Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Tipping

Subject has probably been beaten to death, but bringing that horse back to life.

8 day hunt, 7k retail, extra day of sight seeing.

Daily rate is 450

Friends PH was telling him today, typical tip is 150-180 a day for plains game, cook 200, maid 100, etc. I think that's ridiculous...

First 1/2 day and following day rained in.

Today, back in by noon due to rain

Obviously, no fault of the PH.


Dinners have been great, lunches have sucked. Same sandwich the last 4 days and yesterday it was like pulling teeth to get a hot breakfast and we had to ask.

Laundry, every other day it appears (packed for daily laundry).

Hunting has been decent, but I heard no less than a 1/2 dozen times I shot the wrong Kudu (only one in my vision when I was told to shoot). Happy nevertheless with the one I took.

Today PH was pissed that I didn't want to shoot a nice Bushbuck from a public dirt road out the window.

Otherwise I like the PH.

Long story short, thoughts on how you all would tip?

Standard 'fire opinion as to tipping seems to run along the lines of match the actual cost of the trip, from the moment that you leave the house until what will be your return to same, and add 25% to that for a bottom line. This works for all situations from dining out to getting your dog wormed, to hunting trips. If that seems excessive, then you have no business engaging in the activity to begin with. For hunting trips, leaving behind all items in your possession and boarding the plane naked is considered to be appropriate as well.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

That's all?

You are a cheap MoFo!!

I tip more than you.
Have better optics, and my wife shags better too!😁😁😁😁

To put this topic into perspective...

The average Camp cook makes $130 USD a month.
The average Camp attendant makes $100 USD a month.
The average tracker/skinner makes $178 USD a month.
A Master Hunter or apprentice PH makes $320 a month on average.

Sooooo, when a PH suggests that you tip what is basically a MONTHS salary for your week in camp, understand what he is asking you to do - cover his overhead through tips. Little wonder why they harp on tips so much.

Then there is the situation where the tips are never dispersed because if they were, the staff would fũckoff to town to drink.


Footnote - If you decide you don't want to tip and your PH throws a stink. Tough cookies. Who cares what your PH thinks of you. This is your hunt, your money, and your decision. And for the record, European hunters seldom if ever tip a single cent. American hunters are taken advantage of because we have a ridiculous culture of tipping.

STRS - excellent points throughout.

Also, US dollars are worthless for staff members as they have a very difficult time converting to the local currency. So they lose most of the value on the black market or when the magnanimous PH converts to pennies on the dollar.

Zimbabwe is the exception as they also trade in USD.

I was the only one in camp on my last hunt. It was $6000 for a week including 5 animals. I asked the PH for advice on tipping he gave me some suggestions for him, for an apprentice PH, for his wife, for the land manager, for the Cook and wait stuff, for house keeping, for the janitor, for 4 trackers for 4 spinners, and for the gardener. I never saw his wife do a thing, I didn't want an apprentice PH, I would have been OK with 1 tracker and 1 skinner.

If I'd have followed his guidelines it would have meant thousands of dollars, iirc the tip would have been more than the hunt. Plus I finished my hunt in 4 days after feeling pressured to take a few animals that I'd have preferred to wait for bigger ones. I ended up just leaving $1500 with the PH to divide up.

Overall it was a good hunt with good people but the tip suggestions caught me off guard and put me off a bit. When I came back to get my guns after vacationing around the country for 3 weeks a few of the staff asked if I wasn't happy with the hunt because they didn't get tips. I told them I left it all with the PH to divide up so talk to him.

It's best to get sorted in your mind how your going to tip and how much depending on what service you get. Being prepared mentally will keep you from having that feeling that they're trying to fleece you.

Bb

Here's how I tipped on my most recent Cape Buffalo hunt:

PH - $500 and left the factory ammo with him.
Tracker - $150
Camp Cook: $150
Camp Staff: $100
Skinner: $100

YMMV

My PHs have given me recommendations on tipping each camp staff and trackers but they have insisted I tip them directly. They’ve been reasonable. I trust them on this matter and what they’ve suggested has made sense.

These PHs have become friends over time and I’ve developed trust in them and their teams. One of the reasons I return to hunt with the same outfitter and PHs when after the game they offer.

Americans are looked upon as cash cows by outfitters for years, subsidizing low camp staff wages. It’s only getting worse as times passes. Europeans simply don’t do it much and we are supposed to make up the difference. Sucks big time.

If you feel you have been treated above and beyond the call of duty I would tip generously.

If you are unhappy or unsatisfied with the service provided tip to your comfort level.

I've never been to Africa but my barometer in North America has always been, if I would hunt with them again, I tip generously, if I wouldn't hunt with them again, I don't, if at all. I'll be hunting in Africa for my first time in 2024 and I intend to use the same philosophy. I believe in the merit system, people that treat me the best and work the hardest get paid the most.

The last thing I intend to do is ask my PH how much I owe him and his staff...

Good info.

