Newsletter 2022
Here we are again!
Another year gone. It just makes us realize how precious time is. It will be the 29th year that this newsletter goes out, and every year we have amazing trips and safaris to report on.
We are blessed with health, prosperity, family life and a lifestyle with many fond memories and you as our friends, clients and customers plays a major part in making this happen. We as a family and outfitting company are proud to be part of you and your family’s memories. and make it something worth remembering. The most important thing we have is TIME! We realize that when you decide to spend your time with us, it has to be special. We will
ensure that your time with is maximized into fond memories!
Family report
Sad to say that we have the last now leaving the nest........not really, you all knows how it goes! Nina has graduated from High school and will be off to Stellenbosch University enrolling she got accepted in the Industrial Engineering program.
We will all miss her dearly at the property and safaris, but I'm sure the lure of the excitement on safari will have her back many times. I have offered her a CEO position with Bush Africa Safaris, but unfortunately she declined, she would much rather experience College life!
Cara has finally started her career after completing her Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering. It seems that she is enjoying her work and she is working hard on gaining as much experience as possible. Her strong ties with the animals and the farm ensures frequent visits.
Dries has finished his 2nd year as Professional Hunter with Bush Africa Safaris and is maturing as guide and leader. His calm, enthusiastic approach to the hunt makes him a huge asset to the company and he is well focused to ensure a continuity of Bush Africa Safaris.
We are very fortunate to have him follow in our footsteps and be passionate about offering high quality safaris, and securing our strong family heritage.
All well with me and Terina. The business, outfitting, guiding, entertaining and hosting has been so much part of us the last 29 years, that it just becomes easier and more refined for us. We realize that one needs to adapt to a changing world, but also realize that we are who we are and that offering our safaris the traditional way, with values important to us, makes us unique. We will strive to ensure the continuity of our heritage, sharing our beautiful land and animals with you. We will continue to offer trips that we feel is endemic to the areas we offer them, we will offer them in the traditional way and will ensure that hunting and the outdoors stays special and is experienced the way it is meant to be. That is our promise to you.
Both Jaco Kruger's as well as Robert are still with us. They are all doing well. Robert will be joining us in Nashville for SCI Convention. We are fortunate to have such devoted, experienced and loyal PH’s on staff, and their commitment to Bush Africa Safaris are very much appreciated and a huge asset to our success. They are part of the Bush Africa Safaris family. They also ensure quality, continuity and experience that will be hard to find with any other company. Both Jaco and Robert have spend more than 20 years with the company, which makes them definitely part of our heritage and family!
2022 Safari season in hindsight
2022 has been a very busy year for us. We always start a season with serious enthusiasm, get into it, and before you know it, it is time to plan a new one!
There are so many highlights within a season, too many to mention. We are always excited to plan a new season, and always very excited to chase new areas and trophies.
The past season took us to many very special areas. Special animals, safaris and areas makes for special memories. Our 29 years experience ensures handpicked safari areas and adventures.
Northern Botswana, the Chobe area; Caprivi region in Namibia; Southern Zimbabwe in the Limpopo valley and the Eastern Lowveld adjacent to Kruger National Park was some of the very special concessions we hunted.
Our passion and knowledge of the hunting areas drives our offerings, knowing that the specifics will be the ultimate experience for the safari hunter.
For several years now we have had 100% success on our Leopard hunts, which is a very dangerous achievement to advertise! We do have very good hunting areas, and feel the combined with our expertise and enthusiasm, you will have the best opportunity at success. Do not hesitate to contact us a.s.a.p. if Leopard is your target, we still have very limited availability. This can be expected with all the animals we chase.
We have taken a large number of Buffalo on our free range Big 5 area next to Kruger Park, a very special place indeed. Here we hunted old Dugga boys traversing on land amongst Elephant and Lion. Some of these hunts will available to watch soon on our You Tube channel or on our website. Some amazing Buffalo has been taken on our private land, and the first bull takenthis past season by Jeff Jerue was a charging 47” Bull. What a trophy!
Many amazing trophies was taken this past season, huge Sable, Kudu, 15 ft 6 inch Crocodile by Dan Genter, Gemsbuck, Nyala etc.
We still like to chase the indigenous plains game in our area, the traditional way. This will take you to various habitat systems , hunting them in their home territory. This is our expertise and passion, and we feel that it is imperative to experience it this way.
