Gents,

The wife and boys and I are off to our first African hunt next year. South Africa...

Questions:

Who do I tip and how much? Obviously, amounts will depend on the level of service, but what's appropriate for good service?

Can I use American cash or do I need to convert to local currency?

Any other pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

They will gladly accept USD, take the amount suggested and reduce it by 10-20%.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Dizzying array of opinions

Wow. Lots to digest. I'll need to set aside a bit to time to sort through that.

Thanks for the post.

Imagine, if you will, a question that has been asked HUNDREDS OF TIMES and answered TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TIMES on this forum.

Some recommendations:

If your outfitter suggests local currency, exchange your dollars at a bank and get small bills.

Hand the tips directly to the staff, not the PH or outfitter.

Do not tip like a drunken tourist at a Vegas strip club; it's the third world, and a little cash goes a long way.

Pay attention to the level of service provided throughout the trip - were your accommodations as described? Was your room kept clean and tidy? Was the trophy quality as advertised? Was your laundry cleaned and ironed properly? Was the food good? Were your instructions on trophy handling followed? If you took issue with something, how was it handled?

George

I just got back from a 12 day visit (plus 3 days travel). Just one day of bird shooting & the rest was just visiting & touring.

I spent 2 days in SA, 8 days in Botswana & 2 days in Vic Falls.

I found the tipping issue less of a problem than I thought it might be. I think the US visitors tend to pay more & are expected to do so.

In a Botswana restaurant 4 of us had a great meal with great service for about US$40+ extra for drinks. A tip of $1.50 was greatly appreciated by the girl. I was told by an expat that even $0.50 tip would have been appreciated.

In the safari / game parks we kept tips to similar level when warranted. We were not harassed and we always got a courteous "Thank you" with a smile.

I think the hunting sector has very high expectations on tips.

In July at a Motel we were staying at, we decided to have dinner there instead of going out. (we were really tired from the airline flight)

Our meal with a few beers was about 150 Rands and we left a 15 Rand tip. And the way out the Waitress's were giggling that we had left then a tip.

What i did was i went to the second floor balcony that over look the restaurant and watched the rest of the diners eating. It appeared that we were the only ones who left a Tip. After that, i used a 10% max for real good service at eating locations.

In the field i tipped in rands approximately what $10 USD a day equivalent would be for the trackers and skinners. I made the guys work late most nights as we were able to take game at dusk almost daily. Other Staff were tipped the equivalent of $5 UDS daily.

I had my money converted to Rands, prior to going into the field.

That helped out, for when the wife went shopping and found out that they did not take credit cards in small establishments.

I just came back from Zim on a ten day hunt. Tips per day were $5 for general staff, $10 for trackers n game scout, $16 for skinner, and $20 for the head tracker/PH assistant. Also, tipped couple of hangers on that helped just a few days $20 each total.

To be honest, I could have tipped less and they would have been happy with it but I tipped for the value of services I felt they provided.

This subject has been beaten to death, but heres my policy.
Ive been on 7 african safaris, but have hunted all 5 continents.
My approach is identical to Mark Young's. Pay for performance. I must have been lucky, but i haven't had a bad safai yet. And I don't have any unhappy outfitters or guides. Most individuals who fail to do a good job don't complain, and in my experience this is rare.
So, I am generous (by my standards, not any one else's; perhaps i am a cheapskate by others)
And all is well. My trophies get back, I keep hunting with the same outfitters and PH's. No problems
Dont know if this is any help. IMO, just do what feels right to you. The Africans have a hard lot, white or black. If I can help, I will. An insignificant sum for us can make a difference for these people. Why not? They give us so much enjoyment.

Cut your PH into your will.

I also have found staff in RSA expect bigger tips.

A tip. Plastics. Another tip. Search.

My last hunt was with Dubla Yedwa Safaris in Kwa Zulu Natal in 2012 for 10 days. I tipped the trackers some camo shirts and 50.00 US. I tipped the owner/PH nothing. My buddy tipped the trackers 50.00 US and some socks and T-shirts and the owner/PH 60.00 US wich I told him was to much. The trackers were very happy. End of story / hunt report.

Paul K