South Africa 2009 Terms & Conditions

NOTE:- VAT means Government Value Added Tax

  1. RATES INCLUDE:
    1. The full-time services of professional hunters, skinners, trackers, caterers & camp assistants.
    2. Full accommodation and camp equipment including towels, linen, proper lighting, refrigeration and daily laundry.
    3. Full catering including fine cuisine, fresh fruit & vegetables, salads & well stocked daily cooler boxes for each hunting vehicle. Dietary requirements will be catered for as far as possible
    4. All soft drinks and bottled water (where necessary).
    5. All ground transportation in the field - i.e. one fully fitted four-wheel drive hunting vehicle per professional hunter.
    6. Field preparation of trophies and delivery to a local taxidermist for processing.
    7. All compulsory levies charged by PHASA and or Wildlife Departments.

  2. RATES DO NOT INCLUDE: (Additional Charges: Only If Applicable To Your Safari)
    1. Personal Expenses: Gratuities, spirituous liquor, beer & wine, personal expenses, curios etc.
    2. Flights: International arrival & departure flights and any other flights, either commercial or charter to and from hunting areas, as well as hotel accommodation before, during and after the contracted safari period, including accompanying safari staff,IF APPLICABLE.
    3. Trophy charges: as per price list.
    4. Concession Fee: Applicable to certain areas only. A concession area fee of $85 per hunter per day including Government Value Added Tax (VAT) presently 14% is payable in addition to daily rates.
    5. Firearm rentals: If required. $40 (Incl. Vat) per day, per rifle or shotgun. Ammunition at cost.
    6. Taxidermy: Packing, dipping & forwarding of trophies to final destination. This function is not undertaken by CVS but by our South African Taxidermist who will deal directly with the client.
    7. License Fees: If applicable. Non refundable licence fees including VAT.: Lion $500; Lioness $400; Leopard $400; White Rhino $520; Buffalo $225; Elephant $520; Giraffe $150, Hippo $300. License fees may vary depending on which province the hunt is conducted in.
    8. Government value added tax (VAT): Presently 14%, VAT must be added to all trophy fees of animals wounded & lost or baits used. VAT is payable on the trophy fee for trophies not exported. VAT is not payable on the trophy fee for trophies which are exported.
    9. Airport pickup and drop off: from/to the nearest airport from/to the hunting area @ $650 (incl. VAT) per vehicle.
    10. Additional vehicle hire: CVS owns Toyota Double Cab 4x4 safari vehicles which can seat 4 passengers. If an additional vehicle is required for the safari, this will be at the clients cost. CVS will endeavour to hire the most suitable vehicle for transfers etc at the best cost to the client. CVS is responsible for the fuel.
    11. Bait Animals: Animals used for leopard and lion bait and, if necessary, the cost of an additional baiting vehicle at $300 (Including VAT) per day.IF APPLICABLE.
    12. Area Transfer Fees (including VAT): IF APPLICABLE. Short transfers within 1 province @ $700 per vehicle. Long transfer fees, from 1 province to another @ $950 per vehicle. Both short and long transfers exclude cost for cars hired by clients. For vehicles travelling from the CVS headquarters to the Eastern Cape or Tuli Block or Kalahari in Botswana a fee of $1000 will be charged to the client.
    13. Night before safari starts in camp @ $171 per person including VAT.
    14. Other Activities: The cost of any Touring & Sightseeing and side trips, and any additions to the confirmed safari itinerary, which are booked and paid for on behalf of the client by CVS.
    15. Northern Cape Province Plains Game Licence @ $114 per hunter.
  3. RESERVATIONS, DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS:
    1. Actual hunting days are determined by the dates of the contracted period. Unless otherwise arranged and paid for in advance by the client, hunting will only commence on the first day of the contracted period and cease on the last day of the contract period.
    2. When hunting more than 1 area, camp transfers are required. The day of transfer is considered a hunting day and will be charged as such unless otherwise arranged.
    3. Confirmed bookings: Reservations are conditional on the timely receipt of all payments including deposits as requested by CVS. These must be received by CVS prior to the clients arrival as detailed below in points 5 & 6. To reserve the dates for a safari a 50% deposit of the total Daily Rate (safari charge) is required for hunters and observers. For Clients who wish to book a safari 2 - 3 years in advance - a deposit payment will be payable based on the current season’s daily rates. This amount will be adjusted closer to the time of the safari, taking into account any increases for the following seasons. The client will be notified of these increases in advance. Deposits will also confirm the client’s position on a list of clients requiring permits for certain animals such as some of the Big 5 and rarer species.
    4. Provisional Dates: Please note that upon receipt of a deposit, preferred dates & itineraries are provisional and may need to be adjusted marginally to accommodate circumstances beyond our control. Final dates and itineraries will however be committed to well in advance.
    5. Deposits: Upon receipt of his/her final safari quotation, the client will be required to pay a 50% deposit of the daily safari charge for all hunters and observers. This quotation will be based on the CVS then ruling safari charges and trophy fees. Should this quotation not be acceptable to the client and / or the species requested not be available in that year, the deposit will be fully refunded or credited to the following year if the client so wishes. The deposit will amount to 50% of the total daily rate (safari charge), for all hunters and non hunters participating on the safari including government value added tax (presently 14%).
    6. Trophy Fee Deposits: IF APPLICABLE: A deposit of up to 50% of the trophy fee for any of the Big 5 and certain rare species such as sable may be requested to confirm the allocation of permits for these animals. Such deposits are fully refundable if the hunt for these species is unsuccessful but not refundable if a trophy animal is wounded and lost or if the safari is cancelled or postponed within 180 days of the starting date. CVS will in both instances attempt to re-sell the trophy to another client in the hopes of either being able to refund the client who has cancelled or postponed the safari in full or at least a portion of the trophy fee deposit paid to CVS. The client will also forfeit in full any payments or license fees applicable to the cancelled or postponed safaris.
    7. The balance of the daily rate (safari charge) is payable 90 days before the contracted starting date of the safari.
    8. The balance of the trophy fees including those for which a deposit has been paid - and Additional Charges are payable upon completion of the safari. This outstanding balance is payable in US Dollars only and not in any other currency. Preferred method of payment is by personal cheque. Traveller´s cheques and credit cards are not accepted.
    9. Trophy charges are applicable as per “Quota reserved for clients”. See paragraph E.
    10. Prices are based on the ruling SA Rand / US Dollar exchange rate. This rate may change. Therefore CVS reserves the right to adjust the cost of a safari in South Africa or Botswana at any time.