What is on offer for 2023
Providing approval by authorities, we will once again offer Elephant and Buffalo in the free-range area next to Kruger, exclusive to our company. Very limited permits will be available on these.
We still have 2 Leopard hunts available on our limited offerings on handpicked areas for Leopard. These hunts are very exciting and rewarding to us and will take you from the Bush Africa Safaris lodge to Southern Zimbabwe where we hunt amongst the sandstone hills and on the banks of the Limpopo River for Leopard. Our Leopard hunts also offer spotted Hyena on permit and for 2023 includes 5 Impala for bait!
As always you cannot beat our facilities, expertise, areas, location for a plains game hunt. Well setup for Archery and crossbow, being experts in this field. The warm exclusive family atmosphere at the Bush Africa Safari lodge cannot be beaten and the home cooked authentic meals are something our guests talk about forever! How does an Eland Tenderloin wrapped in Bacon cooked over some Akasia coles sound? Or a Gemsbuck Schnitzel with mushroom gravy and fresh garden vegetables, not to mention Terina’s home cooked deserts?
We therefore created our packages and really believe that our Gold, Platinum and “Outfitters Pick” packages are extremely good value for your time and money!
We feel very strongly about keeping our hunting heritage going as it has been for many years. We have seen many extreme changes in the hunting industry in SA the past few years and is extremely concerned about the way things have developed. It has become an industry with huge promises, price wars, size wars, quantity wars, and this has forced practices into place which are totally out of order.
Massive amounts of plains game are dropped in smaller enclosures, huge shooting lanes are bulldozed all over properties, most crocodile hunts are pen raised and dropped in unnatural water ponds.
Many PH’s are better drone operators than trackers and many outfitters have helicopters on standby to use whenever things goes slow. Outfitters and PH’s are definitely to blame for such, but their clientele also for taking part in these practices, allowing it and pushing for prices, free products and promises on quantity and guarantees on sizes. It has become an industry where clientele are shopping for donations, buying one after the other, and outfitters resolving to easier practices to stay afloat! This has created a very unhealthy industry and also created a name for the SA hunting industry that is well deserved but hard to get rid of.
Please ensure that your next hunting trip is well planned, well researched and make sure you get what you are looking for. If it sounds to good to be true or like a great deal, it usually is!!
Our promise to you is to use our expertise, passion, location and heritage to the maximum to ensure you have the best safari that we can offer in our areas, with best staff, trophies, within the parameters we are dealt with. With this in mind, I have created the” outfitters pick “package, which is truly the ultimate plains game challenge in our area and will be highly rewarding. Please feel free to engage with us regarding your expectations, tailoring your safari to maximize your time and money, to ensure your memories of a lifetime and have you return to Africa as soon as possible!
Bush Africa safaris has the people, location, expertise, passion and handpicked areas to full fill al these needs. If w
e feel it is something we cannot reach, we will steer you in the right direction!
Marketing and show schedules for early 2023
Dallas Safari Club
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre
5-8 January 2023
Booth nr: 2449
(Schalk and Dries)
Houston Safari Club Foundation
George R. Brown Convention Center
20-22 January 2023
Booth nr: 540
(Schalk and Dries)
Houston Boat Show
NRG centre
25-29 January 2023
Booth nr: 207
(Schalk and Dries)
Safari Club International
Music City Center, Nashville, TN
22-25 February 2023
Booth nr: 2631
(Schalk, Dries, Robert and Terina)
Dixie Deer Classic
NC State Fairground, Raleigh, NC
3-5 March 2023
Booth Nr: G-31&32
(Robert and Dries)
We will be in the USA starting 1 January 2023, most of January will be spent in Texas, Florida in early February and then on to Nashville.
I will be willing to visit your location if needed during our down time, please feel free should you have any desire for such a visit and we will try make it work.
We will be posting my new US mobile number on the website as soon as it is available.
You can also contact me during this time on my SA Whattapp, FB Messenger, e-mail: info@bushafricasafaris.co.za or text on SA number:+27 (82)452-0749
My family and I would like to extend a warm invitation to you, your family and friends to contact us, or visit us at the shows to assist you in planning the trip of a lifetime.
We can also assist in guiding you in the right direction should you require in information.
We sincerely hope that you will give us the opportunity to quote, negotiate with you in hosting your African safari!
Please feel free to look at our website, with specific links to some video material on our safaris and hunts.
Bush Africa safaris would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!
Very excited to see some old friends in the US
'Till then.......
Schalk and Terina van Heerden
