SA to get first black professional hunters

June 23, 2004, 17:16

South Africa will soon see the country's first black professional and fully licenced trophy hunters. The Mpumalanga Parks Board is on the verge of completing an intensive two-week training programme. The class of 2004 will be the country's first professional black hunters.

The industry brings in more than R1 billion a year in foreign revenue. Dalson Ngomane has been a ranger for almost five years. Now he is learning all about professional hunting. Ngomane says he is going to be successful because there is lot of opportunities he wishes to exploit to advance his skills.

They learn all about different hunting methods, animal species identification, hunting ethics and taking photographs of the animals. However, before they can graduate, they will get a taste of the real thing. The candidates will graduate next week.

I've always wondered about this. Are there any in other parts of Africa? Tanzania?

Zim has them; I hunted with one in '97.

George

Ethiopia.

Chuck

About a year ago 6 black guys coming from around the Kruger Park area was succesfully trained as PH's. What happenned to them I don't know. It will do the country a lot of good if we can train a couple of good black Ph's. I for sure will employ them.

Jaco Human
jacohu@mweb.co.za
SA Hunting Experience

Jan Oelofse in Namibia has 2 black PHs working for him-Naftali, and Phillipus.

Don't know why this has suddenly hit the news. At least 2 provinces in RSA have around 8 black PHs each. Non have DG qualifications though......and probably won't for some time.

Tanzania also has quite a lot of black PHs, quality varies enormously, but some are very good indeed at their jobs and some (but not all) have a very 'global' outlook which also makes them good company round the campfire.

The game manager on the ranch I hunted in Zim in '97 was a licensed black PH. The problem was, according to the white PH who was guiding me, that though he was very good a lot of American hunters didn't want a black PH. Damned if I can figure out why. Hell, he grew up on the ranch and knew it backwards and forwards. Oddly, the black staff treated him like a white man. Is this all about status?

I hunted with Titus Hillafilua in Namibia in 2003. A black PH and one of the most amazing hunters and trackers I've ever seen. I'd go out with him again tomorrow.

My wife and I hunted with Jan Oelofse in '95, and Steve Tors was our PH -- with Phillipus as tracker. We were pleased a few years back to see he and Naphtali become certified as PHs.

I also hunted with Kenneth Manyangadze in Zim with Shangaan Hunters in '01. Kenneth is hunting with HHK now (as a lot of folks are), and is a great guy. I recommend him, and I would like to hunt with him again.

I don't know about the Zim white PH saying Americans don't want to hunt with a black PH, I certainly don't have a problem with that. It sounds like an overly generous statement.

I also thought there were more black PHs in RSA in years past.

jim dodd

Tan does.. Richard PH'ed with another fella last year

jeffe

There are several good black PHs. Someone mentioned Naftali Onwoologo working for Jan Oelefse and I have spoken to several of his extremely satisfied clients (one being my father-in-law). Hillary Daffy (not sure of name spelling) in Tanzania also has an excellent reputation. I believe he trained under Cotton Gordon for years.

The thing that bothers me is not the color of the PH, but the SA licensing standards. "The Mpumalanga Parks Board is on the verge of completing an intensive two-week training programme." Two-weeks!

They guys in Zim have usually require a 2 year apprenticeship at the very minimum.

Sincerely,
John Barth

Kenneth doesn't hunt for HHK. He is an assistant camp manager at Chirisa.

There are 4-5 black PH's getting their dangerous game trainning now with Dries Visser in RSA. Eric, one of these PH, accompanied us on our recent buffalo hunt. He is on the far left in this picture.



He seemed very good at reading sign, tracking, etc.. His biggest opportunity is that he was VERY quiet, and had a hard time participating in conversation, either with us or with the other blacks.

Huntingcat, I agree with you completely on Titus Hilifilua. I've hunted with Titus several times on the Sohrada ranch and rate him first class in all regards. A truly good man. He's worked for the Sohrada family as a guide/tracker for ~25 years and got his PH license a couple years ago.

Zim has them. They hang lincences on trackers so the South Africans can hunt on their lincences and destroy their own country(Zim. Out Of Africa does this, I saw it.