  4. POSTPONED AND CANCELLED SAFARIS:
    1. CVS at its sole discretion retains the right to either accept or refuse a request to postpone a safari. Such a request from the client is to be in writing.
    2. Cancellations:
      • If a safari is cancelled within 270 days of the contracted starting date CVS reserves the right to retain 50% of the deposit paid or 50% of the total daily rate based on the CVS quote if the client has not yet paid the full deposit required for the safari.
      • If within 270 days of the contracted starting date it is agreed to postpone a safari to another year CVS reserves the right to retain 30% of the deposit paid or 30% of the total daily rate based on the CVS quote if the client has not yet paid the full deposit required. The balance of the deposit will be applied to the required deposit for a future safari.
      • If a safari is cancelled within 90 days of the contracted starting date the client will forfeit the entire deposit paid or the full daily rate based on the CVS quote if the client has not yet paid the full deposit required for the safari.
      • If within 90 days of the contracted starting date it is agreed to postpone the safari to another year CVS reserves the right to retain 60% of the deposit paid or 60% of the total daily rate for the contracted safari in the event that the client has not paid the deposit due to CVS in full at the time of postponing the safari. The balance of the deposit will be applied to the required deposit for a future safari.
    3. Charges for Postponed Safaris: Charges quoted are not guaranteed for safaris postponed to the next season as rates & trophy fees are not guaranteed to be the same from year to year. CVS reserves the right to change all daily rates, trophy fees and any other fees at any time. Notice of any changes will be given timeously to the client in writing.
    4. Early Departures and or Late Arrivals: All daily rate charges applicable to hunters and observers for the contracted safari dates are to be paid in full regardless of early departure or late arrival.
    5. No safari is confirmed and no quota of animals is allocated unless CVS has received the full deposit requested.
    6. It is the clients responsibility to be aware of all the CVS Terms and Conditions of Business.
    7. On all cancelled or postponed safaris, the client will forfeit any payments made by CVS in advance e.g. hotels, flights, tour guides or special reservations which are not refundable in certain areas, trophy fees for certain species that may not be refundable to CVS and wages for Professional Hunters who derive their income from hunting days.