Given their wages I’d like to tip well (not at the rates suggested to the OP but a good tip given that it isn’t much in the big picture). I had planned to use US dollars but will convert some to Rand.

I wouldn’t factor in bad weather or even bland sandwiches for lunch personally. The cook is probably making what’s he’s asked to make and it wouldn’t impact an overall hunt one way or the other to me.

A PH making excuses for the animal I shot. Supposedly not the bigger one that he was seeing or not wanting to hunt the way that you want to hunt would piss me right the Fugg off.

Hopefully I’m not in that situation. If I were I’d tip the hell out of the staff with most of the money that I’d planned to tip the PH.

WORD

Don't know if it's changed, but years back as an ignorant American in Australia a young waitress traversed 2+ blocks on the run to report/return the $20 the four of us had left on the table as a tip for great attention and service. Despite our resistance, she would not accept the $$. Seems it was OK though to tip a wine steward.

I can for sure see issues when camp staff gets 8 to 10 people deep, with many out of sight in the background, and they're living on tips? As a boss/owner, pay them living wages, and let the tips be additional rewards for great service. If the OP is factual, that's getting way too deep and into five-star hotel rates for high rollers.

It's a stretch for many of us to just come up with the published fees and tags. Presently, shipping/dipping expenses nearly double the cost of an Africa run, so I'm already out of the running. If staff tips will triple the expense, it's for sure out of consideration.

First mates on our coastal fishing boats live on tips and there are signs onboard to that effect. If they bust their butt, we'll tip well. For some, that might amount to $400 to $500 a day from a large party. Not bad for an entry level kid with a high school education. Tipping today though, is moving into more and more sectors of our work force that deal with the public. I have a tough time feeling sorry for kids making $15 an hour flipping burgers when it took me 15 hours to do that when I was 22 years old, just out of the service, and doing bent over farm labor all summer. My then boss though had stories of 25¢ an hour for cross cutting oak.

I'd be inclined to do a bit of research on in country wage rates and work from that level. Kicking out a month's wages for 5 or 6 days of a person's time seems a bit excessive.

Somewhat reminds me of the Wall Street folks expecting an additional 25 to 30% of their annual income as a Christmas bonus. Might be ruin for some if it does not come through, but I've never been blessed by such.

I've only done one guided hunt (elk) where I contracted for 6 days. Elk just were not about, and I saw and shot a good bull on day 11. Tipped just short of $100 a day for what was already a $1,500 a day experience with the guide filling every role. Owner/outfitter was tending another camp. I stayed for an additional day to help tear the place down. Good effort there, but his cooking was horrid. He only knew wide open for every burner, so frozen stuff was still frozen in the middle, but charred on the outside.

Thanks for the input and I've heard the same about Europeans hunting here.

I like my PH, but today he was kinda complaining about filling up his truck and hating to spend money he didn't have. I asked/stated to him "Aren't you reimbursed for fuel/mileage"

His response was "Yes"

Stupid, stupid practice.

I'm not a big fan of the tipping culture, but that said on every safari I simply tip based on performance and my ability to pay. Never had any complaints.

I've always told first time Safari hunters the best tip is to be a good client, shoot straight and LISTEN to your PH.

A lot of guys, once they are able to afford a safari figure its time to start tooting their own horn.

Is your PH 12 years old?

Unbelievable. His days as a PH are numbered and they are low double digits I would imagine.

If I hired anyone to do a job for me it would be a cold day in hell before they tell me what I should tip.
Tipping is out of control. Now most food fast food places have tip jugs at the cash registers. WTF?
How can I determine if they even deserve a tip if I don’t even have the food in my hand, let alone my mouth.

The uber rich hunting Africa have made tipping expectations unrealistic anymore.

And they would be very quick to point out that if others can't afford that level of tip they should just stay home.

Always ask, always. They money is important and if you ask the outfitter they know the whole show, forwards and backwards. It is their business to know, how much, when, who, cash or check, type of funds, etc. Taxes or fees, know everything and write it down all before you walk out the door at home.

This tipping guide is a good guide to tipping.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/tipping-guide.14381/

From his article - "The reason is simple, P.H.'s, trackers and camp staff derive much of their income from the tips they receive which creates the incentive for them to perform at their highest level for each and every client."

This is the problem with the tipping issue. Employees should always perform at their highest level because they were employed to do exactly that regardless of tipping. If they aren't performing at the highest level, they should be replaced with the thousands of other potential employees that are interested at performing at their highest level.

Pretty much everything else he says does not apply to any other hunter outside of the US. You're not going to convince a German hunter he must tip. You may find an English hunter that may tip but only for the PH and not the staff. So once again, the US hunter is "special" when it comes to tipping.

No one should feel compelled to tip.

20 years ago I was hunting in Mozambique. One of the PH’ in camp was bitching around the campfire that his next clients were from Germany. He knew there was no tip forthcoming. It was a 2:1 hunt and one of the hunters was damn near blind. He repeatedly pointed out animals to the blind guy who simply couldn’t see them, often as close as 20-25 yards. Drove them both nuts. Trust me, Americans are the cash cows, expected to make up for the European/Australian/ New Zealand shortfalls. Ridiculous…..

