Nyala Hunting in South Africa

Nyala is the shy prince of the Limpopo Bushveld — a slate-grey, spiral-horned antelope that lives in the thickest riverine cover on the property and rarely offers a second chance. Bulls carry a full shaggy mane down the spine, chalk-white vertical stripes across a dark coat, and lyre-shaped horns tipped in ivory. Nyala are a Limpopo speciality — genuinely at the southern edge of their range — and one of the most beautiful trophies in Africa. At Marula Game we hunt free-range nyala on 24,700 acres of mixed Bushveld in malaria-free Limpopo, fair chase on foot with a licensed PHASA Professional Hunter. Trophy fees start at USD $2,900.

The prince of the thick bush

Where kudu will stand on a rise and read the wind, nyala stay tight to the river and the densest cover on the property. They feed at first light and last light, and they slip back into the leadwood and jackalberry thickets long before the sun is up. An old bull is one of the darkest antelope in Africa — almost charcoal in the shade — with a full crest of hair standing along the spine and a ridge of white chevron between the eyes. Get one broadside in a shaft of morning light and you'll understand why hunters cross oceans for a nyala.

Why hunt nyala at Marula

• Free-range on our own ground. Nyala at Marula are wild, born on the property, and hunted on foot in the riverine thickets — no put-and-take, no released animals.
• Your own farm and camp. Our farms are separate, each with its own private camp — your party hunts its own ground with a dedicated PH, never shared with another group.
• A Limpopo speciality. Nyala reach their southern-range limit in this part of South Africa — the Waterberg / Limpopo Valley is genuine nyala country, not a translocated population.
• Owner-hosted since 1997. Every safari is personally hosted by outfitter Chris Burger — PHASA Executive Committee member and WRSA Game Farmer & Game Breeder of the Year.
• Malaria-free. One of the few African hunting destinations you can safely bring family into without prophylaxis.

The hunt itself

Nyala hunting at Marula is close-cover walk-and-stalk. First light usually finds you easing along a game path in the riverine bush, wind in your face, listening for the soft alarm-bark of a cow or the crack of a bull moving off feed. Sightings are quick and often close — 40 to 100 metres from sticks in broken cover. A steady rifle in .270 through .30-06 with a premium soft-point behind the shoulder is ideal medicine. Plan on two to three hunting days per bull if you are holding out for something mature and dark.

Best time of year to hunt nyala

The South African hunting season runs April to September. For nyala the prime window is the dry winter months — May through August — when the riverine bush thins slightly, waterholes concentrate movement, and mature bulls come to feed morning and evening in the open edges. Cooler mornings mean longer, quieter stalks and more time in the field before the heat pushes animals into shade.

Nyala hunt price (USD)

The nyala hunt price at Marula starts at USD $2,900 trophy fee for a representative mature bull. Trophy fees are payable only on animals taken (or wounded). Daily rates are two-tier and all-inclusive — plains-game hunts USD $400–$500 per hunter per day from the standard lodges (Tents on Antwerp $400, Leadwood/Haakdoring $450, Marula Lodge $500). Daily rates cover accommodation, meals, licensed PH, tracker & skinner, 4×4, airport transfers and field prep. Nyala pair naturally with a wider plains-game safari or add on to a greater kudu hunt for a two-spiral-horn Limpopo package.

What's included

• ✓ Exclusive-use luxury lodge or tented camp
• ✓ All meals and beverages (in moderation)
• ✓ Licensed PHASA Professional Hunter, tracker & skinner
• ✓ 4×4 hunting vehicle, field prep and delivery to taxidermist
• ✓ Airport transfers from Johannesburg (JNB) or Polokwane
• ✓ Firearm import assistance and all hunting permits

Nyala hunting FAQs