good reports from his property along the Limpopo river.

Biggest tip I can give enjoy the ride its still a holiday yes there is a wishlist but its hunting.

 

[PARA45]

I've been to South Africa two times, and hunted Limpopo, Eastern Cape and the Kalahari. The first safari was in Limpopo, and my wife came along, BTW she is a non-hunter. She came along on all the hunts and hung in there with me. We had two side trips, one to ride on the back of elephants, and the other we went to a lion preserve. For 1 1/2 hours we played with a 3-month-old lion cub, it was an amazing experience. This put the icing on the cake, and my wife could not stop talking about this great adventure.

I don't believe you could go wrong with any of the two countries you have in mind. You'll be in Africa, and you'll be hunting African game. South Africa is a beautiful country and has tons of natural beauty.

Another factor to consider is the traveling time from the US to whatever country in Africa. We flew on Delta out of Atlanta, and 16 1/2 hrs later we were in South Africa. Good luck, and please keep us posted on your decision.

 

[buck wild]

Trophy preparing and shipping will be more expensive because not as much competition as South Africa. It was also much slower for my shipment. South Africa you should have your shipment in 4-6 months. My Zimbabwe shipment took a year for several issues that took time to sort out before permits were issued. I thought getting a firearm into Zimbabwe was even easier than South Africa. Flying in is simple too, but only daylight driving is safe because of other drivers/cars on the road.

This was not my experience. I found D&P in Zim was very close in costs to SA and I had my crate from Zim back in 4 months. There were no CITIES animals which might have caused delays but seems that would be the same across either country.

 

[375Fox]

This was not my experience. I found D&P in Zim was very close in costs to SA and I had my crate from Zim back in 4 months. There were no CITIES animals which might have caused delays but seems that would be the same across either country.

I just took a look back through my emails. Looks like it was a combination of cites permit delays and central/reserve bank processing delays that I won’t pretend to understand in Zimbabwe. South Africa has always been reliably quick for me. I actually just picked up several of my trophies from my taxidermist yesterday. They needed cleaned up a little better. Not on the wall yet, but my best kudu, 56 length 47 wide when I shot it.

 

[Proneshooter]

Some very good advice from experienced and knowledgeable folks above. One other aspect that might warrant some discussion amongst your group is your preference and expectations when it comes to accommodations. Regardless of which country you settle on you’ll be well taken care of and comfortable by any reputable outfitter. However, speaking in general terms, it is likely your SA outfitter may have a more luxurious lodge and your Zim outfitter will have a more rustic but still very nice bush camp. If this matters to any of the members of your group you should probably discuss and maybe ask for pictures from your outfitter or look closely at their website. Many safari companies post pictures of their lodge/camp on their website. This might be of particular interest to the non-hunting members of your group.
Here’s a couple pics of typical safari tent accommodations you might see in Zim.

Sengwa Research - Zimbabwe
View attachment 510620
View attachment 510621

One of the upsides to the tented safari camp is hearing the sounds of the night which can include leopard sawing and lion roaring.

Another consideration depending on the experience you are looking for, hunting in an area with abundant Dangerous Game adds an element of excitement and game viewing opportunity even if your quarry is plains game. Seeing and potentially interacting with elephant, buffalo, lion, hippo, etc is an added dimension that will thrill whether hunting with a rifle or camera. Both SA and Zim can offer this experience, but the options may be more limited in South Africa than Zimbabwe.
On the flip side, depending on the duration of your safari, your non-hunting members may prefer to not go out on the hunt every day and would like to go see some of the sights and experience some other activities. They may have more options available to them in SA.

Hope this helps and keep us posted on your plans!

Ida,
Stayed in that chalet twice, so sad they lost the area, our PH is here at our house as I type this. He came with his family for a weeks vacation after DSC.

My advice which is worth the paper it is printed on in Zimbabwe all the way, hunted there 3 times and SA once. I will never go back to SA and hunt farm raised animals. Shipping trophies from Zim will take longer and cost a bit more, but that gives you time to save up for the upcoming taxidermy bills which may shock you.

 

[Rare Breed]

Hi CO_mtnman

You are definitely in right place here , with very knowledgeable and experienced hunters that have done it before and will gladly share their thoughts.

My advice for a first time safari would to have a good look at the arrangement side of things.Even if after you have chosen the area and outfitter there are a lot of loose ends that needs to be tied up.Some have been mentioned here , like trophy shipment , gun imports , time and extra cost that you need to get to hunting area.

