Key Takeaways

• Hunting in South Africa remains a sought-after activity for many international and US hunters
• A South African hunting safari in Limpopo is seen as one of the best destinations in which to enjoy an African hunt
• If you are hunting plains game in South Africa, consider the Limpopo province, with its wide array of available game species
• Giraffe hunting in South Africa is a challenging endeavor, with key challenges including the animal’s keen eyesight and height, the complexity of shot placement, as well as testing terrain and landscapes when hunting giraffe.

Why Go Giraffe hunting in South Africa?

A giraffe hunting trip is one of the most exhilarating African hunts in which a person can participate. While some may choose to believe that giraffes are an easy target simply due to their size, they must not forget to consider other factors that make this game hunting safari a great challenge:

• Giraffes can reach up to 20 ft tall, giving them a good view over their habitat, and allowing them to easily spot predators and hunting parties from a far distance
• Giraffe hunting in South Africa tests hunters with a range of terrain. The Thabazimbi region in Limpopo offers mountains, rugged vegetation, large plains, thornveld, and bush, all within giraffe habitat.
• While tracking their large and extremely distinctive spoor might be easy in terms of a walk-and-stalk approach, these large mammals are renowned for their alert behavior, making an undetected approach a huge challenge.
• They also tend to stay in herds, which also complicates the stalk approach and the opportunity to approach them undetected.
• Giraffes are extremely large and tough; ensure that your firepower is enough to penetrate their thick skin.

Giraffe Hunting in South Africa: Game Hunting in Thabazimbi

Our team at Game Hunting Safaris had the opportunity to enjoy an incredible giraffe hunting trip to Thabazimbi in the Limpopo province.

We set off early from our home in Gauteng and made good time, reaching Thabazimbi mid-morning. Our hunting party consisted of me, my twin brother, our older brother, who acted as our PH, together with our dad. A good old boys' trip to enjoy an African plains game hunting safari in Limpopo!

After a quick off-load and checking out the lodge, we headed to the range to set up all the rifles at the correct range. There was no room for error on this trip, especially since we were hunting such a large African plains game species on our hunt.

We headed out and made our way to the neighboring farm in search of Giraffes. One thing I am very thankful for is that Giraffes are the tallest animals on earth, reaching heights of up to 20 feet (6 meters), so you would think they would be easy to spot…think again!

The trees in the area were even taller than the Giraffes, but after searching for about 2-3 hours, we finally found a herd. My older brother, Keenan van Wyk, who was my PH for this giraffe hunt, and I climbed out of the back of the bakkie and began walking closer to them, hoping to get a shot.

However, they started moving deeper into the thick bush, so we waited and tried to guide them into a more open area. Once they had moved into a suitable position, we slowly circled them, as the wind wasn't in our favor during this safari.

I was using a .300 Winchester Magnum, which proved to be the perfect rifle for this South African hunting safari. After we positioned ourselves advantageously, we looked for a bull that we were going to be hunting. My PH set up the shooting sticks, and I rested the rifle onto them. I looked into the scope and found the bull. Once I had the bull in my sights, I proceeded to take the rifle off safety and lined up the shot...BANG! The shot went off, and I picked the rifle out of the sticks after I had seen him start to sway side to side. We proceeded to run after him, as Giraffe are very quick animals, especially in distress.

They can run up to 35 mph (56 km/h), quite a fast pace if you consider that even Usain Bolt only runs at 27,33 mph! As we ran into the open at the corner of my eye, I saw him start to fall and tumble to the ground! We had done it! We had successfully hunted the tallest African plains game species!  We slowed down into a walk and made our way to the fallen Giraffe. He was a gorgeous middle-aged bull. The patches on his body were beautiful, with a dark color to them. We took numerous photographs of this majestic bull, who was so massive that he made me look like an ant next to him!

Picture of our giraffe for a size comparison.

Processing Our Trophy

We had a few workers come and help us skin and gut him and cut his body into manageable sizes, as he was extremely heavy. Did you know that giraffe bulls can weigh up to 4,200 pounds (1,900 kg)? After we had completed everything, we all sighed with relief as everything was loaded onto the bakkie, ready for transporting.

