HUNTER’S TRAIL PRESENTS
evelyn african safaris
Siyabonga Lodge • The Limpopo Valley, South Africa
Professional Hunters: Werner Swart, Durand Ferreira & Lourens Mostert
Some hunting country needs no introduction. The Limpopo Valley is where Frederick Courteney Selous himself wrote of granite koppies catching the first light of morning, of baobabs older than nations, of riverbeds lined with Lala palms and the long silence of mopane thickets where a buffalo can disappear into shadow at twenty paces.
That country is still here. And it is where Evelyn African Safaris has hunted, conserved, and welcomed guests for nearly four decades.
Owned and operated by Professional Hunter Werner Swart, Evelyn African Safaris offers a deeply personal trophy hunting experience from Siyabonga Lodge, a private four-star bushveld retreat 20 kilometres from Musina, set deep in northern Limpopo. The family acquired the land in 1988 and has built its reputation on quiet, ethical, fair-chase hunting in some of the most spectacular wilderness scenery South Africa has to offer.
Hunter's Trail has personally vetted Evelyn African Safaris and is proud to recommend them as one of our selected outfitters. From the country itself to the warmth of the Swart family's hospitality, Werner and his team deliver something it is hard to find anywhere else in Africa.
the ranch
Evelyn Game Ranch is a privately owned, dedicated game ranch of approximately 2 000 hectares (5 000 acres), set on the banks of a seasonal sandy river in the northern Limpopo Valley. In addition to the home ranch, Werner holds hunting rights across an additional 10 000 hectares (25 000 acres) of prime concession, giving guests roughly 30 000 acres of country to hunt across, all within a 15- to 30-minute drive of camp.
The terrain is classic northern Limpopo. Dense mopane thickets opening into patches of open savannah, dotted with ancient granite koppies and the towering baobabs the valley is famous for. Seasonal rivers run through the property, their banks lined with Lala palms. As FC Selous described this country well over a century ago, so it remains today.
The climate is dry, hot bushveld. Tropical in summer, dry and pleasant through the winter hunting months. Water on the property is supplied by one dam, the seasonal river systems and boreholes, which concentrate game beautifully through the dry season.
the hunt
Hunting with Evelyn African Safaris is a fair-chase affair in every sense. The country is wild, the cover is real, and the game lives with the natural wariness of animals that have not been hand-reared. Every trophy is earned on foot, through patience, bushcraft, and the reading of sign that only comes from decades on the same ground.
Werner Swart, a professional hunter for many years, is the heart of the operation. He has hunted in six countries on three continents, and took his first elephant at the age of 19. He hunts alongside fellow professional hunters Durand Ferreira and Lourens Mostert, all three qualified in Limpopo Province and registered with Limpopo Nature Conservation. A trained tracker accompanies every hunt, and a skinner is on hand from the moment an animal hits the ground. The trackers - Thomas, Enos and Koko - carry a knowledge of this country that runs deeper than any map.
The hunt Werner is most passionate about, and the one Evelyn African Safaris most wants to be known for, is buffalo on foot in the dense mopane thickets of the Limpopo Valley, a true close-quarters dangerous-game pursuit of the kind that has all but disappeared from much of Africa.
the hunt
species available
The ranch and concessions are home to a rich mix of plains game, dangerous game, and unique trophies:
Buffalo, Lion, Crocodile, Giraffe, Eland, Kudu, Sable, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Waterbuck, Zebra, Nyala, Impala, Limpopo Bushbuck, Warthog, Klipspringer, Steenbok, Duiker, Baboon and Brown Hyena.
There are no seasonal exclusions or restricted species and all listed species are available throughout the hunting season.
the hunt
hunting methods
Rifle hunting is offered year-round.
Bow hunting is offered seasonally, during September and October only - when conditions and game movement are best suited to the bow.
A 150-metre shooting range is available on the property for sighting in your rifle on arrival.
the hunt
A Typical Day in the Field
The day starts early. Up around 05:00, a quick shower, and a full English breakfast at 06:00 - or earlier if the season demands it. Rifles, shooting sticks, a snack box and a cool box of drinks go onto the safari vehicle, and the hunt begins as soon as the gate closes behind you.
Mornings unfold in one of several ways. Sometimes it's the slow drive of a sandy bush track, eyes on the dust for fresh sign. Sometimes it's the climb up a granite koppie to glass the open patches at first light. Sometimes it's a track picked up at a waterhole where your quarry has drunk in the night, and the long, patient follow-up that comes next.
