10 Day Cape Buffalo Hunts, plus Plains Game Mozambique

Cape buffalo hunting in Niassa represents one of the last opportunities to pursue truly free-range buffalo across an immense African wilderness. Located in northern Mozambique and bordering Tanzania, the Niassa ecosystem is renowned for its vast unfenced hunting concessions, healthy buffalo populations, and traditional fair-chase safaris. For hunters considering Hunting in Mozambique, few destinations offer the same combination of scale, remoteness, and consistently mature Dagga Boy trophies.

This 10-day safari is designed for hunters who appreciate classic Big Game Hunting in Africa, where success is earned by covering ground on foot, reading fresh spoor, and relying on the knowledge of veteran Professional Hunters and local trackers. Every day unfolds differently as buffalo move through miombo woodland, river systems, and open floodplains, creating the type of dangerous game hunt that has earned Niassa an international reputation among serious buffalo hunters.

With more than three million acres of free-range hunting country, carefully managed quotas, and the opportunity to add world-class plains game, leopard, or lion, this safari offers far more than the pursuit of a single trophy. It is an authentic wilderness buffalo hunt in one of Africa's most respected dangerous game destinations.

Safari Particulars

Duration: 10 Full Hunting Days
Hunter Ratio: 1 Hunter : 1 Professional Hunter (1×1)
Species: Cape Buffalo
Safari Price: US$20,650 (Cape Buffalo Trophy Fee Included)
Observers: Welcome at US$350 per person per day
Hunting Season: 1 April – 30 November

Safari Inclusions

• 10 Full Hunting Days (1 Hunter : 1 Professional Hunter)
• Cape Buffalo Trophy Fee
• Professional Hunter, Trackers, Skinners & Camp Staff
• 4×4 Hunting Vehicles Throughout the Safari
• Field Preparation of Trophies
• Government Sales Tax

Safari Exclusions

• International & Regional Flights
• Mozambique Visa (approximately US$10) and Airport Taxes
• Charter Flight from Pemba to Camp (where applicable)
• Firearm Import Permit (US$250)
• Rifle Hire (US$30 per rifle per hunting day)
• Ammunition (US$15 per round)
• Dip & Pack (Handled by Lifeform Taxidermy)
• Taxidermy & Trophy Shipping
• Medical Evacuation & Personal Travel Insurance
• Professional Photographer (US$350 per day) (Optional) 

Niassa is truly wild Africa, a vast and untouched wilderness, and one of the continent’s premier destinations for buffalo hunting in Mozambique, where exceptional Dagga Boy trophies are taken each season. Niassa, regularly delivers world class trophies and quality “Dagga Boys”, equipped and armed with plenty of attitude and character. The Niassa Reserve is beautifully managed by having moderate quota allocations per species, age-appropriate harvesting and is well isolated from human activities. Bordering Tanzania, Niassa is the largest conservation area in Mozambique at more than 26 000 square miles. The province of Niassa, is a wild life paradise like nowhere else in Africa. This should not be surprising as Niassa is part of the same eco-system as Tanzania’s Selous Reserve.

 

 

10 x Hunting Days Daily Rate US$ 14 000

Cape Buffalo Trophy Fee US$  5 000

Transport of trophies for export US$ 300

Niassa Hunting License US$ 350

Niassa Community Levy US$ 1 000

 

Total Cost:  US$ 20 650   

Niassa Hunting Concession

This dangerous game hunt is for free range Cape Buffalo. There are no fences or borders, and this outfitter has access to more than 3 million acres of hunting area. The terrain is a mixture of Miombo woodlands, river forests and enormous open grasslands and floodplains. Niassa is home to more than 12 000 Elephants, more than 9000 Sable and thousands of Cape Buffalo. Put in the effort, do the miles and you will be rewarded with your trophy Cape Buffalo. These hunting grounds are also well known for producing trophy Leopard and Lion.

This area also boasts extremely healthy populations of Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Zebra (Bhoem’s) and Livingstone Eland. Sable, Kudu, Nyala, Waterbuck, Bushbuck (Chobe) and tiny ten members, Duiker (red/blue and Grey), Sharpe's Grysbok are also available. Let’s not forget the famous Niassa Wildebeest. All these antelope can be added to the hunting safari for an additional trophy fee per species.

