I am a CPA so I can't stop myself from analyzing every business model I come across. I have gone on 12 hunting safaris all for dangerous game save one with eight different operators in five different countries. I have so far avoided the more expensive countries like Tanzania and Zambia. I have never asked to look at anyone's financial statements, but just by looking around I can see a substantial fixed overhead in concession fees, camps, vehicles, black African labor (sometimes unionized), equipment, insurance and perhaps a block of animals paid for upfront regardless if sold to hunters or not. The variable expenses of food and booze, advertising, travel, marketing, booking agent fees along with fuel could also be substantial based on volume and commoditiy prices. There can also be VATs and local fees.

Use Zim to answer these questions.

How low can we expect a daily rate to go and still expect a quality safari?

How much of a mark up, if any, on trophy fees is necessary to ensure a quality safari?

Have you ever met anyone who got rich or is even just comfortable from operating a safari company or being a PH?

My concern is that too many of us are waiting for desperate cut throat pricing to the point that many good operators will not be able to survive.

I would suggest the minimum daily rate in Zimbabwe for a buf hunt would be $ 850 a day with no mark up in the trophy fee if we want operators to survive.

What say you?

It is always difficult to set a standard as there are various types of operations out there and as you said, different costs. No two concession are the same, no concession fees are equal, private land can be cheaper than communal land that can be cheaper than parks areas etc. I believe that if we are forced to go too low, then it will be at the detriment of Africa ( and other hunting destinations as well ).
We can go as low as we can, but we cannot say to the PH, times are tough, can I pay you half, or the same for the staff, can we have sub standard meals/ equipment NO, We have to give our 100% as is normal.

I like your idea, but it would be hard to implement.

martin@bulembisafaris.co.zw

BBC ...

Regards you question, have you met anyone whom got rich from Outfitting and/or being a PH.

IMHO very few if any get rich on hunting perse' UNLESS they have other business operations intermingled within their portfolio.

Cheers, Peter

By the prices we are seeing this year, it would seem there has historically been a great deal of flexibility in pricing.

On my second Safari I arrived in Zimbabwe a week before my hunt was to begin.

I had developed a friendship with my PH, and I wanted to spend as much time in Africa as possible, and wanted to see what eveyrday life in Zim wa all about.

As a result I was able to see the preperations for my 30 day hunt [30 hunting days not counting travel days], meet and observe the operations of the owner of the Safari Company,
Observe the daily life in Harare, see the sights, shop in the stores, go to the bottleshops, icecream shops, pizza shops, visit with Mr. Curiser, and see his operation, and observe the People, and by driving to my Safari areas, I think I have a feel for the Country.

I also did a second 35 day hunt [hunting days, I was in country about 45 days, with the same Safari Company.

Seeing how EVERYTHING, fuel, food, shotgun ammo, spare parts, EVERYTHING, has to be brought in by the Safari Company, with high Govt, Tarrifs, it is amazing to me that they can still even make ANY profit on a hunt.

I was able to see first hand the logistical. monetary difficulties, not only on having the "stuff" to do a Safari, but having the STUFF to live there EVERY DAY.

My hat is off to all the people in the Safari business that live in Zimbabwe.

I also had a lot of contact of the Blacks living in Zimbabwe, both living in the big cities, and in remote villigas in hunting areas.

Everyone I came in contact with, even government officials, whether at the airport or at Police road blocks were very nice & polite.

If Mugabe had not messed up the economy so bad, I could live in Zim.

It is a beautiful Country.

The Honest Safari companies are not getting Rich.

Pieters got it right.

Even on a discount hunt, you must give 100%. And I do not know a company that wouldn't. Are there some? I am sure there are.

Overhead equals more than one might expect. Add in the cost of acquiring the quota whether it was bought from an operator or from a Communal conservancy and the number creeps higher and higher.

Take a hunt that is $1000/day. If profit is 25% a reduction of day rate by just 12.5% is a 50% reduction in profit!

There will be guys who sell hunts at a loss this year to avoid loosing even more. Most guys in Zim have to pay for their DG quota whether it is shot or not.

So, loose $100/day in day fees, but avoid having to pay the community $10k for the Elephant that went un-hunted. The choice is simple.

:)+ 1

martin@bulembisafaris.co.zw