Tipping and Gratuities etiquette.

XYZ

Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity, what is the etiquette surrounding tips to the PH and others when big game hunting?

Is there an unspoken minimum based upon a percentage of the total safari cost or is it judged per animal? Do you tip the skinners, trackers guides etc?

I was having a conversation with a colleague last night and somehow the conversation got around to this subject and I have no idea how tipping is worked out so I'm asking the question here.......

What is the correct thing to do?
 
My version of a fair answer, tip what you can afford and relevant to the skills of the PH. So if the PH looks after you thoroughly, gets you your animals and is a good old boy all round I would say you tip him 100 % of what you can afford and deem appropriate ( remember you've already paid for his services so unless you think he's top notch and deserves it you don't need to tip ).
However on occasion if the PH and trip has been less than my expectation no tip is forthcoming but I don't tip highly as I have to save hard for my trips and disposable income for tips isn't top of my priorities.
 
Adrian,

I tend to leave a tip with the outfitter rather than individual tips. He s more aware of the local politic among staff than I am.

Stan
 
i personal would tip the man yourself rather then leave for agent or outfitter end of day you show your appreciation to the people younwant to and its going direct to them not a cut!
 
i personal would tip the man yourself rather then leave for agent or outfitter end of day you show your appreciation to the people younwant to and its going direct to them not a cut!

100% agree with this, from personal experience.

One very large and well known agency charge their guests an all encompassing sum, to cover the days sport and keepers and loaders tips etc, which used to be handed to us at the end of the season believe it or not, obviously many weeks after the day if we were at partridges. Even the guns I loaded for were not in favour of that method and often felt obligated to mention the tips that they had paid up front for fear of the loaders and keepers thinking they had been forgotten about...

Not ideal and a bit embarrassing for them and us... thankfully things changed a while back.
 
I appreciate your replies. It's one of those awkward questions that everyone seems to avoid talking about and at the end of the day, no-one wants to feel like they didn't leave enough or pay too much etc etc.

I hope it might save embarrassing moments or awkwardness for any first timers.
 
Guys,

On hunting in Africa, as per the OP, the outfitter tends to be the familly that you live with. The value of the PH is less than all the other guys that make it happen. You can choose to upset the politik.

Stan
 
I usually allow 10% of the hunt cost for tipping. I like to give all trackers and staff i have had direct contact with their money directly, as its not unheard of for tips to not make it down the chain.
 
Not familiar with Africa, so unable to add directly. But set me wondering how does Capstick's advice stack up these days in Africa ( appreciating its a big and varied place ) regards tips being part cash and part gear that's hard to acquire/ 'worth its weight in sterling silver' - knives, ammo, rifles, torches etc?
 
Never been to Africa but don't see as tipping here or abroad is any different ,I was brought up to tip just my way .
if you have been made welcome and looked after then tip what you can afford ,people know if a tip has been given with genuine gratitude or not
norma
 
Having hunted in Africa,especially my first time, which was a disaster with one of the Upmarket PH's I did not give him anything but gave the tracker a good bung.
Since then I have been with the same PH 7 times and we spoke at length about tipping.
His outlook was you have paid for your hunt and it is up to you if you want to tip or not.
In a round about way I inquired how much wages they earned in a week a took it from there.
Dependent on whether it is a trophy hunt or a cull hunt,where there is no trophy being sent to the taxidermist then you are basically just using the trackers and not the skinners.
Anyways I usually give between 300 to 500 dollars, this also includes for the kitchen and laundry.
On the day of departure the PH gathers all the staff and informs them that I have handed dollars over and he will convert it for them into Rand.
For the PH himself I get a very good bottle of Brandy out of the Duty Free along with either a knife,torch or even a coat.
It is down to yourself and can be a bit embarrassing if you have never been before.

Regards

DavieH
 
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This is a question that is often asked of us at the time of booking. My answer is:

Tipping, though customary, is not mandatory. The PH will, like UK Keepers and Stalkers, rely on tips to make up a living wage. Although I am involved in an outfitter's business, I still pay for my hunts and therefore I encounter the question of how much to tip. If I attend a driven pheasant shoot in UK, I will tip the keeper at least £20, so if I hunt with a PH for 10 days, he will get at least £200, if found worthy of a tip. If he has rendered service above the norm, I will give more, according to my budget. As has been said, financial ability will dictate the tip amount. Around $350 or equivalent in other currencies is a very acceptable tip in general. I also make sure that I tip the Tracker/Skinner. He is the guy who can save you a lot of work. ZAR 500 is my norm. I also leave a tip for the Lodge Manager and room and bar staff. 500ZAR for the manager, 200ZAR for each barman and 100ZAR for each of the maids. They earn it. Room Staff not only service your room but will (should if the deal states it) collect, wash and iron your clothes every day and the Bar Staff sometimes stay up to the wee hours, especially if our guests are having a morning off the following day and want to take advantage of our cellar!! Not every Lodge has such designated staff though. PH tips I will always give direct, along with a thank you and a small gift, as has already been suggested by a previous poster. Tracker/Skinner, I pay direct too. Lodge Staff and Lodge Manager, I pay to the Lodge Manager. She holds a book into which details of every tip given is noted, how much and by whom, and can be viewed by the staff at any time, so each knows what he or she has in the pot. "The Pot" is paid out at the end of the season, just before Christmas. But I say again. In Nduna's case, tips are not mandatory, nor built into the cost of a hunt. Tipping is a personal thing and whether or not you choose to tip should not affect the quality of your hunt in any way. We want our clients to come back. This expressed view is my personal view.
 
Please pay the man himself and not the outfitter.
Not sure how it works in SA but as an example in America, for example you book a days fly fishing with an outfitter, you $400, the outfitter then employs a guide, the guide usually gets $200, so i tip the guide, as an example i would tip the guide $75 for a full day.
Cheers
 
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