The Buffalo Doesn't Know What Rifle You're Carrying

If you're travelling from the United States to hunt Cape buffalo in Niassa, prepare for a safari that rewards determination more than comfort. This is not a hunt where you'll drive from one herd to the next or expect a shooting opportunity every morning. Days often begin before sunrise, following fresh spoor through miombo woodland, weaving around termite mounds, crossing dry riverbeds, and quietly working through thick cover where buffalo can disappear in seconds.

A reasonable level of fitness will make the hunt far more enjoyable. You don't need to be an ultra-marathon runner, but you should be comfortable walking several miles each day in warm conditions, often over uneven ground while carrying your rifle. Some days may end without firing a shot, while others can change in an instant as a tracker freezes, points ahead, and the entire hunting party slows to a whisper.

Many American hunters spend months debating rifle calibres before arriving in Africa. While bringing enough rifle is certainly important, veteran Professional Hunters will tell you that calm judgement and proper Cape Buffalo Shot Placement matter far more than another hundred feet per second of muzzle velocity. A buffalo has no interest in the name engraved on the barrel; it only reacts to where the bullet is placed.

That is what makes Niassa so rewarding. Success is earned one track at a time, one careful decision after another, until everything finally comes together within shooting distance of an old Dagga Boy that has survived years in one of Africa's last truly wild buffalo strongholds. 

Trophy Fees for Popular Plains Game  

 

While Cape buffalo remains the primary focus of this safari, Niassa is also one of Mozambique's finest destinations for Plains Game Hunts. The diversity of species allows hunters to extend the safari with exceptional trophies found only in this part of Africa, making the most of the time spent in one of the continent's last great wilderness hunting areas. Popular add-on species and their trophy fees include:

• Roosevelt Sable: US$ 5000 Lichtenstein Hartebeest US$ 3200
• Greater Kudu US$ 3500 Waterbuck US$ 3000
• Livingston Suni US$ 1500 Bhoem’s Zebra US$ 3200
• Warthog US$ 750 Sharpes Grysbok US$ 1100
• Spotted Hyena US$ 1750 Bushpig US$ 750

Cape Buffalo hunting in Niassa is on foot, up close and personal. Buffalo hunting in Africa does not get any better than this.

Traveling to Niassa & The Hunting Lodge

International hunters will typically arrive at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg before connecting on an Airlink flight to Pemba, Mozambique. From Pemba, a pre-arranged charter flight transports hunters directly into the Niassa hunting concession, as the camps are located deep within one of Africa's last truly wild wilderness areas where road access is extremely limited.

The return charter flight costs approximately US$5,000, although this may be shared between hunters travelling together. Charter flights should be arranged well in advance through your outfitter, ideally at least two months before your safari, and can either be prepaid or settled on the day of travel, depending on the arrangements made.

After arriving in camp, hunters are welcomed into comfortable safari tents with private en-suite bathrooms, hot and cold running water, and all the amenities needed for an extended wilderness safari. Each camp is equipped with solar power or generators, high-speed satellite internet, daily laundry service, and experienced camp staff who ensure you can focus entirely on the hunt.

Although Niassa is wonderfully remote, comfort has not been overlooked. Every camp is equipped with an Iridium satellite phone for emergencies, while some camps also have cellular coverage and mobile data reception. After long days tracking buffalo through the miombo woodland, hunters can return to a welcoming camp, enjoy a hearty meal around the fire, and prepare for another day in one of Africa's finest free-range buffalo hunting destinations.

Why Choose This Cape Buffalo Hunt?

Niassa remains one of Africa's last great wilderness hunting destinations, where buffalo are pursued exactly as they should be—on foot, across vast unfenced country, with nothing guaranteed except an honest hunt. For hunters who value traditional dangerous game hunting over convenience, few places still offer the same combination of scale, wildness, and consistently mature Dagga Boy trophies.

For those comparing different Hunting Trips, this safari stands out because of its immense free-range hunting area, carefully managed wildlife populations, and the opportunity to combine a classic Cape buffalo hunt with some of Mozambique's finest plains game. Every day is shaped by fresh spoor, changing conditions, and the decisions made in the field, creating the type of safari that serious buffalo hunters travel to Africa to experience.

If you're still deciding which destination best suits your budget and hunting goals, our guide to African Hunting Safari Prices explains how daily rates, trophy fees, travel costs, and hunting areas influence the overall cost of an African safari. Whether this is your first buffalo hunt or another chapter in your dangerous game journey, Niassa remains one of the continent's most rewarding places to hunt Cape buffalo.