Bow Hunting in the South African Lowveld — Where to Start
## Getting Into Bow Hunting in the Lowveld
Howzit all — been getting a lot of questions lately from guys who want to get into bow hunting, specifically in the Lowveld (Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces). It's a completely different discipline to rifle hunting — more patient, more challenging, and when it comes together there's nothing quite like it. Here's a proper starter guide.
## Is Bow Hunting Legal in South Africa?
- Yes — bow hunting is 100% legal in South Africa under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and provincial nature ordinances
- PHASA (Professional Hunters' Association of South Africa) is the body you want to deal with — they have registered Professional Hunters (PHs) who specialise in bow hunting
- Some provinces (like Limpopo and Mpumalanga) have specific minimum draw weight regulations — generally 40 lbs minimum for plains game, sometimes 50 lbs for larger species
- Always hunt with or under the supervision of a registered PH if you're new to bow hunting — it's a legal requirement in many cases and good sense regardless
## Getting Started — Gear
- Compound bow: Brands like Mathews, Hoyt, and Prime are popular with SA bow hunters. Expect to pay R12 000–R25 000 for a quality setup new. Second-hand market is active — check Facebook groups and archery clubs.
- Crossbow: Also legal for hunting in SA — easier for beginners and older hunters. Good crossbows from TenPoint or Excalibur run R8 000–R15 000.
- Broadheads: Use fixed blade broadheads for bow hunting in Africa — expandable heads can be unreliable on the tough hide of African game. Slick Trick, Muzzy, and G5 Montec are trusted brands.
- Practice: You need to be consistently accurate to 40m before hunting. Ethical bow hunting is built on shot placement.
## The Lowveld as a Bow Hunting Destination
- The Limpopo Bushveld — around Thabazimbi, Ellisras (Lephalale), and the Waterberg — has hundreds of game farms that accommodate bow hunters
- Mpumalanga — the White River and Nelspruit corridors have excellent private game land close to Kruger Park buffer zones
- Typical plains game species available: impala, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, blue wildebeest, nyala, bushbuck
- Bow hunting is almost always done from a blind (hide) at a waterhole — you're not walking and stalking in thick bush with a bow typically
- Distances at a waterhole blind range from 10–30m — very achievable once you've put in the practice
## Costs and What to Expect
- A 5-day bow hunt on a Limpopo game farm with a qualified PH: R8 000–R15 000 per day fee plus trophy fees
- Impala trophy fee: around R2 500–R4 000; Kudu: R12 000–R20 000 depending on the property
- Many farms offer "meat hunts" where you take impala or warthog at lower cost — great for beginners
- Archery clubs in Pretoria and Johannesburg (contact Archery SA or visit local clubs like Pretoria Archery Club) offer coaching and introduce-to-bow-hunting programmes
## The Mental Game
Bow hunting demands a patience most rifle hunters haven't had to develop. You'll be in a blind for 6+ hours. You'll pass on shots that aren't perfect. You'll watch animals walk away. And when it finally comes together — a mature kudu bull at 22 metres broadside — it's an experience that stays with you for life.
Anyone else running bow hunts in the Lowveld? Drop your tips and outfitter recommendations below.
5 Replies
Started bow hunting three years ago after 20 years of rifle hunting and I can tell you it's completely reawakened my passion for the bush. The preparation, the patience, sitting in a blind listening to the night sounds start up around you — jislaaik, nothing compares. My first bow kill was a warthog at 18m on a farm near Thabazimbi. Not glamorous but I was shaking like a youngster on his first hunt. Stick with it — the learning curve is steep but very rewarding.
Get yourself into an archery club first before even thinking about hunting. The Pretoria Archery Club and Johannesburg clubs run beginner courses and you'll get your form sorted by people who actually know what they're doing. I spent six months shooting 3D archery targets before my first bow hunt and that practice paid off — clean one-shot impala at 24m on my first bow outing. Don't rush the learning phase.
On the gear side — don't go crazy expensive for your first bow. A second-hand Hoyt or Matthews setup in good condition at R8 000–R10 000 is perfectly adequate for African plains game. What you do need to invest in is your rangefinder — a Bushnell Scout or Sig Sauer Kilo 2 at around R3 000–R5 000. Misjudging range by 5m with a bow is the difference between a clean harvest and a miss or wound.
One thing nobody tells beginners — the mental discipline of passing on bad shots. In rifle hunting you might take a slightly quartering shot at 80m. With a bow, if it's not broadside or slight quartering-away, you pass. I've sat in a blind and watched a beautiful kudu bull feed at 15m and passed him because his off shoulder was slightly forward. Your PH will push you hard on this ethic. It's what separates bow hunting from just shooting animals with a different tool.
The Waterberg around Vaalwater and Melkrivier is superb for bow hunting — thick mopane and bushwillow country with good game density. I've used the same outfitter there for two seasons. Good blinds at working waterholes, knowledgeable PH, and they actually leave you alone in the blind which I appreciate — some operations hover over you and it ruins the experience. Do your research, ask for references, and visit the farm before booking a proper hunt.