  5. QUOTA RESERVED FOR CLIENTS:
    1. Annual Quota: In most areas but specifically in government controlled areas a strict and limited annual quota for all species is allocated to and paid for in advance by CVS and may not be carried forward to the following year. Consequently the quota for all species for his or her safari will be finalized and agreed upon with each client well in advance of the safari starting date. Once this is confirmed and the client accepts the quota of animals allocated to his/her safari, CVS will consider them as sold to him/her.
    2. Client’s Allocated Quota: If for any reason during or before the safari a client reduces the quota allocated to him/ her and/or declines the opportunity to hunt any of the animals listed on his/her quota, the full trophy & license fees for such animals will be paid for by the client. The trophy fees also apply to animals bagged or wounded and lost.
    3. On cancelled or postponed safaris all the quota of animals agreed upon, allocated to and accepted by the client, which cannot be resold to other clients will be paid for by the client.
    4. CVS will not be held responsible for the cancellation by a local government agency or concession owner of any animals on the quota allocated to the client. In this unlikely event CVS will endeavour to obtain replacement quota.
    5. CVS does not guarantee record book quality trophies, however our track record shows that the vast majority of animals hunted each year do qualify for the SCI record book.

  6. RISK AND INSURANCE:
    1. All clients must be aware that there are certain inherent risks involved in participating in the type of trips and/or safaris sold by CVS and its agents. The client, by paying a deposit for a safari, accepts these risks as his/her own.
    2. CVS does not arrange any insurance of any kind for its clients. Clients undertake any trip or safari arranged by CVS or its agents entirely at their own risk. CVS strongly recommends that clients obtain at least the following types of insurance: accidental death and disability, emergency medical evacuation, trip cancellation, major medical, loss of personal effects, loss or damage to the hides, skins, horns, skulls of trophies hunted.
    3. While travelling, temporary or permanent loss of baggage and or firearms is the responsibility of the client. Any recovery costs incurred by CVS during a safari will be paid for by the client.
    4. Furthermore CVS will not be held responsible for damages to or loss of personal items belonging to the client and or his / her companions before, during or after the contracted safari dates.
    5. It is necessary for all clients to sign a personal indemnity before the commencement of the safari.

