Top 10 Animals to Hunt in Africa (A Professional Hunter’s List)
By Simon Harvey (PH). Africa is the hunting continent. There’s no other place on earth where you can walk into a sunrise and have kudu tracks crossing the sand, hear guinea fowl calling from the thickets, and watch herds of game feeding across open plains like something out of a documentary.
For many hunters, an African safari is a rite of passage. It’s where your skills get tested properly. Stalking, shooting, reading wind, and learning to hunt on foot the way it was meant to be done. And Rocklands Safaris is the best place to do just that.
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If you’re planning your first safari, or your fifth, if you want the best hunting safaris in Africa, here are ten of the best animals to hunt in Africa. This list is built around what makes a hunt memorable: the challenge, the terrain, the experience, and the trophy.
Top 10 Animals to Hunt in Africa
1. Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) – Africa’s Most Respected Trophy
If there’s one animal that separates hunters from spectators, it’s the Cape buffalo. Buffalo are thick-skinned, tough, and unpredictable. They don’t panic the way plains game does. They hold their ground. They circle back. They wait. And if you make a mistake, they can make you pay for it.
A proper Cape Buffalo hunt is tracking in real African bush, following fresh spoor through thick cover, reading dung, watching birds, listening for herd movement, and getting into position for a shot that needs to be perfect.
This is one of Africa’s most iconic hunts for good reason. A mature bull with a heavy boss is a trophy you earn.
Why hunters love buffalo
Buffalo hunting is physical, dangerous, and deeply traditional. You don’t shoot a buffalo from a vehicle. You track it. You stalk it. You hunt with respect.
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2. Eastern Cape Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) – The Grey Ghost of Africa
The kudu is the king of plains game. Tall, elusive, and beautifully built, kudu bulls are known for their spiral horns and their ability to disappear into bushveld like smoke. Many hunters see kudu as the ultimate plains game trophy, and after one proper hunt, you’ll understand why.
Kudu hunting is rarely simple. Bulls move quietly, stay in thick cover, and have an uncanny instinct for wind and danger. You’ll often spend long hours glassing hillsides, picking apart thickets, and waiting for a clean shot through bush.
Why kudu belongs on every safari list
A mature kudu is one of the most rewarding trophies in Africa. It’s also one of the most respected.
3. Gemsbok / Oryx (Oryx gazella) – The Desert Warrior
If you want a tough African animal with a rugged personality, the gemsbok is it. These animals thrive in harsh conditions where most game struggles. They’re strong, alert, and built for wide open spaces. Their long horns make them a spectacular trophy, and they’re also known for their resilience after being hit, which means shot placement matters.
A gemsbok hunt often takes place in open terrain where stalking becomes a game of patience and distance management.
Why hunters rate gemsbok so highly
They look impressive, they hunt well, and they don’t give you anything for free.
4. Eland (Taurotragus oryx) – Africa’s Biggest Antelope
The eland is a true heavyweight. It’s the largest antelope in Africa, and when you see a mature bull in the veld, you realize quickly that you’re not dealing with a delicate animal. Eland are massive, thick-bodied, and surprisingly athletic.
The hunt itself is often a long tracking exercise. Eland can cover serious ground, and even though they look slow, they move with purpose. Many eland hunts become full-day affairs on foot.
Why eland is an underrated trophy
The size, the meat value, and the sheer satisfaction of hunting something so big makes eland one of Africa’s finest animals.
5. Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) – The Trophy of the Thick Bush
The nyala is one of Africa’s most striking antelope. A mature nyala bull is a beautiful animal, with deep color, white striping, and sweeping horns. But the real challenge is where they live: dense bush, riverine areas, and thick cover where visibility is limited and movement has to be slow.
Nyala hunting is about quiet stalking and good eyes. It’s often close-range hunting, which makes it exciting.
Why nyala is a classic African trophy
It’s a true bush hunt. If you want a trophy that feels “African” in every way, nyala is it.
6. Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) – The Toughest Plains Game Animal
The wildebeest doesn’t get enough respect until you’ve hunted one properly.
They’re sharp-eyed, suspicious, and stubborn. They’re also extremely tough animals that can soak up poor shots and disappear into the veld, which is why good marksmanship matters.