Zim , Moz and Zam have great areas but don't throw away SA.Yes there are a lot of small areas with fences but there is also big areas that is very accessible with excellent quality and diversity of animals.Each region is also different and can provide a quality safari.

Most of all enjoy the process of planning and what great privilege to able to plan a hunt with your Dad.

Regards

Rouan

TSALA in SA very special! Awesome experience!

 

[IdaRam]

Ida,
Stayed in that chalet twice, so sad they lost the area, our PH is here at our house as I type this. He came with his family for a weeks vacation after DSC.

My advice which is worth the paper it is printed on in Zimbabwe all the way, hunted there 3 times and SA once. I will never go back to SA and hunt farm raised animals. Shipping trophies from Zim will take longer and cost a bit more, but that gives you time to save up for the upcoming taxidermy bills which may shock you.

Awesome! Sengwa is a very special place and I was saddened to hear of the change of hands, although I understand there will be some quota sharing going forward?
Please pass along my kindest regards to the entire family and let Doug know I’ve got a brand new little brother to his GMA .505 Gibbs (GMA .404 Jeffery) that needs to pay him a visit

Granite Mountain Arms .404 Jeffery - Range Report

A Plan/Dream Finally Realized... I’ve been saying for years that one of these days I’m going to have my ONE ultimate rifle for Africa to go anywhere and do everything. And for a while the “place holder” was a .375 H&H, which is pretty darn hard to beat as a “do everything” cartridge when loaded...

www.africahunting.com

 

[Andrew62]

South Africa and Zimbabwe are two different worlds. Vastly different areas, logistics, accommodations, etc. For me personally, my fondest hunts were those I took in Zimbabwe where I could sit along the Zambezi River with no cell service, no internet, it was nothing but peace and quiet for 10-15 days. Anytime you can hunt where you can bump into elephants is special. Just watch you do not get 'paralysis of analysis'.

 

[MarkB]

My first 2 safaris were for DG and PG and both in Zim, leopard, buff and ele. (I was totally spoiled) My last hunt was DG and PG in SA. From what I saw you actually hunt in Zim, walk, stalk and hunt for your trophies in total wild areas. SA was not the same, buff stood around in every area we hunted.

There are lots of outfitters on here who will give you what you want from either Country. You must decide what you want and consider important. @Andrew62 says it better, Wild or tame what do you want. Really you cannot go wrong with either, your still on safari. I prefer to leave camp looking for a kudu, not Bob the kudu in x spot.

MB

 

[BruceS]

You might also want to consider the Caprivi in northern Namibia. Great buffalo hunting and plenty of plains game. You will also have the opportunity to encounter some of the other big 5/dangerous 7 in the area. When I was there last year we saw lots of elephant, hippos and crocs. Saw lions briefly and heard them quite a few times at night. Again, it is all about the type of experience you are looking for. Another good point made earlier was what do your observers want to do? Just be prepared, Africa has a way of getting under your skin and calling you back again and again.

Check with Byron Hunt Safaris

 

[CO_mtnman]

Would it be safe to say, using a hunting travel agent like grace travel or similar is worth it

 

[Just Gina]

Would it be safe to say, using a hunting travel agent like grace travel or similar is worth it

My first hunt was in SA. Second was Zim, third was Tanzania. Each place was different. I have used @TRAVEL EXPRESS and I will say that their services were wonderful and I would recommend; especially for a first time safari. Regarding which location, I would decide which would be best based on the people going. I know some (I am not one of them) who feel they need certain creature comforts or what have you or they will not be comfortable/happy… I do have to be able to shower and have clean water to drink and I am good.
I lived in a tent for 21 days in Tanzania and had zero complaints aside from the wretched tsetse flies. From my own experience, I would lean more towards Zim if trying to narrow down between Zim and SA. I also stayed in a tent in Zim.
Not knocking any location, that is just my opinion.
Good luck on your planning and I look forward to your hunting report and adventure stories!

 

[Tanks]

Would it be safe to say, using a hunting travel agent like grace travel or similar is worth it

Absolutely. I have used @TRAVEL EXPRESS on multiple trips and using them this year as well.

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Sounds like you need to do what we did on our last safari, a week in Zimbabwe followed by a week in RSA.

There's excellent challenging hunting to be had in both if you choose your outfitter wisely, and internal flights are pretty reasonable.