Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa South Africa's condition

I've heard and read that the nation of South Africa is quickly going downhill. That is rare relations and the economy.

It was the only advanced nation in Africa, and I've heard talk that if S Africa fails there's going to be even more African migration pushing into Europe.

For sure the stories of the farmers and their trials in SA are hard to digest that they live in such danger, and I've recently heard that SA as an nation has been rated economically as junk status. I'm wondering if things are really that bad at this time in the Rainbow nation.

Any first hand accounts?

Send a thank you note to Jimmy Carter.

I'am from S-Africa. Aka Animal Farm-George Orwell. What do whant to know?

Much hinges on their next election. Foreign investment has slowed. Zumba has not been good for them.

I had a 6th grade girl on the bus this year. Her dad moved her here this last year. She said it was getting to dangerous there. To the point of getting jacked at stop lights and such.

In terms of hunting and such. I think things have not change. The exchange rate keeps improving for foreign hunters.the main problems about crime is in the big cities. I live in a small town( with excessive hunting opportunities), very little problems with crime. The current theme around the camp fire, is that most local lodges are overstock due to a couple of factors, the past 18 months.

As LT DAN says, there has been no change in the past few years in so far as foreigners arriving to hunt.
The crime stats are much the same, our infrastrucutre is still decent etc.
What has escalated is government corruption and the like, but that does not affect hunters (for now at least).

I just sent my daughter and son in law on a 2 week honeymoon in RSA.

I wouldn't hesitate to vacation in RSA right now. If that is the question, it remains a great destination.

I visited there following my April Zim hunt. Had an excellent time and had absolutely no issues. The exchange rate was about 13.5 to 1. However, our white friends who own properties and businesses there have said the government is taking steps to transfer their properties and business from white to black ownership. I don't think the long term future for whites in South Africa is a bright one. Look to Zimbabwe as an example as to what can happen under these circumstances.

Last week I was on a "7 day Plains Game Safari" in Adelaide, Eastern Cape, South Africa. I tacked 2 days of sightseeing in Cape Town and a day of sightseeing in Port Elizabeth onto each end of the safari. My son was with me and we took the normal crime prevention precautions that one would take in any large American City. We had a wonderful experience hunting and sightseeing in South Africa and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. We felt safe walking around Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. But, we did not go at night into the poor areas of the Cities.

If you ever hunt in Africa; you will wish that you had started ten years earlier.

Yes, their unemployment rate is 50% and there are crime problems associated with that. Single family residences, occupied by both black and white families, have bars over the exterior windows and bars on the exterior doors. This suggests that the crime is more rooted in economics than race. They have a small middle class and that is a problem. I saw a line of people out in front of a bank on the day the government handed out the welfare checks. But, I can observe the same in the US. South Africa's biggest job is to figure out how to reduce their unemployment rate.

The government is still delivering services, The roads are maintained and the utilities work. The small businesses seem to be functioning. The hunting economy is still very large in SA and it is functioning well. People are going about their normal day to day activities and doing well.

Yes, GM is pilling out and GM's bonds in South Africa are rated as 'junk'. However, Chinese manufacturing in South Africa appears to be increasing. I picked up a South African magazine at the airport and it seems that the Chinese are exploring the idea of opening a aircraft manufacturing plant in South Africa. Japanese made vehicles are plentiful and everywhere. We spend 7 days hunting in a Japanese Toyota Hillex with 4 wheel drive and that vehicle was incredible. It went everywhere. I came a wondering whether we Americans should not be trying to figure out what it takes to compete in that market.

The South African farmers that I talked with indicated that "South Africa is a 1st world nation with a 3rd world problem". They realize that they are loosing their professionals. They told me that the Doctors trained in SA are going to Canada because the health care system in Canada is more lucrative etc. That concerns them. I loved talking with the farmers etc. They are the same "salt of the earth" genuine individuals I find associated with agriculture in the US.

I would return to another hunt in South Africa without hesitation.

In May, I was in the Karoo, JoBurg (in&out) and 2 1/2 days at the end in PE to look around.
Had a glorious time.
Had my eyes opened alot.
It ain't Idaho.
Maybe all rural dwelling first timers have the race differences to face.....

The roads were a huge surprise.
The paved few gave me a snicker when you would come upon a road sign that said "pothole".
Instead of digging a post hole and buying a sign, why don't they fix the small pothole?
If you are thinking about going, get there.


Hopefully in a couple years they will have a leadership change in RSA.

Will go again.



Winchestermodel70 is saying exactly what the land owner I was with are saying.....
He is scared to death.

On may 13th we stayed one day in Jo'burg on our way to a hunting farm in the Kimberley area.
At 10am on Sunday morning three of my friends were robbed by a gang of 8 local teenagers with knifes, five blocks from our hotel in the Braamfontein area. Only loss was a couple of cell phone, a jacket, a small camera and 90 U$S. Luckily no one was harmed.
You must be extra careful as a white tourist is spotted from blocks away. In the future I shall try to avoid staying in Jo'burg or other big city.

Did the signs really say pot hole in English? I don't think I have ever seen one in english? It's always been Slaggat

Also South of Pretoria and Joburg the culture is a few years behind in the farm problems. The areas most of you have spoken of are south, Karoo and further. North of Joburg and Pretoria is a much different culture. Hunters have no issues nor do tourists. However, the local land owners are not having as easy a time as the EC folks are, and as Cape town folks are right now.

Ha ha slaggat!! Good one JJ. The Afrikaans for pothole, however the direct translation is slaughtering hole, first time I thought of that. Priceless!!

"However, our white friends who own properties and businesses there have said the government is taking steps to transfer their properties and business from white to black ownership. I don't think the long term future for whites in South Africa is a bright one. Look to Zimbabwe as an example as to what can happen under these circumstances."

That does not sound good or right.

let the blacks run it and its only a matter of time.

Just like CA, its beautiful state, but its about worthless to go to, due to liberal chit... SA is going down a similar road it seems.

OTOH stay there and make as much as you can hunting, that too may only be a matter of time.

Similar to Namibia, where properties must be offered to blacks first, and the government helps buy them.

Do you have examples, or links, or something where this is happening in Namibia? This is news to me.

JGRaider, my ph in Namibia was talking about this just recently although all I have is what he said it echoed Rodells statement.