Trophy hunting Wildebeest in South Africa is often fast-paced, with herds moving constantly and the hunter needing to pick the right bull and commit quickly.
Why wildebeest is a must-hunt animal
Because it’s honest hunting. They don’t come easy, and they’re built like tanks.
7. Burchell’s Zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) – A Trophy That’s Harder Than It Looks
Many hunters think zebra will be an easy plains game animal. It’s not.
Zebra are incredibly alert. They live in open terrain, rely heavily on eyesight, and are always watching. They also tend to move in groups, which makes stalking tricky. The stripes can play tricks on your depth perception, and picking a mature stallion requires experience.
Zebra make for a stunning trophy, and the skin is one of the best souvenirs you can take home.
Why zebra is a great African hunt
Because it’s challenging, exciting, and you’ll work hard for it.
8. Impala (Aepyceros melampus) – Africa’s Most Classic Starter Trophy
If Africa had a “gateway animal,” it would be the impala. They’re widespread, plentiful, and they hunt well. But don’t mistake that for easy. Hunting Impala in Africa is a challenge. Impala have sharp senses and move quickly. They also tend to gather in herds, which makes shot placement and trophy selection important.
Impala are ideal for first-time hunters and experienced hunters alike. They also make excellent meat animals.
Why impala should be on your safari
It’s one of Africa’s most iconic plains game animals, and a clean impala hunt is always satisfying.
9. Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus) – The Quiet Ghost of the Riverine Bush
Bushbuck are often overlooked, but they’re one of the most enjoyable animals to hunt in Africa.
They’re secretive, solitary, and live in thick cover near water. They’re not usually found out in open plains, which makes them a proper bush hunt.
A mature bushbuck ram is a handsome trophy, and hunting them requires patience, good stalking, and sometimes sitting waterholes or waiting near game paths.
Why bushbuck is a hunter’s animal
Because it’s real hunting. Quiet, careful, and earned.
10. Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) – Africa’s Most Entertaining Trophy
Warthogs are tough, funny, and surprisingly clever.
They can appear out of nowhere, sprint into a hole, and vanish. Then two minutes later they pop out again 50 yards away like nothing happened. Hunting a big tusker is a real challenge, especially because mature boars are cautious and tend to move at awkward times.
They’re also one of the most rewarding trophies to take, and every hunter enjoys having a warthog on their list.
Why warthog belongs in the top ten 10 animals to hunt in Africa
Because it’s classic African hunting. Unpredictable, exciting, and full of character.
Honorable Mentions (Because Africa Never Stops Giving)
Some animals could easily have made the top 10 animals to hunt in Africa, depending on your location and the type of safari you’re planning.
Roan Antelope
Hunting roan antelope in Africa is a premier trophy animal with deep color and dramatic horns.
Waterbuck
Big-bodied, tough, and usually hunted near rivers and wetlands.
Red Hartebeest
An excellent animal for open terrain hunting and long-range shots.
Blesbok and Springbok
Perfect for South African plains hunts and excellent for beginners.
What Makes an Animal a Top 10 in Africa?
The truth is, it’s not just about horn length. It’s about the experience.
A proper African trophy is something that makes you work. It’s the stalk, the sweat, the wind shifts, the missed opportunity, and then finally the moment when everything comes together and the shot feels right.
Good hunting isn’t about stacking trophies. It’s about the hunt.
That means:
- Ethical shots and clean kills
- Respect for the animal and the land
- The right calibre and bullet selection
- Walking and stalking when possible
- Taking mature animals where appropriate
Africa has a long hunting tradition, and the best outfitters take that responsibility seriously. If you’re still not sure what to hunt in Africa, this list might help you.
Book Your Next Hunting Safari at Rocklands
Whether you come to Africa for your first plains game safari, on a cull hunting package, or your first Cape buffalo hunt, the top 10 animals to hunt in Africa represent the best of what the continent offers.
These are the hunts that get your heart going.
These are the trophies you remember.
And most importantly, these are the animals that make Africa what it is: wild, challenging, and unforgettable.
Check out hunting packages South Africa for your next unforgettable safari.
So, if you want the real Africa, don’t come for the easy hunt.
Come for the authentic one.
Come to Rocklands Safaris.