Land and Land Access

Angus Brown Safaris does not own any land, but rather leases hunting rights from a variety of landowners. Even Angus’s two farms, Bitterfontein and Zumbo, are property of two independent corporations, Mpofu Estates and The Angus Brown Family Trust respectively. This is done to protect the land from liability and lawsuits in the event of an accident, as well as to simplify billing and finances.

ABS leases the hunting rights to each different concession from the landowners, and then ABS pays a trophy fee for each animal shot, as well as a daily rate for each client. For some farms, the hunting rights are leased out on a long term basis, while others are fairly short term.

There are several concessions that are standard hunting for each group, including Bitterfontein, Zumbo, Magenta, and one of two farms in the Highveld. Angus is currently in the process of negotiating long term, exclusive hunting rights with several other landowners with whom ABS hunts in a day to day basis. Many concessions across the nation are willing to sell hunts to ABS if a client is interested in shooting an animal not indigenous to any of the long term concessions held by ABS, such as a common reedbuck, a bushpig, or a leopard.

Maintaining good relations with the landowners is a very important part of the job for Nick and Angus, as they are essentially renting the hunting from most landowners. In order to keep good relations, Nick will often help with the maintenance of the hides at a concession, or sometimes install completely new bow hunter-friendly blinds on concessions typically used for rifle hunters. By helping out on the farms and building or improving hides on the property, the outfitters hope to build up trust and friendship within their working relationship with the landowners which helps guarantee the continued use of that concession.