Two of the biggest scams in the African hunting industry is when we switched from paying in Rands to US dollars and the other is milking US hunters for tips to pay operating costs.

Tips are optional, last time I checked.

They should be, but I heard the word "Tip" way too often this last trip, which similar to someone else's experience that was posted in another thread and on here, really dampened the overall trip experience.

Not a matter of being able to afford something or not, its not something that should ever be brought up unless asked about.

I'm sick of the little pay here Kiosks at restaurants, the fast food joints, etc. that all ask for a tip.

You haven't checked the 'fire.

Ha, you're right. Many of the tips around here are worth what you pay for them.

Hunt with a different outfitter then. I've hunted with Kowas Safaris in Namibia 3 times and haven't heard it from them once. They do such a stellar job I' more than happy to though, but they dont' ask or beg for it.

My experience with who I hunted with in SA (two different some years apart), Namibia and Zimbabwe. Tips were never mentioned except in Zim where the request came from my PH that if I felt tips were due give them directly to the employees.

Well said.

Right now, with the rand at 19.75 to the dollar, we are really getting hosed….

my last trip it was before we left is that you tip what ever you want to, no amount suggestions.

One aspect of tipping I don’t see addressed is a situation where the PH is also the Outfitter/ Land owner. I’ve hunted six times with Jan du Plessis of Sebra Hunting Safaris in Namibia. Jan does all his own tracking and his skinners are primarily his regular ranch workers. His cook is his wonderful wife Mariesje and I give her a generous cash tip. I give the skinners tips through Jan as well as the housekeeping staff. I try to give Jan the equivalent of 8% +\-
of the total cost of my hunt (daily rate of $3500 plus trophy fees). Jan knows I’m a 76 year old retiree living on a fixed income and that I sold a bunch of fine rifles to finance my last hunt with him in August 2022.

In 2016 I went on a 6 day 5 animal hunt that was $4350. I killed all my animals, food was good but not 5 star. I left the PH $500, cook $100, skinner driver $50 ( I wanted to leave $100 but owner said that was too much plus he hit a tree driving when I was in the high rack) and the laundry woman $50 even though I got the wrong socks and underwear everyday, she wasn’t happy when I let her know about it! Everyone seems happy, the laundry woman was shocked!

I just returned yesterday from my third trip to South Africa.

Here are the outfitters suggested guidelines:

Per hunting group (shared by the members in your hunting party):
Cook- $100
Cook 2- $100
Cooks Assistant- $50
Laundry Lady- $50
Housekeeper- $50

Per individual Hunter in the group:
Tracker- $100
Driver/skinner- $100
Skinner- $15 per animal
Professional Hunter: at your discretion (typically $75- $100 per day)

Geeeez.

Right! Last time I was in the Portland Air Port there was a guy selling coffee off a little table. Don't remember how much but needed an extra dime to pay him so grabbed a dime from the cup on the table. Guy blew a gasket. He said hey, that's my tip's!. Have seen tip cups in 7-11 type stores for the cashiers! Tips are so far out of hand it is rediculas! A brother took his son and wife on a photo safari to Africa. Lodging and meals ect ran hin $640 a day. Trip not counting Air fare over cost him $64K. he didn't mention what tips were! I see no reason to tip anyone that does nothing other than a really good job! Wonder if the airline piolet going over got a tip. Imagine having to tip the cops for being decent while writting yous stupid ticket!

Yep, about $1000 for a plains game hunt…….

You should have told them you left 3500.00 with PH to divide up!!!

So you should leave an almost 60% tip on a $6k hunt?? Don’t think so.

Always a good conversation. To the original post I think that rate is crazy for plains game hunt.

My outlook on it by being on both side of tipping. First off a tip is earned which any good guide and outfit will do so therefore they get a tip.

I send a lot of clients to africa and tipping is often a question I get before they go. I say the rule of 10-15% is standard for the PH. Staff $500 that includes cook, house staff, skinners, trackers. Now with probably the 100 or more hunters I have sent. Typically for my base package which is 6 animals 10 days all inclusive $5500 and they usually add a few extra animals. They leave $800-1000 for PH and 6-700 for the staff. I think those number fair for all.

I think the problem with africa especially SA and Namibia is the cheap outfitters cheap hunts they try to makeup their low profits with getting people to pay bigger tips. Because typically someone buying a cheap hunt the chance they return is low so they don’t care if they offend you and try to strong arm you into leaving a big tip.

Now when you get into dangerous game and 14-21 days in camp that’s a whole other can of worms.

But I will tell you if I am booking a personal hunt and on there website there is a big write up about leaving tip or they talk about it in conversation while getting info I cross them off the list. A quality outfit with quality guides doesn’t need to tell you to tip.