The Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA) has released the latest statistics from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).
The figures show an increase of 32% in hunting tourism revenue from 2012 to 2013 where hunting tourists spent an estimated R1,07 billion in South Africa in 2013, up from R811 million the year before.
The DEA statistics show that 7 638 hunts by overseas hunters took place last year, during which 44 028 trophies were taken. This compares to 8 387 hunts with 40 866 trophies taken in the previous year. 
The increase in foreign hunting revenue over last year was largely attributed to the strength of the dollar against the rand, an increase across the board in daily rates received and an increase in the total number of animals hunted.  
The calculations exclude traditional tourism spending such as food and transport as well as other hunting expenses such as permits and licensing fees.  Research conducted by the North West University on the 2012 hunting season showed that when these additional expenses were factored in, the economic value of South Africa’s trophy hunting industry increased by more than 50% (from R811 million to R1,24 billion in that year).
Commenting on the figures, Adri Kitshoff, Chief Executive of PHASA, said the decrease in head of game through trophy hunting in 2013 was 0.002%, while SA’s total extensive wildlife population is growing at a rate of 30% per annum, according to Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA).  “It just goes to show how sustainable trophy hunting is in South Africa and how well our natural resources are being managed,” she said, adding that hunting creates incentives for people to look after our animals and helps creates job opportunities in remote areas “not considered part of the mainstream tourism circuit.”  
Plains game were the most popular among hunting tourists with impala (5 697), warthog (3 849), and kudu (3 519) among the species that accounted for the species with the most trophies taken.