Chewore South safari area was actioned this morning for roughly 20 trillion zim $ (Approx US$11-12 Million) to an interesting consortium made up of a spanish safari agent, Majuru and Grahame Taylor and his son Grant. The previous consortium of Whittal, Rosenfels and Duckworth are out at the und of the year unless Majuru/juan Safaris fails to come up with the full ammount.

And what are the odds they won't come up with the money?

I reckon its better than even Majuru will come up with the money - take a government loan at 50% intrest in an economy where inflation is over 12000%. Hard to go wrong.

Ganyana,

It is very interesting to hear these figures bandied about.

It is said that hunting revenues in Tanzania amount to about $10MM US. This is less than the one concession in Zim.

What gives???

Best regards;
Brett

Brett- Basically it isn't viable unless you are getting a loan where they pay you to take it or you have more money than brains.

The last year reliable figures for the Zimbabwe hunting industry were available (1997) Zimbabwe generated US$70 million from hunting. Since then we have lost at least 50% if not 70% of that revenue due to the farm invasions and decining game populations.

Also- Tanzania does the government get 10 Million or does the industry generate 10 bar?

Ganyana,

That is the Government's take, which they think is too low.

What do you think the Zim governmen't take was for 1997?

Brett

Ganyana,

BTW I found an excellent study on hunting in the Selous by Andrew Cauldwell published in 2004.

For the 2003, the latest year's data included in the study, the Selous generated an estimated $3.8MM for the Tanzanian government. This is for 40 odd blocks. That was actually less than I would have expected.

If you look at the length of season and prevailing daily rates the day rate revenue should be 2-3 times that. I really don't see how the Tanzanian government is going to dramatically increase revenues from hunting.

Brett

Direct payments to government in 97 was just over US$6 million.

Since then, trophy fees have been increased by 50% so government will take home about 10 million from trophy and concession fees.

Also though, bear in mind the difference in operating costs. Zim - at least until 2004 was cheep (by african standards) Fuel was the cheepest in Southern Africa, roads good etc so getting supplies to camp and running the hunting operation was a heck of a lot cheeper than running a comparable camp in moz or Tz. If the costs are lower (PH pay is alot lower in zim as well) then government can afford to charge higher prices and the operator will end up with the same profit at the end of the day.

Grahame and Grant Taylor, wasn't there some problems with their Zim hunters licences ?

I just returned from Zim having hunted in the rifa consession northwest of Chewore. They indicated that many (all?) consessions in Zim will auction this year,but,in november,I thought. The money is for a five year lease and apparantly the government will offer terms of payment.After five years they have an option on another five.An auction,always after ten years. If the new outfitter wants to pay for all the improvements the current outfitter has made,they can make a deal. Otherwise, The outfitter can tear it down and leave it the way he found it.(usually with nothing) This would make for a an tremendous additional investment.
I asked what happens to future clients booked in the area and they hoped they could hunt them somewhere else if they lost it. This could make for a lot of unhappy hunters booked for Zim in 08. I hunted with Roger Whittall twice in Chewore South and it would be a crying shame for he and his partners to lose it. I guess time will tell. Could be an interesting convention season in January.

Oz _ there were problems and neighter currently holds a PH license. Grant may have a learners, I am not sure.

Chuck- Terms at the auction are payment within 7 days. Parks want their money and so does the auctioneer And parks has been privatised so only the Director General and his three deputies are Civil servants. If they want to pay their staff, they have to raise the loot.

Yes, rifa will come up in late october and early november.

If run correctly there should be one big and one small parks concession Auctioned each year.

Chewore South 2.5 million US per year lease? I cannot imagine how many clients it would take to be profitable. Providing you had enough clientelle to have a chance at profitability, I suspect hunt quality would drop off sharply. It would be interesting to know if there is a correlation between lease cost and DG quota.

Here we go again!! Oz - I am sure nobody would fork up that kind of cash and then try and operate it with unlicensed personell?? I have personally hunted with Grant Taylor in Zim and Mozambique, where he has operated a very successful hunting business. As I said, "been there, done that". I have known for nearly a year that the Taylor's were trying to put this Zim concession together. If you are uncertain of "their" character, maybe it's best you just stay "down under"?? As for me, I have close to a dozen folks ready to book hunts in Chewore when all the details are put together.

I think Ganyana could confirm if indeed all is on the up and up. Also Ganyana would you be so kind to let us know when the sale is indeed final?? Grant is in the bush most of the time, so communication is sparse at best. Business is business and in the kind of arena currently playing in Zim, anything can happen. Thanks!!

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Oz _ there were problems and neighter currently holds a PH license. Grant may have a learners, I am not sure.

Larry Sellers,

You must have missed Ganyana's previous post.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
Here we go again!! Oz - If you are uncertain of "their" character, maybe it's best you just stay "down under"?? As for me, I have close to a dozen folks ready to book hunts in Chewore

Larry Sellers

Mr Sellers,
I have no intention in staying "down under" as I love hunting Africa and know plenty of Licensed PHs including three Taylors from Zim.

JPK - No I didn't miss Ganyana's post. Seems the KEY words are "were problems". Simply not the case at present.

