Invest wisely to weather wildlife industry storms

FAST FACTS

The South African wildlife industry has taken several knocks in recent years, which has forced many farmers to exit the sector.

Jaco Sullivan, manager of Bongela Private Game Lodge, says staying in business has required carefully considered financial decisions.

Hunting is growing in popularity and remains a healthy industry.

The game industry made headlines in the mid-2010s as prices for animals skyrocketed off the back of colour variants like the black impala and golden wildebeest. Buffalo prices followed suit, and paying over R100 million for an animal was not uncommon in 2016.

However, as many predicted, the bubble inevitably burst, leaving countless long-time game farmers in the pinch. This situation was exacerbated by the ensuing drought, followed by COVID-19, which led to the shutting down of hunting activities for most of 2020. Suffice to say, game farmers have been stretched to their limits.

Nevertheless, for the Sullivan family, owners of Bongela Private Game Lodge in Vaalwater, Limpopo, wildlife ranching