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African Days
The best Outfitters in Africa's most "Hunter Friendly" country
By: Pieter Stofberg    Professional Hunter

Studies, recently undertaken, have shown that the biggest stumbling block to international travel, especially in the USA, is the "fear of the unknown" that prospective travelers experience. This is also the reason why "word of mouth" reference plays such a big role in getting people to decide to visit foreign shores.
Namibia offers hunters and fishermen a destination where they need have no worries. The country has an excellent infrastructure and offers all the modern conveniences that any traveler might want. The following highlight a few of the questions prospective visitors often ask.

• "How safe is the country?"
  
  Namibia has one of Africa's most stable, and democratically minded, governments. The people are friendly and, everywhere you go, you will be met with a smile. Of course, we have our problems with crime,  just like anywhere you go on this planet, but it is "normal" crime and not the politically inspired incidences that are so frequent elsewhere in Africa. The very fact that so few people even know where Namibia is situated, should tell the prospective traveler   something. So much of the publicity Africa gets is negative, dealing with political upheaval, crime, etc. that  Namibia actually shines by comparison. We do not get publicity, simply  because we do not experience that kind of  problem!

• "What is a typical hunting day like?"
  
   The time we rise each morning will be discussed the evening before and will greatly depend on what we will be after that day. Whatever the time decided on, we will wake you with a cup of steaming hot coffee! Breakfast is per your preference: Breakfast cereals and/or bacon, sausage and eggs. Fruit juice, coffee or tea, just as you prefer.  Depending on how the morning hunt progresses, we will either lunch out in the bush (from prepared lunch boxes) or we will be back in camp. Mostly, we prefer staying out there until we are successful.  The evening meal is our main meal for the day. We will sit around the bar and fire (engaging in the day's bragging session) until Makkie calls us. Evening meals are accompanied by a range of great South African wines.  Pieter Stofberg grew up in the wine producing Western Cape in South Africa and still has many friends down  there.

                          Access our wine supplier's websites at:
                                    Opstal Estate           www.opstal.co.za
                                    Goudini Wines       www.goudiniwines.co.za
                                    Badsberg Cellars    www.badsberg.co.za

                          After dinner, a few cocktails around the fire tends to end the day on a high note.

• "What happens to my trophies after the hunt?"
  
   It is our responsibility to field prepare your trophies and to deliver them to the shippers.  Once we have done that, our legal responsibility toward your trophies end and it becomes a deal between you and the shippers. The organization we use for this is Reiser Taxidermy. The contact person there is Wilco Pascheka and he can be contacted at reiser@iway.na  To date we have not had any problems with our arrangement with Reiser Taxidermy and we recommend them highly.  Once the trophies is delivered to the shipper, the whole process becomes almost automatic. Access the Shipping  and the Taxidermy pages for a more detailed explanation of how we handle things.

• "What about arrival and departure procedures and general travel in the country?"
  
   Namibia has an excellent infrastructure. The airport is modern and efficiently run, and the staff there are all very "visitor friendly". You will be met at the airport by your outfitter and will be delivered back there, safe and sound.  Most visitors will require no other travel document than their passport. There are no visa requirements for  visitors from the USA. The documentation that is required, both to enter the country and to bring your rifles in,  is handled in more detail under our General Information page.  The roads are in excellent repair and travel around the country is no problem. Most travel is by road.  Just keep in mind that Namibia is a vast country (the country will cover the entire Eastern Seaboard of the USA) so travel takes up a lot of time. The countryside is spectacular, though, so you are not likely to get bored.
   
• "What inoculations are required?"
  
   None. If you are visiting the North of the country, say anywhere above Etosha Game Reserve, it is advisable to see your doctor about malaria prophylactics and to start a course about two weeks before your arrival date.
   
• "What happens to me if I get hurt in an accident?"
  
  We have excellent private hospitals in the country. We carry emergency insurance, which will ensure that you can be airlifted to hospital, should it become necessary. What you could do is to take out some insurance yourself, should it happen that you need a medical flight back home.
   
• "What about snakes, etc?"
  
  Yes, paradise has its serpents! The incidence of snakebite is so low, though, that to worry about it is to worry too much.  Always remember, snakes are more scared of humans than humans are scared of snakes. In any unforced  encounter, the snake will get out of your way so fast, you will probably never even know it was there!  Insects also don't present much of a problem. We have some trophy sized scorpions, but a general awareness will be enough to ensure you have no nasty surprizes.
   
• "How do I get my rifles in and out of the country?"
  
