APEX GOLD WILDLIFE SAFARIS

Answers to some Questions

WHAT ISSUES CONCERNING MY HEALTH ARE THERE?

Generally speaking, no special vaccinations or inoculations are required coming into South Africa. We hunt mainly in a Malaria free environment. Tap water coming from the wells are generally safe for human consumption, but some visitors prefer to drink the many excellent local bottled or imported mineral waters that are readily available.
Sleeping pills are recommended, especially for the first night or two. With the change in time zones and jet lag, your body will require two or more days in Africa to adapt. The African sun can be dangerous, so wear a hat and use the right sun block. Sunglasses are always a good thing to have
We have well stocked first aid kits in camp for any small mishaps.

Best calibre for plains game

I consider the 30-06 and 308 as the best all-round calibers for hunting plains game in Africa. The 30-06 and 308 has proven track records, ammunition is readily available in South Africa, and they are just sweet shooting calibers. This does not mean we do not have confidence in any other calibers. On the contrary, other calibers like the 270 (which I use on everything), 7 mm Rem Mag, 7 mm-08, 300 Win Mag and others have all been used with big success on our African hunting safaris.

It is your right to own and bear firearms. It is your right to own as many firearms as you like. It is your right to own any caliber firearm you want. You would be missing out if at least one of your rifles was not a 30 – 06 or 308

With that goes good quality bullets also. No use having a good rifle and your ammo can't do the job. Barnes x is probably my favorite, but Norma has also proven itself time and again. It is important to have the right kind of ammunition for the right animal and the right situation.

What about bringing a rifle or shotgun

For a minor fee a pre-approved import / export permit can be arranged. Below is a brief summary of what you will need to have your permit pre-approved. Hunters bringing firearms into South Africa for hunting purposes should download a copy of the Temporary Firearm Import Application -SAP 520 and complete this form before arrival in South Africa.

This is essential to help streamline the entry process. The form must be completed in black ink.

Required along with the SAP 520 will be the following:

Notarized Passport copy
Airline Ticket
Notarized Proof of Ownership of firearm, e.g., legal license, permit, certificate, authorization or any other documentary proof confirming lawful possession of the firearm: (Certified as a true copy)
Copy of Invitation letter from your Hunting Outfitter.

Al the above documentation needs to be scanned and emailed to Mariette at apexgoldwildlife@gmail.com

Scanned, readable documentation not bigger than 4MB can be emailed. Mariette needs the following documents at the latest 30 days prior to your arrival.

The cost for the pre-approved application is $160 per rifle

This information is necessary for the actual Temporary Import Permit, as well as if the police need to be in contact with you for any reason. Firearms will be physically inspected to ensure the serial numbers match those of the licenses and the application forms. Ammunition will also be inspected, and it is important to note that this ammunition also requires a permit.

Also, please ensure that your firearms arrive on the same flight as you do. You and no one else may sign for your firearms. Please do not pay for any service regarding the handling of a firearm at the airport, this is a free service. Please note however that there is a handling fee charged by airlines and/or security companies for the handling of handguns. Temporary Import Permits are issued for a period of 90 or 180 days. When you depart from the country, you MUST take all your firearms as stated on the Import Permit with you. Permits will only be issued for ammunition that is accompanied by a firearm of the same caliber. Temporary Import Permits will not be issued for anyone under the age of 21.

What type of payments are expectable?

The South African currency is the Rand. It is divided into cents. All major credit cards are usable, including American Express, MasterCard and Visa. There are Bureau de Change in all airports and major centers. Apex Gold accepts cash US $, credit cards (4% transaction fee applies) Venmo and Zelle. Please keep in mind that final payments have to be made before your departure back home. Remember that the South African Rand is a fairly volatile currency, and the exchange rate tends to change on a daily basis.

NB. There is a 4% surcharge on card payments payable by the client.

Internet and electricity

Our lodge has 220V electricity and adapters are there for use. Please check that your chargers are adaptable.
We have full wifi in camp

List of things to keep in mind

Clothing: As comfortable as possible. For hunting hardwearing, light and soft non-reflective dun colours like a dark khaki, light brown, grey and green. Camouflage clothing is always a winner and remember a warm jacket for the early mornings and late afternoons. One pair of warm under wear will be handy if we have really bad weather. Probably the most important is comfortable, well-broken-in hunting shoes/boots for walk and stalk and descent socks. Remember a hat to keep the sun off your head and out of your face. Casual clothes for sight seeing if hunting clothes will not do. A daily laundry service is available so 3 to 4 sets of clothes will be sufficient. Gators to keep the thorns and Gras seeds out of your socks.

