The discussion around tipping is one we find ourselves in more often than not. Many of you are seasoned hunters having visited Africa numerous times so I encourage you all to share your views and add value to the discussion. For those of you who are first timers, or still seek the answers, I hope this gives you a clearer understanding of the topic. Having been a client myself, been present during tipping in other outfitters operations, as well as the outfitter and PH in charge of the safaris, I have compiled a baseline overview of the discussion which may help you during your upcoming safari.
Tipping the team who conduct your safari is a customary act in our industry, yet still remains discretionary as a reflection of your appreciation of the efforts of the team. For the most part, these men and women do not conform to typical 9-5 weekdays, but rather early mornings and late evenings on any given day of the week to ensure the best possible service in order to make sure your safari is a success. Although these teams are employed either on a full time basis or on a seasonal basis, many of them rely on gratuities to supplement their income to support their families back home.
This is always the tricky part as the procedure will inevitably vary between camps and outfits. Communicating with your outfitter before arrival or during the safari is always helpful in preparing your tips accordingly. Traditionally gratuities are given at the end of the safari before departing home. In most cases, your outfitter or guide in charge will arrange for the staff to bid you farewell where you can hand the tips to the members individually. In some cases, many of the members may not be present upon your departure due to their duties in the field, so handing their tips in closed envelopes to the responsible person in charge will ensure the absentees get theirs too. A handful of outfits require the staff tips be handed to the outfitter in envelopes for safe keeping. These are otherwise known as tip vouchers, which will then be handed to the staff onsite, at the end of the hunting season, or transferred to the staff members’ bank accounts. In this event, the outfitter would have the staff members sign and acknowledged amounts.
Core team (Most likely to be of direct service)
Professional Hunter
Tracker/s
Skinner/s
Cook
Cook assistant
Servers
Cleaners
Additional personnel (Who work behind the scenes or provide additional services)
Driver of transfer company
Tour guide
Airport meet and greet
Camp manager
Anti-poaching team
Government game scouts in select areas
Apprentice guides
Gratuity amounts are again discretionary, a reflection of your appreciation. Your outfitter will gladly assist in providing recommendations and a list of staff members involved in your safari, so don’t be shy to ask. On the other hand you should be encouraged to you to use your own discretion considering the following:
Price of the safari
Type of safari (plains game, dangerous game, cat hunts etc)
Length of safari
Number of hunters and observers per guide
Destination and country
A rule of thumb indicator recommendation by outfitters would be to give your PH anything between 5% and 10% of the total cost of the hunt. This can also be gauged during the safari based on your overall satisfaction of the PH’s performance and efforts.
Trackers and skinners between $10 and $15 per tracker per day
Cook/s $10 and $15 per person per day
Other camp staff between $5 and $10 per person per day
Trackers between $10 and $15 per tracker per day
Skinners between $5 and $10 per person per day
Driver and/or porter $5 per person per day
Cook/s between $10 and $15 per person day
Other camp staff $5 per day