I had an amazing first giraffe experience, making it the second giraffe for GHS!

Giving Back to The Local Community

As you may be aware, Africa is a continent with many poor communities, especially out in the rural areas. South Africa is no exception, with the unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2025 standing at approximately 33,2%. The news is even bleaker for South Africa’s Limpopo province, with an unemployment rate of more than 48%.

Why is this significant, you may ask? Game hunting is also about giving back to local communities, where meat is a commodity not often enjoyed, simply due to economics and the price thereof.

On this Giraffe hunting safari, the meat was donated to local impoverished communities in the area, allowing an African hunt to meet the needs of the people on the ground by feeding them.

Phone? What Phone?

After it started to get dark, my dad had realized something: he had lost his phone…again!  The challenge was that we had taken most, if not all, of the pictures for the Giraffe hunting safari on this device…it was a mess to put it mildly!

We searched for more than two hours that night, went back the next morning to search again, but without knowing exactly where the phone had fallen and when, it was difficult to pinpoint a location to search. With no cell phone coverage in the region, we couldn’t even pinpoint its last location or call the phone!

Moral of the story? Use more than one device to take photos and capture the memories of an unforgettable hunt. Luckily, we had one or two images on another device, but the main (and best!) images are still on my dad’s phone… wherever that may still be in the middle of the African bush!

Tips when Giraffe Hunting in South Africa

My Giraffe hunting experience has taught me about patience as well as perseverance, like when the going gets tough and things don’t always go your way in the African bush! Case in point: When the Giraffes headed for thicker vegetation!

Here are some tips that I learnt during my Giraffe hunting safari:

• Ensure that you are familiar with all the necessary regulations and hunting permits for your African plains game safari, including a hunting permit, landowner permission, and CITES export permits (if needed).
• Working with ethical and experienced guides and PHs who are knowledgeable about local conditions, spotting and stalking, as well as correct shot placement, will increase the chances of a successful African hunt.
• Read up about the species, including best shot placement options for a quick, ethical hunt.
• Be prepared for long walks and plenty of glassing, as Giraffe herds are extremely alert and wary. Added to this, with their long, elongated necks, they can see predators and dangers from far away.
• To assist in approaching this African plains game trophy undetected, use natural cover such as long grasses, thorn trees, and thick vegetation during the stalk. The Giraffe’s keen eyesight is a great challenge to hunting parties.

The size of the hoof compared to my hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caliber rifle is used when giraffe hunting in South Africa?

Giraffes require a large caliber due to their immense size and the overall thickness of their skin. A .375 is the minimum caliber for a Giraffe; anything larger will also get the job done. A .416 Rigby or Remington Magnum is a common choice to take down such a large animal ethically and humanely.

Do Giraffes get violent?

Yes, Giraffes do at times become violent, but it is mainly males of the species that fight due to mating rights. These large mammals are generally quite docile and passive herbivores.

What is a Giraffe’s Lifespan?

The lifespan for a Giraffe in the wild is approximately 25 years, whereas those in captivity live to around 27 years.

How can you tell the age of a Giraffe?

To estimate a giraffe’s age, you must observe the color of its coat (skin), especially the brown patches. Male Giraffes (bulls) can be estimated by looking at the darkness of their spots, because as they mature, their spots become darker and turn from a brown to an almost blackish color. The young bulls will have lighter/brown spots, and the older bulls will have dark/black spots.

What are the horns on a Giraffe’s head called?

These “horns” are known as ossicones, which are covered in skin and hair and appear like horns on the giraffe.

How does a Giraffe eat?

Giraffes have very long and rough tongues. Their tongues can reach up to 21 inches long and appear to be a purple, almost blackish color. They use their tongues to tear off leaves from trees. Their rough tongues help them rip off leaves from trees such as thorn trees, like Acacia trees. Their tongues have small, finger-like projections which are known as papillae. These help them protect their tongues from the sharp thorn trees.

This blog was complied by 16-year-old game hunting enthusiast and conservationist, Slade van Wyk.