Personal items: -     Sunscreen - Personal medicine - Toiletries - Sunglasses

General: -    Camera with extra memory sticks and extra batteries. - Video camera with enough tapes/cd’s (Not a necessity). - Binoculars - Range finder (Not a necessity)

Documentation:-    Passport - Airplane ticket - Necessary documentation for firearm/s import permit.

This is only an indication of what to bring along!

We have the following available to our guests: - Towels - Basic toiletries: Shampoo, Soap & Toothpaste - Hairdryer - Adapter plugs to 220V (Make sure your appliances are adaptable) - Bug spray (If needed) - Mosquito repellent (If needed) - Well stocked first aid kit.

Taxidermy

We make use of Nylstroom Taxidermy | in Modimolle (nyltaxidermy.com) and this puts us in a position to inspect trophies before they are crated. Hunters can decide on having their trophies mounted by a local taxidermist or having them shipped to a taxidermist in their country of residence (or any other country).
Your trophies will be picked up by the Taxidermy Services and they will be in contact with you regarding your choice. After having gone through the process of your choice, your trophies will be crated and forwarded to a Shipping Agent, and he will forward it to the Receiving Company in your country of residence which will deliver these trophies to you. All these services are to be paid by the hunter. The trophies will only be forwarded to the next service provider in line once the current service provider has received payment. Upon finishing his task, each service provider will invoice the hunter and simultaneously provide the banking details.
Mounting trophies in South Africa is definitely more cost effective than doing a dip and pack, paying for these services, and then paying shipping.
Mounting should take approximately 12 months.

Dip and pack 6 months.

Climate in South Africa

Africa has a wide range of climate zones, although generally it may be considered to have a moderate climate. Chilly mornings, warm/sunny days and cool evenings are normal with a possibility of rain but very unlikely. Hunting is mostly done during the winter months from April to October, so you`ll be dealing with temperatures between 10°C/50°F and 32°C/100°F.

Tips for tipping on safari

Tipping while on safari is often a sensitive topic, and so we thought we would provide a few guidelines. The first and most important point is that tipping in entirely your decision and you should never feel obliged to tip anyone. Be aware though that your tip can make a big difference to staff at lodges, and it is always truly appreciated. Also be aware that there are many people who play a role in making your safari experience a great one – most of whom you never meet in person.

Here are a few general guidelines which travelers wanting to tip can follow.

Camp/Lodge Staff: There is a lot that happens behind the scenes of your safari and it’s important to consider and acknowledge all the wonderful people who look after the lodge. From housekeepers, to wait staff, to chefs – they all deserve to be thanked appropriately! Most safari lodges and camps have a communal tip ‘jar’ and around US$10 to US$20 per day is considered a reasonable tip.

Tipping is expected because Professional Hunters (P.H.), trackers and camp staff derive much of their income from the tips they receive. This creates the incentive for them to perform at their highest level for each and every client. Hunting is a service industry. Unlike other industries, it is customary to tip your P.H., even if he is the owner. On YOUR safari, he is working hard for you.

Most people give their tip at the end of the hunt directly to the staff who receive it. A tip should be given in cash - it can be in US $ or Rand. It is always very generous for hunters to bring "extras" (such as clothes, knives, sunglasses, candy), however these items should not be considered a tip. These small gestures, given before or shared throughout the hunt are very well received and just a nice thing to do.

Here are some suggested amounts, based on: - Satisfaction with hunting safari - Success of hunting safari - Country where hunt takes place - Price of hunt and number of animals taken - Number of days of hunt - Type of hunting safari (plains game, dangerous game or combination of both) - Number of hunters & observers.

Professional Hunter = $50 - $200 per day (or you may want to consider 7- 10% of your total safari bill as a reasonable tip) Guide for observers = $20 - $50/day Main Tracker, Skinner & Driver = $100 - $200 for safari. Skinners = $50 - $100 each for safari Maid = $50 -$100 for safari Cook = $100 - $200 for safari

In rare instances, there may be other camp staff that have gone above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable.

You can always ask your P.H. for guidance, but the decision of how much to tip is yours. And remember, at any time during the hunt, if you are unhappy or dissatisfied about something, talk to your P.H. or Outfitter. Don’t wait until your trip is over to tell them something was wrong.

Remember - That any suggestion is merely a point of reference and not what you should tip, ultimately the decision is yours.

You get out of the trip what you put into it. It's not always about money, just being nice goes a long way too