  Absolutely no problem! When you arrive at the airport, you will be handed a rifle import/export permit  application. ( You can download this document right from our Rifle Import section under the General Information page.) The customs official will inspect your rifles, to ensure that the serial numbers correspond, and then issue you with a permit for the time period you will be in the country. When you leave, the same process will take place and they will take back the permit. As I said, absolutely no problem!  In general, keep in mind that you will be allowed only eighty rounds of ammunition per rifle. No handguns will be allowed and semi-automatic rifles are taboo.
   
• "What animals can I hunt there?"
  
  Namibia offers everything Africa does (with the exception of region bound species, of course) and probably has the most affordable plains game hunting available. We have two species that are exclusive to Namibia, being the Hartmann's (or Mountain) Zebra and the Damara Dik-Dik. Our hunt product is one of the best to be found in Africa and you can rest assured that you will have a good time. 
   
• "Are the animals free roaming or are they fenced?"
  
  This is a rather sensitive issue with hunters, especially after the whole "canned lion" saga. What you should  understand is that ownership of game, in Namibia, rests with the landowner, as opposed with the State, as is the case in most of Africa.  Our landowners stock their land with game, which has resulted in the numbers of species, as well as the number of animals per specie, increasing dramatically. This is a very, very expensive exercise and it stands to reason that the landowner has to take steps to protect his investment. The result is that most of our hunting, other than on traditional land concessions, takes place on land that has been fenced. Here you must keep the size of our country in mind. Most of our ranches are so big (on average around 20 000 acres) that the fact that the land is fenced does not affect the question of fair chase. Believe me, the animals has a much bigger chance of eluding you than you have of finding them. You will have to hunt hard! Also keep in mind that hunting is the sole reason why our landowners are stocking their land with game. These animals eat the same vegetation that livestock does and, if they had no value, you can rest assured that our ranchers would have gotten rid of them long ago. The fact that you are willing to pay to hunt these animals is the only reason they are surviving and increasing.
   
• "How do I ensure that I book with a reputable outfitter?"
  
  Two ways. One is obviously word of mouth. Talk to people who have hunted with us and get their feel on the quality of the hunt on offer.  Second, and just as important, contact the Namibian Professional Hunter's Association (NAPHA) and make sure that we are members in good standing. NAPHA is very serious about the standards our outfitters have to meet and dealing with a member is probably the best assurance you can have that you will be OK. NAPHA is the professional organization representing the industry and there can be no reason for a reputable outfitter not to belong. Dealing with one of its members will also provide you with an avenue of recourse, should something go wrong.
  
                  Contact numbers for NAPHA:
                                   Tel: +264-61-234455
                                   Fax: +264-61-222567
                                   E-mail: napha@mweb.com.na
   
• "Do you charge for arrival and departure days?"
  
  No, we don't. We dedicated a whole page on this site that will help you cost out the hunt you are planning.  Basically, your arrival/departure days will cost you USD 250 per hunter (no charge for observers), which is  what we charge for fetching you at the airport and delivering you back there again.
     

• "Which method of payment do you prefer?"
  
  When you book we will require a deposit. (The amount will be agreed between us, but is normally around forty percent of the day rates) This payment is best made by electronic transfer of funds. Monies can be transferred to our deposit account at the following electronic address:
  
                                              Bank name: Nedbank of Namibia
                                              Branch name: Hidas Branch
                                              Branch code: 461696
                                              Branch address: Nedbank, Hidas Branch, Nelson Mandeka Ave, Windhoek, Namibia.
                                              SWIFT code: NEDS NA NX
                                              Account name: Nimrod Safaris Deposit Account
                                              Account number: 461696 - 1100010 - 8113
                                              Account holder: Nimrod Safaris, 8 Spitskop Street, Windhoek, Namibia.
  
  Here's the best way to handle all other payments. Once we have costed out your hunt, you will know exactly what your day rates and trophy fees will be. Go to your bank and get Cashiers Checks for the amount of your day rates and for EACH of the trophy animals you plan to shoot. Unused checks at the end of the hunt can simply be handed back to your bank. Make the checks payable to my company and they will be completely safe -  nobody but you or I can use them. This is a lot safer than travellers checks and/or cash. You will need some cash to see you through incidental expenses (you never know what can happen), but don't carry a lot.
  
  
• "What about travel arrangements?"
  
   Most of our clients use Elaine Porteous at African Odyssey. Elaine operates from Florida and, being a former South African, knows what is needed to make the trip as easy as possible. We recommend African Odyssey and Elaine to all our clients. Contact her at aodyssey@gate.net or use her toll  free number at (1)-866-486 9351.

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