  7. GENERAL:
    1. The client agrees to abide by the decision of his Professional Hunter to kill any animal that the client has shot at, if in the Professional Hunter’s opinion the animal is a threat to human life, is suffering or may escape and not be found.
    2. In determining whether an animal which has been shot at by the client is wounded or not, the decision of the Professional Hunter will be final and binding to the payment for the animal whether it is found and recovered or not.
    3. Clients agree that they have no objection whatsoever to the use of any photographs and or video material taken during their safari for use in any promotional material published by CVS, unless otherwise agreed to in writing.
    4. CVS will endeavour to provide exclusive use of safari camps and hunting areas for each safari. However, circumstances beyond our control - e.g. airline flight changes - sometimes prevent CVS from offering this. Furthermore, the hunting season in certain national park areas is limited sometimes necessitating the sharing of camp.
    5. It is essential to obtain local currency from any international airport bank upon arrival for personal expenses. This is extremely important. CVS will advise the client of the estimated amount required.
    6. The main hunting season in South Africa is during our winter months from March to October. Hunters who wish to hunt during our summer or off-season must be aware that due to climatic conditions e.g. rain, and other factors such as thick bush etc., the success rate for certain animals may not be as high as during the normal hunting season.
    7. Long range shooting (200m - 300m) may be required. All hunters should ensure that they bring rifles of suitable caliber’s (min .270) fitted with reliable variable telescopes and that ammunition is capable of distance trajectory. The legal minimum caliber’s for any of the Big 5 is a .375 magnum.
    8. It is the responsibility of every hunter to be fully acquainted with his/her firearms and to practice his/her shooting thoroughly before arrival. Although our Professional Hunters will endeavour to present the best possible opportunity CVS will not accept responsibility for poor shooting or hunting time used searching for missed or wounded animals.
    9. Clients must be prepared for cold weather in June, July and August.
    10. By contracting for a safari, every client and all companions who accompany him / her on a safari undertake to have read and understood the entire contents of the current CVS brochure and these terms and conditions of business.
    11. It is the clients responsibility to obtain firearm & ammunition import / export permits. CVS will assist clients in obtaining these provided that the necessary information requested by CVS for this purpose is accurate and received timeously.
    12. Firearm safety is PARAMOUNT at all times. The client is responsible for his/her firearm safety, not CVS.

  8. TOURING, SIGHT-SEEING AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS: Applicable to Botswana & South Africa
    1. Should a hunting safari include any touring & sight-seeing plans, the client will receive an itinerary and quotation for the touring portion, once the client’s touring requirements have been established.
    2. This itinerary can be adjusted until the client is entirely happy with the plans and all requirements are met. No adjustments to itineraries will be accepted less than 90 days prior to arrival date.
    3. Upon written confirmation from the client that the itinerary is acceptable, the touring portion will be costed accordingly and will be charged as a lump sum covering all aspects in the itinerary.
    4. A 50% deposit of the total amount is payable upon acceptance of the final itinerary and costing. This deposit may be paid together with the hunting safari deposit payment.
    5. Provisional bookings will be made at the various destinations and with relevant service providers. Deposits will then be made to the various destinations and service providers secure the bookings.
    6. The balance of the touring portion is payable 90 days before the contracted starting date of the entire safari. This final payment may be paid together with the balance due for the hunting portion.
    7. For any bookings made within 90 days or less prior to the date of arrival, full payment is required.
    8. CVS cannot guarantee bookings with the various travel organizations as outlined in a clients itinerary until a deposit has been received by CVS and payment is made to the relevant travel organizations.
    9. CVS represents hotels, airlines, car rental companies and related travel organizations on the suppliers terms and conditions. Tariffs are subject to change without notice. Increases in fares, hotel rates, value added tax, exchange rates and other costs are for the clients account whether full payment for the safari has been made or not.
    10. CVS reserves the right to cancel any bookings made on behalf of the client if the client fails to make payments by the due date. In this event a Cancellation Fee will be charged to the client for any non-recoverable prepaid expenses incurred by CVS. Cancellations of confirmed touring safaris by the client must be made in writing and will be effective on the date the cancellation is received.
    11. Cancellation fees are payable by the client on cancellation of any reservation - as determined by CVS and / or stipulated by the travel organizations CVS represents. Although CVS will endeavour to waiver cancellation fees imposed by service providers, this cannot be guaranteed and the maximum cancellation fees which may be applicable are as follows:
      8 weeks prior to departure - 10% of total cost. 6-8 weeks prior to departure - 30% of total cost.
      4-6 weeks prior to departure - 50% of total cost. 4 weeks prior to departure 100% of total cost.
    12. Should the client fail to join a safari (no show) or join after the commencement date, or leave the safari prior to its completion, no refund will be made.