Lunch is around midday: back at the lodge for a siesta, or out in the bush, or on the banks of the mighty Limpopo River itself when you are hunting one of the closer concessions. Afternoon hunting starts around 14:00 to 14:30 and runs until last light, either continuing the morning's pursuit or chasing a new trail entirely.
At nightfall, you return to camp for a welcome drink at the fire and the long conversation that always seems to follow a good day in the African bush.
the hunt
Group Size & Guiding
Evelyn African Safaris accommodates a maximum of 8 hunting guests per excursion, and only one group is hosted at a time. The entire lodge - all six chalets, the boma, the bar, the staff - is yours for the duration of your stay. No strangers sharing the fire. No queues at the rifle rack.
This exclusive-use model is one of the things our returning guests value most.
THE LODGE & CAMP LIFE
Siyabonga Lodge sits on the edge of a dry riverbed in the heart of the property - a four-star bushveld retreat acquired by the family in 1988 and lovingly maintained ever since.
The lodge offers six luxury double en-suite chalets, each set apart for privacy and each fitted with two beds, air-conditioning, a bar fridge, an indoor bathtub, and both indoor and outdoor showers. Wi-Fi reaches every chalet.
The main lodge, a short walk away, houses the dining room, the lounge, the bar, and an open fireplace. Outside, there is a rim-flow swimming pool, a shaded boma and lapa, and a bushveld garden where guinea fowl wander past your chair in the late afternoon.
Rooms are serviced daily. Laundry runs every day except Sunday. The bar is open seven days a week, around the clock, there are no rules and no set times. The Professional Hunters serve as your bartenders, and the drink is poured the same way the hunt is run: with care, and at your pace.
Evenings at the Boma
There is a particular quiet at Siyabonga in the late afternoon. The dust of the day is rinsed away in the shower. The fire is already lit. Snacks come out, and something to soothe the throat after a long day trekking the African bush.
The day's hunt is replayed around the flames: the sign that was read right, the wind that turned, the stalk that worked and the one that didn't. Plans are made for the next morning. Stories are exchanged with other hunters, with the PHs, with Werner himself.
Then the drums sound from the kitchen, the cook's signal that dinner is ready and the evening moves to the table.
Time around the fire at Evelyn is precious. Most of the safari is spent in the bush, so the hours at camp are cherished by everyone who comes here.
the table
The kitchen at Siyabonga Lodge is run by a local chef who has been with the Swart family for more than ten years, and it shows in every plate. Meals are generous, deeply South African, and built around what comes out of the bush.
breakfast
A full English breakfast served around 05:30 to 06:00, depending on the season and the hunt. Coffee is always on.
lunch
Around noon, either in camp or out in the bush. On warmer days, lunch on the banks of the Limpopo River is a tradition all of its own.
dinner
Around 19:00, prepared by the chef and most often cooked on the open fire in the boma. Game, chicken and beef all feature, but it is the game meat that most guests fall in love with, and the chef's reputation for handling venison is part of the reason they keep coming back.
during the hunt
A snack box and a cool box of drinks accompany every group, every day in the field — whatever you need to keep you going between dawn and dark.
Dietary requirements, allergies, vegetarian guests and special requests are all accommodated. Please let us know in advance.
FOR FAMILIES &
NON-HUNTERS
Evelyn African Safaris is one of the few outfits in the Limpopo Valley that genuinely caters to the rest of the group, not as an afterthought, but as part of the experience.
Mapungubwe National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most historically significant landscapes in southern Africa, is just 35 minutes from the lodge. A morning at Mapungubwe, its sandstone formations, its herds of elephant, the remains of the medieval African kingdom that once flourished here, is a welcome distraction for many of our guests before continuing the hunt in the afternoon.
Kruger National Park is approximately 90 minutes away, and full-day excursions can be arranged.
On the property itself, the Swart family has long supported a local school, and hunters often spend a few hours visiting: donating a portion of harvested meat, watching the children perform traditional dances and songs, and seeing the conservation story of the valley come full circle. For many guests, it is the most quietly moving morning of the trip.
Add to that the lodge's rim-flow pool, the bushveld garden, world-class birding (the Limpopo Valley is one of the richest avian corners of southern Africa), and night skies you'll stop counting stars under, and there is plenty to keep partners, families and non-hunting friends in love with Africa.
