What is Cabassa Safaris?
Cabassa Safaris is a premium hunting safari outfitter in Africa. We pride ourselves in the way we ethically and legally conduct all of our hunts through free roaming and fair chase safari practices.
What is Cabassa Safaris?
Cabassa Safaris is a premium hunting safari outfitter in Africa. We pride ourselves in the way we ethically and legally conduct all of our hunts through free roaming and fair chase safari practices.
The Cabassa Safaris Story
The Cabassa Safaris story begins with its establishment in 1994 by Johan Van Zyl under the name Gnu Safaris. In 2010 Hardus Van Zyl joined the family business and Cabassa Safaris was born. Johan recalls the trying times of operating a safari company with little to no resources but with determination and resilience a successful safari operator emerged. These same attributes of hard work and determination have been installed in Hardus and the family legacy continues today.
Our Promise
Wether you are looking into hunting the Big 5, Dangerous game, Plains game, the Tiny 10, Wing shooting or night hunting we have the resources and concessions to get your your dream trophies. With over 1,500,000 acres inhabited by 70 plus species available for trophy hunting. We have access to the trophies and African Safari you are looking for. Our hunting areas are renowned for being some of the best in the world. It is truly a privilege to be in pursuit of Africas big game with our clients.
Home Base - South Africa
Our home base lodge in located near Hoopstad in the Free State province of South Africa. The lodge is adjusent to the famous Sandveld Game Reserve. A 100 000 acre Government Reserve which we utilise as one of our hunting areas.
Cabassa Safaris hunts in various concessions all over South Africa to satisfy the various trophy needs of our clients. Our clients hunt only the very best Government Reserves, privately owned game ranches and large free-roaming areas. South Africa offers a plethora of plains game, the Big 5, small game, game birds and night hunting.
Mozambique
Cabassa Safaris has four big concessions in Mozambique – two in Tete province, one in Niassa province and another in the Zambezia province. In Tete, the concessions are managed from the northern and southern side of Lake Chorra Bassa. The concession in Niassa borders lake Malawi and the concession in Zambezia borders the Indian Ocean and the might Zambezi River. Mozambique is not an easy place to hunt. It will push you to your limits and show you just how far you can go beyond what you previously thought. Our concessions in Mozambique are what is left of truly wild Africa. We hunt unfenced areas where the game is free roaming
Hunting The Big 5
Hunting The Big 5
The Big 5 are among the most dangerous, yet most popular species for big game hunters. The term “Big 5” began as a way of referring to the five most dangerous and challenging to hunt on foot. The lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo make up these 5 species. For many hunters obtaining Africas Big Five is a lifelong dream. Testing your skills against some of the most difficult predators on earth, is only one of the reasons hunters find themselves pursuing these species. However many shy away from fulfilling this dream due to the overwhelmingness of making it a reality. Cabassa Safaris is here to make that dream a reality. Our Big 5 hunts take part in both our South African and Mozambican concessions.
Lion
Lion hunting is truly an adrenaline rush. After hours and possibly days of being on the tracks of a lion often the final moments of your hunt take part in thick brush resulting in a close encounter. Your senses must be at full attention at all times as the situation can change rapidly. Our experienced Professional Hunters will make sure to keep the situation under control and our clients safe at all times.
Leopard
The leopard is pound for pound the most dangerous animal in the world when wounded. Respect must be given when hunting these incredible, magnificent creatures. Elusive and dangerous are the first thoughts any hunter should have when leopard hunting.
They can see 7 times better in the dark than humans. Like most animals the pupil of a leopards eye constricts or dilates according to the amount of light that enters their eyes. Because of their adapted retinas, leopards are exceptional nocturnal hunters. Leopards run more than 60km/h for short distances, leap more than 6 meters horizontally and 3 meters vertically. You can expect many nights in the blind when hunting these elusive creatures.
Rhino
Two species of rhino may be trophy hunted: the white and the black. The trophy hunting of black rhino and white rhino in Namibia and South Africa is legal under certain conditions.
Trophy hunting has been permitted for Southern white rhinos in South Africa since 1968. The numbers hunted per year have been determined by the rhinos’ owners, whose financial interest is to maintain a viable breeding population, from which to generate future revenues.
In 2004, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) approved quota applications by Namibia and South Africa to allow each country to offer a maximum of five black rhino trophy hunts per year, but only of male black rhinos meeting certain criteria. Trophy hunting for black rhinos is only allowed under strict permit conditions, and permits are granted by the in-country CITES management authorities. – Save The Rhino Foundation
Elephant
Elephant hunting is one of the most misunderstood hunting practises across the non-hunting community. This is largely due to misinformation being spread by uneducated and mislead Anti hunting activists.
There is a clear correlation between healthy, thriving elephant population numbers and trophy hunting. Local’s also benefit from hunting, as local villagers are given the meat from kills, and that’s often their best source of protein. By making elephants a source of revenue, land owners and governments that profit from elephant hunting are motivated to grow or maintain healthy population numbers.
Cape Buffalo or "Black Death"
We hunt buffalo the traditional “track by foot” method – the way it should be. When tracking buffalo in the wilderness you never know what might be waiting for you around the corner. Staying alert is a must at all times and being in sync with your surroundings is paramount to a successful and safe hunt.
Hunting Dangerous Game
Dangerous game includes the above Big 5 and an additional two species. These species are the African Nile Crocodile and Hippopotamus. The hippopotamus is the worlds deadliest large land mammal. Killing an estimated 500 people per year in Africa. Hippos are incredibly aggressive and unpredictable creatures. They have sharp tusks which they use as offensive weapons often knocking unsuspecting locals from their makeshift canoes and tearing them apart in seconds. The same can be said for crocodiles which are generally opportunistic killers. In Africa alone there are several hundred crocodile attacks on humans yearly, half of which prove fatal.
Hunting Plains Game
The term plains game is all embracing and refers to fair-game species of antelope and gazelle which are to be found – typically in rather open plains or savanna habitats. Impala and Thompsons gazelle are classic examples of plains game, however the term also includes a great range of species from the tiny steenbok antelope to the gigantic eland. Plains game hunting can take you across all nine of South Africas provinces.
Hunting the Tiny 10
These small antelope are known as southern Africas “Tiny 10” a categorised group of pygmy antelopes that are extremely small; the largest specimens weighing less than 50 pounds. They have been the pursuit and challenge of hunters from around the world and will take hunters to at least 3 different countries across Africa. The Tiny Ten include the following list of species; Blue Duiker, Common Dukier, Cape Grysbok, Damara Dik-Dik, Klipspringer, Oribi, Red Duiker, Sharpes Grysbok, Steenbuck, Suni.
Bird / Wing Shooting
Our home base lodge in the Free State is located between two gib water sources: The Vaal and the Vet river that flow into the Bloemhof Dam. This is home to thousands of huntable waterfowl, such as Egyptian Geese, Spur Wing Gees and numerous species of ducks.
The Free State province has some of the most fertile land in South Africa and there are numerous sunflower and peanut fields which are the feeding grounds for millions of doves. Dove shooting will usually result in around a thousand shots per day. Guineafowl and pheasants and francolin are also available and on our concessions.
