Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Trouble in SA????

I’m headed to South Africa for the first time in 12 days. I saw on another forum there there are rising problems with the redistribution of land thats going on over there. I have pasted a copy below of testimony from a SA farmer. Anyone hearing anything about this?? Any reason to be concerned? Thanks

“I am a farmer in SA. Things are not looking good. SA is a big country but you cannot compare it to Namibia because there is more than 55 million people in SA (50 million blacks ) compared to only 2.4 million in Namibia ,so the tide is completely against us. White farmers are brutally killed each week and the land issue is just being used as excuse to hide corruption and incompetence and to win votes.

Back to hunting, nobody is sure how things will go at the moment but I can tell you one thing for sure that poaching is escalating at an alarming rate throughout the whole country. Wire snares are set, they come onto farms at night with packs of dogs that can be 20 to 30 strong and kill anything they can lay their hands on. Just last week in the Tom Burke / Swartwater area a sable bull was cornered by poachers dogs at night and its heels was slit and just left there...…..I'm afraid at this rate there wont be much left in SA in 20 years time...…..I hope I am wrong but I am seeing it with my own eyes daily...”

Randall

There is absolutely no question that RSA is changing hands at an alarming rate. The Northern Province seems to be where the most attention is focused, with the western cape possibly the least and the Eastern Cape someplace between.

Many hunting operations are not involved with any of this current problem that is in the media. I will say for those that are lucky enough to be outside the path of destruction, that it's only temporary. It will not be as if they get a dozen farms and stop content with the situation. It's coming to a community near you in the very near future. Right now I would say all of the operations I'm aware of are safe and comfortable to hunt in. No issues for visiting hunters at all.

However after the first visiting sportsman is killed anyplace in RSA the end will be very near. Once a single sportsman from any country is killed it will be like a light switch going off. There will be instant avoidance of RSA for hunters. Those in the East and western Cape or even Natal where life seems to be good, better get on board with this struggle and join hands to develop a strategy.

The bulk of the land in the northern province is game lands. Without income due to lack of visiting hunters they will fold up and let the land go because there is no income without hunters and without hunters the game has no chance of proper management or survival. Putting the sale price at 10% value is a horrible situation. I'm worried that the alternative is zero value when nobody will buy it and no hunters are coming. The comments above saying 20 years. ....... I think it's far sooner than this.

There will be some astonishing prices coming on hunting very soon I think. As land owners see what is looming and try to liquidate all they have before they lose everything. I first wrote about this right here on this site 7 years ago, do a search. I said that if you had the dream of hunting RSA/ Africa in your lifetime, you should go soon. It will not be available forever. Now here we are. This will be worse before it gets better. However I'm thinking it's NEVER going to get better.

Be grateful of your pending trip, go now because in 2-3 years it may not be what it is today and it will never again be like it was over the last 30 years. Hunt RSA right now if you want to do it don't procrastinate on this!

I have no doubt you are right Jim...


I was in Namibia when they were having their "struggle for Independence"...( read that to mean long ass terrorist war in which they tried to kill me and just about anybody else white )

I was in Zimbabwe when Mugabe was seizing farms and got caught up in a little 'intrigue' there too...

With my luck, I'm surprised I'm not in RSA right now....

Go, enjoy yourself. If you booked with a half decent reputable outfit you won't even notice any of the politics of SA.

Pack less [bleep]........take more money.

This has been my thought for some time now. “The first,” by the trends we are seeing and hearing of in the news is ever closer it seems. While I feel very sorry for the SA farmers and hunting outfits, and the blacks who disagree with the ramping violence and lawlessness, SA, for me as a hunting destination is ”nulla modo.”

JJ, are you still hunting there?

Yes every year with a steady flow of hunters. Not like it was through the 90's but it's pretty good.

JJ...Im already starting to see some screaming deals on hunts pop up....

My last trip to RSA in 2015 was my LAST. The Johannesburg Airport is no fun at all. Everyone has their hand out.

I could possibly go to Namibia again, but not through Joburg.

donsm70

[quote=donsm70]My last trip to RSA in 2015 was my LAST. The Johannesburg Airport is no fun at all. Everyone has their hand out.

donsm70[/quote

I am going through the Joburg Airport in a couple of days with my family. Any advise on navigating the area would be appreciated.

Sorry, just saw the Joburg thread further down the page. We will be using Africa Sky for meet & greet. Hopefully that will take care of most issues.
This will be my first safari in RSA. Wish me luck.

Best of luck to you and the meet and greet is a good idea.
I'm sure you will be fine. I just didn't like the hassle.
donsm70
PS. I never felt threatened, only uncomfortable. I'm sure that can be said of a lot of our US cities, as well.

Countries with poor people and poverty are much the same when it comes to begging etc.
Going to such places opens the mind. I always return more thankful than when I left. But I will gladly go again.
If you can’t handle the JoBerg airport you should stay in the US and Canada.

The Airport is not the problem, it's when you leave the airport is the problem.

I thought the two farm were in Limpopo and not the Northern Cape?

That's not true at all. I just went thru Joberg and it's no problem at all. Everyone was friendly & helpful. I was never approached by anyone for a tip. I took a gun thru & it was smooth sailing both ways. I need have the PH met me at the airport.

Bob

On my last trip through Joberg in May and June I had to deal with WAY more BS in Atlanta than Joberg, but it is Africa and Africa changes daily if not more often. Still my favorite place to be.

Was less than 5 minutes to clear my rifle.

This is only an opinion but I just don't think this is going to turn out well for anyone. I have friends over there that are somewhat concerned but are optimistic, that is their living and realize that if this continues they will essentially loose everything.

Expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

Have to agree. ORT was to the wife and me this past May much like lots of other `developing nation` caliber airports and worlds nicer than many we`ve transited over the decades. Don`t sweat it, OP. Don`t play the ugly American and you`ll be fine. Some here sound like they`re afraid of their own shadow...;)

I wish you all well, just leave me out.

donsm70

Dan where are you headed out of Joberg? I’m flying out in 8 days myself. ATL to Joberg via Delta. GoodLuck!

Randall

I still have a bunch of friends hunting in Old Mexico. They have never had one single problem. But you have to realize the potential is there. Everything is great till it isn’t. Hasbeen

Finally. On both posts.