TROPHIES & TAXIDERMY
Every animal harvested is tagged in the field. Field preparation, skinning and salting are handled in-house by our experienced team and are included in your package.
Guests choose the mount they prefer — shoulder mount, pedestal mount, full mount, flat skin, or skull only — and the decision can be made during the safari. There is no pressure to commit before you've seen your trophy in hand.
For taxidermy, Evelyn African Safaris dips, packs and ships out of South Africa, with mounting most commonly completed in the United States by the client's preferred taxidermist. Werner's regular taxidermy partner manages the entire export process on behalf of the client — paperwork, logistics and delivery — taking the complexity out of getting your trophy home
FIREARMS & AMMUNITION
Guests are welcome to bring their own rifles. Evelyn African Safaris assists with all firearm import paperwork and permits from start to finish.
For those who prefer to travel light, hire rifles are available in the following calibres:
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6.5 Creedmoor
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.308 Winchester
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.300 Winchester
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9.3x62 Mauser
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.375 H&H
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Shotgun
Ammunition is available in unlimited supply for all calibres listed.
A 150-metre shooting range on the property is available for sighting in your rifle on arrival.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Professional trophy photography and videography are not included as standard, but can be arranged as an add-on at additional cost. If you would like a dedicated photographer or videographer to document your hunt, please discuss with Werner when planning your safari and we will tailor it into your package.
GETTING THERE
Siyabonga Lodge is approximately a 5-hour drive from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, or a 2-hour drive from Polokwane International Airport for those taking a connecting flight north.
Transfers are arranged personally by Werner or one of his trusted transfer partners, typically in a comfortable mini van or double-cab safari vehicle, driven either by Werner himself, one of his PHs, or a vetted driver.
For guests who prefer to fly closer, charter flights to a local airstrip can be arranged at additional cost.
If flights are delayed or disrupted, the team has access to standby accommodation just 35 minutes from OR Tambo, ensuring a safe, comfortable place to rest before continuing on to camp.
PACKAGES & PRICING
Evelyn African Safaris offers four featured packages at set prices, alongside fully bespoke hunts tailored around your wish list. Whether you want a structured itinerary or a custom build, Werner will shape the experience to suit you.
Every package includes:
All accommodation at Siyabonga Lodge
All meals, drinks and daily laundry
Pick-up and drop-off at OR Tambo or Polokwane International Airport
The services of a Professional Hunter, tracker and skinner
Field preparation and transport of trophies to the taxidermist
Prices below are in US Dollars. Taxidermy, export, charter flights and photography/videography are excluded but fully assisted.
featured hunt
Limpopo Valley Introduction
5 nights / Minimum 2 hunters
Impala, Warthog, Duiker, and Zebra.
The ideal introduction to African hunting. Four classic plains-game species, five nights at Siyabonga Lodge, and the full Limpopo Valley experience for hunters making their first trip to South Africa.
$5 000 per hunter
featured hunt
General Bag
6 nights / Minimum 2 hunters
Duiker (male), Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, and Nyala.
A well-rounded plains-game safari covering five of southern Africa’s iconic species, including the elegant Nyala, one of the Limpopo Valley’s signature trophies.
$6 500 per hunter
featured hunt
Spiral Slam
7 nights / Single hunter
Eland Bull, Kudu Bull, Nyala Bull, and Bushbuck Ram.
Four of Africa’s most prized spiral-horned antelope, hunted across the country they call home. A package built for the collector, and one of the most rewarding hunts on our menu.
$13 500
featured hunt
Buffalo
7 nights / Single hunter
One Cape Buffalo Bull.
A dedicated buffalo hunt on foot in the dense mopane thickets of the Limpopo Valley. The hunt that Evelyn African Safaris is built around, and what Werner is most passionate about putting his name to.
$12 000
Tailor-Made Safaris
Beyond the featured packages, Evelyn African Safaris also builds fully bespoke hunts around the species and timeline you have in mind. Daily rates are charged separately to trophy fees, allowing complete flexibility in what you hunt and how long you stay.
Daily rates (in US Dollars, per person per day):
1x1 (one hunter with one Professional Hunter): $350
2x1 (two hunters sharing one Professional Hunter): $250
Non-hunting observer: $220
A full trophy fee schedule is available on enquiry and will be sent with your personalised quote.
CONTACT & ENQUIRIES
To book your Limpopo Valley hunting safari or to request a custom package quote: