Editorial

Deposit. Time. And Patience.

As we move toward year-end, plans are in full swing for future bookings, so let’s just clarify the definition of a deposit. According to the dictionary, • it is a sum of money paid into a bank or building society account

or

• a sum payable as a first instalment on the purchase of something, or as a pledge for a contract, the balance being payable later.

When a deposit for your hunt has been paid, whether by check or by wiring the funds (as is more usual now), this is the formal commitment between the parties for a hunt at some specific date.

In both definitions, what’s not mentioned is a refundable deposit and I can find no reference to that.

Nobody wants to lose money, so that is a given. And you cannot book a plane seat, theater ticket, seat at a football game, without paying the full cost at the time. Some hotels and restaurants seem to have a more flexible policy in their booking management, though I wonder for how long. When it comes to booking a hunt, there is generally only a limited number of hunting slots in a year. If you book one, you have technically committed yourself, otherwise why pay the deposit? But what if you genuinely cannot make it for health reasons, personal commitments or, heaven forbid I even mention those five letters – COVID. Then what? It is a minefield.

To hunt Africa, hunters have to travel. It is part of the experience. That said, it will never be as easy as it was BC (before Covid). There must be more understanding from both sides now. On one hand, the hunters need to understand the outfitters’ logistics in preparing to host them in the middle of the African bush, only to be let down at the last minute. The outfitter is unlikely to be able to re-sell that slot at short notice, and all the incurred preparation costs still need to be covered.

By the same token, outfitters need to understand the hurdles hunters are jumping over to get to Africa. And sometimes, a lot of things go wrong. Just recently - and I did not make this up - a client was bringing his son-in-law and two grandsons on safari. He misplaced his passport, so the three left ahead of him while he scrambled to find it. He intended to follow a day later, on the same scheduled United flight. But bad weather while getting to New York meant he missed the connection, so he had to wait for the second day’s United flight. That was cancelled (while he was on the plane ready to take off!). On Day 3 he flew to Atlanta for the Delta flight, finally making it to South Africa – however with no luggage and no gun, which only arrived the next day. He was not too fazed about his clothes and rifle which we collected for him and stored at Afton. He was able to borrow his outfitter’s rifle, but charter flights, tickets, additional Covid tests - you name it – all had to shift, some at additional cost. That, ladies and gents, is the safari business today.

So when you think of paying or asking for that deposit – try factor in many more variables. Dig a little deeper on the tolerance and give yourself time – because nowadays, I suspect this is going to become the norm.

Other than that, the safari experience everywhere is by all accounts just as fabulous as previously. And now, If you’re uncertain who to hunt with next – skip to the section profiling the African Dawn outfitters. If you need a gun permit, meet and greet, accommodation, in fact, any assistance coming in and out of Jo’burg, Afton is where you’ll find us. And if you need trophies shipped home, AHG Shipping is our business to save you money.

Gun permits • Meet & greet • Accommodation

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