News From Namibia & Zimbabwe

Namibia:

We heard from the Namibia Professional Hunters Association today that Polio shots and/or boosters are no longer being recommended for travel to Namibia. Last year the government of Namibia started to require Polio immunization when they discovered a few cases of Polio there. This is good news and it will save hunters a trip to the doctor and a few bucks when planning their Namibia Hunting Safari.

Zimbabwe:

There is also news on Zimbabwe according to The Hunting Report the US State Department's planned travel warning may not be as harsh as originally expected. However, as long as Robert Mugabe is in power Zimbabwe is still a gamble as far as hunting goes. We will keep an eye on any further developments there.

Huge turnout at NRA meetings

The NRA annual meeting has had a huge turnout so far. At the African hunting seminar we hosted on Friday the attendance was excellent with over 250 people there! It was strictly standing room only. Craig Boddington and Bob Robb did a great job and many folks stuck around afterwards to ask questions. Craig did a great job with an overveiw of African safari hunting and Bob Robb covered bow hunting as well as hunting Africa on a budget.

We will hopefully have an opportunity to do it again next year.

See you at the NRA Annual Meeting

Well we are here in St. Louis for the NRA Annual Meeting and convention. We went over to the exhibit hall last night to check out our booth space and we couldn't help but noticed how big this show is. If you are a hunter, gun enthusiast or collector you need to be at this show. If you are coming please be sure to stop by our booth #213 and come to the Africa Hunting Seminar on Friday afternoon.

We will try to report in during the show if we can.

Todd

Zimbabwe slides even further....

We received an alert from The Hunting Report which says that the US State Department is likely to issue an official travel warning for US citizens traveling to Zimbabwe. The warning will likely come this week.

Although it seems that in the past the Zimbabwe government has given special treatment to the safari industry due to the importance of the revenue it produces, it looks like they are beginning to place a lot of pressure on hunting safari operators. They are using officials of the Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe and secret police to raid hunting safari company offices to seize their books, arresting some of the operators claiming that the companies have charged or paid excessive commissions. This mess could result in serious problems for anyone with a hunting safari booked in Zimbabwe.

There is a chance that the government could deny licenses to hunters arriving in Zimbabwe this hunting season which is just about to get under way. This problem could result in extensive delays in trophy shipments which must be cleared by the government. We have heard stories over the years of hunter's trophies being held hostage by the government in order to exert pressure on safari companies to pay up.

If I had a hunting safari booked in Zimbabwe for this season I would be talking to the agent and outfitter. I would be asking detailed questions of them and exactly how they plan to get through this crisis.

We have also been hearing stories of American hunters who attempt to exchange US dollars on the black market in Zimbabwe. This can be very dangerous if you are caught. If you bring cash to Zimbabwe, exchange it at an official foreign exchange office. The extra money you might get from the black market is not worth even one night in an African jail.

It is my sincere hope that there is drastic change in Zimbabwe soon, so that hunters may benefit from a more stable environment there. Zimbabwe would do well to emulate the safari industry in Namiba which is extremely well run and very safe for foreign hunters.

Why you need to use our firearms permit service for South Africa and Namibia

Many African hunting safaris begin in South Africa because of the number of flights available around the world. Most hunting safaris in Namibia begin in South Africa as well.

South Africa requires a permit to possess a firearm while you are in the country. If you are transiting through South Africa to Namibia, you are also required to get the permit. However, if you are traveling onto Namibia from a connecting flight from South Africa, you may not need a permit. Please check with the us to see if a permit is/is not required.

If you are traveling from the US and are going directly to Windhoek, Namibia from Johannesburg South Africa, make sure you tell the airline to check your baggage all the way through. In doing so, you will not have to get a firearm permit in South Africa and will only have to make your connecting flight. Otherwise, YOU MUST HAVE A PERMIT TO BE IN SOUTH AFRICA WITH A RIFLE.

The T. Jeffrey Safari Company has a complete firearms application and escort service. We will complete all of your firearms paperwork for you for pre-issue and assure that it is done properly.

When you arrive in South Africa your flight will be met by our associate who will escort you to the South African Police Office in the airport. He will then expedite the inspection of your firearm(s) and escort you to your connecting flight or to your overnight hotel shuttle.

For Namibia the firearms permit application is a simple one page form which we will gladly assist you with. Upon arrival in Namibia there will be a quick inspection of your firearm and ammunition and you will be on your way.


We highly recommend this service because it will prevent delays in the police office. After a long flight, waiting around for hours can be a burden on your trip. The fee for this complete service is, well worth it, $150 per hunter.

If you would like more information on this service, or one of our safaris please contact us.