Oz - I am sure you know plenty of PH's so never mind going to Chewore with G and G Taylors, just more opportunity for some of the rest of us. Have a great day "down under", coming that way next year myself.

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Oz _ there were problems and neighter currently holds a PH license. Grant may have a learners, I am not sure.

Larry Sellers,

You must have missed Ganyana's previous post.

JPK

Larry - I don't know these Taylors and have no reason to question their character, however I find your posts slightly defensive, and mildly amusing!!

Oz asked a legitimate question about the status of their PH Licences. Ganyana subsequently confirmed that neither gentleman holds a current PH licence. Oz certainly did not question the character of these two fellas.

I would have thought the KEY words are "neighter currently holds a PH license". So, is Ganyana right?

Spartan/oz To be fair, none of the "management" need to hold a PH license for them to run a sucessful hunting Business. There are plenty of good PH's! The real trick of the job is keeping a camp supplied in Zimbabwe and making sure that the clients get their trophies out- through the imense bureaucracy of Zim and the importing nation.

I will certainly post if the deal falls through- although I think this is unlikely...the rider being that the political officer from the US embassy and the dirty deeds man from the brit embassy were there noting who bought. If the US or EU object to the importation of the trophies because of one of the partners that will obviously change matters- And there is all the usual mud flying today over this. Obviously the out going cartel would like the new "owners" to be blacklisted, and so back out- They would then get it back - so the air is thick and the water muddy this week

Ganyana,

Why did the previous holders decide to back out this time? Are there problems with the concession?

Hi Ann - No problems with the concession, but unless you have access to cheep government money/subsydy there is no way anybody could pay more than 400 Billion Zim and still make a profit. The fight was between two political personalities with access to essentially free money

quote:

an interesting consortium made up of a spanish safari agent, Majuru and Grahame Taylor and his son Grant.

With Majuru in the group of partners, I will give high odds of this group of folks going on the "do no business with list" for U.S. citizens making it illegal for U.S. citizens to hunt there.

Ganyana,

Please give my regards/condolensces to John & James Rosenfel if you see them. They will know me by name. I know that the loss of Chewore South will be tough on them. They truly loved that concession.

Ganyana - Thanks for the update and some of the inside details. I know when a concession changes hands there are usually hard feelings involved, so hope this one goes smoothly.

ledvm - It looks like "your" Golden Rule theory applies in this instance. I never like to see someone loose a hunting area, whether it be in Africa or anywhere else. I have hunted twice with Roger Whittal and there is not a nicer gentleman in the industry. I guess I do get a little defensive when others speak out without having a clue about a situation or subject. I might just take you up on "your odds" ?? Let's wait till this all shakes out and I'll get back to you. I will stick with Ganyana and his input on this one.

Larry Sellers

quote:

I might just take you up on "your odds" ?? Let's wait till this all shakes out and I'll get back to you.

Larry,
I really have no clue!!! But if the US sticks to there criteria of who to include in the do-no-business-with list, they would just about have to include a group containing Majuru.

J. Lane - I really have no clue either at this point?? Africa will continue to be Africa I suppose. Evidence the Tanz situation. I know the Taylor's have a lot of Europen clients, but wouldn't think they could make it fly without some help from us in the US as well?

PS Where is Whitesboro, TX, haven't heard of that one, even here in neighboring New Mexico?

Larry Sellers

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

I might just take you up on "your odds" ?? Let's wait till this all shakes out and I'll get back to you.

Larry,
I really have no clue!!! But if the US sticks to there criteria of who to include in the do-no-business-with list, they would just about have to include a group containing Majuru.

Whitesboro is 60 miles due north of Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex just south of the Red River and just east of I-35.

Have just read through all the correspondance above. Just thought I would add that the final figure that Chewore South went for was Z$1,760,000,000,000.00. The winning consortium then have to pay 15% VAT on this bringing it close to 2 trillion. This is over half of the Zimbabwe national budget!

quote:

When you need to shoot, shoot! Don't talk! And always remember the "golden rule". He who has the gold, makes the rules.

Actually it's "He with the lLEAD rules"!!

quote:

Originally posted by docdog:
Have just read through all the correspondance above. Just thought I would add that the final figure that Chewore South went for was Z$1,760,000,000,000.00. The winning consortium then have to pay 15% VAT on this bringing it close to 2 trillion. This is over half of the Zimbabwe national budget!

I think I read in an economics textbook that the act of a government printing currency did not in itself create wealth.

Here is a link to the US/Zim ban list: http://treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/legal/eo/13391.pdf

I don't know if #79 or 80 is the person involved with Chewore south. Hopefully not as Americans would be foolish to hunt there after December with all the penalties that could result.

The name on the documents isn't Majuru- Chips is the daughter of The General and Joyce and locally uses her maiden name, but is married to a Spaniad- Pedro and has used his name on the documents. It was, of cource, the Vice President who organised the money, and the US government is aware of this, so as to the actual interpretation of your legislation

An official enquirey has been made to the state department and when we get an answer it will be posted.

A couple of thoughts I had on this:
1. How can an outfitter book a hunt on a concession when he doesn't know if he'll even have it - as in this case?
2. Seems the Zim gov. should make it a requirement that any 'betterment and improvements' to the property (concession) should be made to stay. Why tear something down that could be used or reused?