Roan Antelope Hunting in South Africa

Roan hunting is among the rarest opportunities in African hunting. Roan are one of the continent's largest antelope — horse-like, stately, and scarce across their historic range, which is why genuine roan hunts are so hard to come by. At Marula Game we offer free-range roan hunts across a 54,000-acre Limpopo and Kalahari concession, from our own breeding herd, fair chase on foot with a licensed PHASA Professional Hunter.

Almost all roan hunts on offer in South Africa are put-and-take bulls released into small camps. Ours are not: our roan hunting is done on foot, on open ground, on bulls born and raised on the property. That is the difference guests notice on day one of the hunt.

Because roan hunts release on very limited quota each season, many guests pair a roan bull with sable on the same safari — see our combined sable & roan hunts page for pricing on both bulls together, or add roan hunting to a longer plains-game safari.

Roan Antelope Hunting at Marula Game

Roan hunts at Marula take place from our headquarters near Steenbokpan in the Limpopo bushveld, running west into the red sand and camelthorn country on the edge of the Kalahari. It is genuine free-range hunting — 54,000 acres of contiguous wild ground, no small enclosures, no put-and-take. Bulls that live and breed on this land are the bulls you hunt.

Method is classic spot-and-stalk on foot. First light is spent glassing from vantage points and cutting sign along the sandy drainage lines and pan edges; when a mature bull is located, the tracking team works him into range for a careful stalk. Plan on 4–6 hunting days per roan — some fall in a morning, others take the full week.

Consistent trophy quality is no accident. Marula's owner, Chris Burger, was named WRSA Game Farmer & Game Breeder of the Year and is a member of Classic Game Breeders, and roan have been bred and managed on this ground for decades. Every roan hunt is on a mature bull from the resident herd.

Roan Trophy Quality & What to Expect

Mature Marula roan bulls typically measure 26 to 30 inches along the outer curve of the horn, with exceptional trophies reaching 30 inches and beyond. Body mass is what surprises most first-time roan hunters — a mature bull is 250–300 kg on the hoof, dark-faced with the distinctive black-and-white harlequin mask and heavy, backswept scimitar horns.

Terrain across the concession is mixed Bushveld — mopane and combretum thornveld, open grass pans, sandy drainage lines, and camelthorn savanna as you move west toward the Kalahari. Shots typically fall between 80 and 200 metres from a set of sticks. The cooler dry months of April to September are best for roan hunts; June through August are prime.

Roan are heavy-bodied and can absorb a poorly placed shot, so calibre matters. A .300 magnum class rifle or larger, loaded with a controlled- expansion premium bullet (Barnes TSX, Swift A-Frame, Nosler Partition), is our recommendation. See our rifle & calibre guide for full load and gear notes — the buffalo-focused advice translates directly to roan and other large plains game.

Roan Hunting Packages & Pricing

Roan is a premium trophy and pricing is set on application on a sliding scale for horn length and trophy class. As an indication, mature bulls at Marula start from around USD $5,800, with record-class 28–32 inch bulls from $7,000 and exceptional bulls over 32 inches priced on application. Because roan quota is very limited, every roan hunt is confirmed personally with the owner — please enquire for current roan pricing and availability.

A typical roan package is all-inclusive of the licensed PHASA Professional Hunter, tracker and skinner, daily rate and sole-occupancy accommodation at one of our lodges or tented camps, 4×4 hunting vehicle, all meals and beverages in moderation, airport transfers from Johannesburg (JNB) or Polokwane, field prep and delivery to the taxidermist, and firearm import assistance. Trophy fees are payable only on animals taken or wounded. Excluded: international flights, taxidermy, dip-and-pack, gratuities and personal extras.

Most guests pair a roan with sable, greater kudu or a Cape buffalo bull — see our plains-game safari page for 7-day itineraries, or the Cape buffalo hunt page for combined dangerous-game safaris that carry a 20% trophy fee discount when roan is added.

What's included

• ✓ Sole-occupancy 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

Roan Antelope Hunting FAQs