Working for your benefit for more than 70 years
SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SA Hunters) is a voluntary membership organisation that represents the interests of citizen hunters, wildlife custodians, firearm owners and sport shottists. Since its establishment in 1949, we endeavoured to promote an integrated and sensible approach to biodiversity conservation and responsible wildlife use, mindful of its role as a cornerstone for human well-being and sustainable economic development. With committed members, supported by a team of full-time professionals, our family of outdoor enthusiasts has grown to the extent that we support and participate in sport shooting, hunting, and conservation activities throughout South Africa. Service delivery at grassroots level is coordinated by more than 80 branches nationwide.
Fifty hunters met at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria on a Saturday morning, 1 October 1949, to establish the Transvaal Hunters’ Association. At that stage, unbridled shooting of wildlife prevailed. The founding of a hunters’ association was regarded as a means to change that situation around. Right from the very beginning, conservation was part of the activities of the Transvaal Hunters’ Association. The authorities fully supported this development, and the administrator of Transvaal became the patron of the Association. Other honorary members included the provincial secretary, governor general of Mozambique, minister of Lands, deputy commissioner of Police, the conservator of Fauna and Flora, and the head of the National Zoological Gardens.
At that time, the Association obtained hunting opportunities in Bechuanaland [now Botswana], Angola and Mozambique for its members. In 1957, the Association changed its name to the South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association. Membership of the Association increased to 286 as people in the Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal, Cape Province, South West Africa and Rhodesia joined.
The Association donated money to the National Parks Board for Operation Rhino, the Hungarian emergency relief fund, Pietersburg Municipality Game Park, and the Wildlife Management Chair at the University of Pretoria.
Since then, membership numbers increased continuously. By 2023, it increased to approximately 40 000 members in more than 80 branches throughout South Africa with activities offered in hunting, sport shooting, conservation and photography and membership of various relevant national and international forums.
Meer as sewentig jaar het verloop sedert ‘n klompie jagters op 1 Oktober 1949 by die Pretoria se dieretuin bymekaar gekom het om die moontlike stigting van ‘n jagtersvereniging te bespreek. Oor dié tydperk het die Suid-Afrikaanse Jagters- en Wildbewaringsvereniging gegroei tot een van die grootste nieregerings-organisasies in die land. Met meer as 40,000 lede in meer as 80 takke landwyd speel die SAJWV’n prominente rol in die bestuur en bewaring van ons jagkultuur, wapenregte en natuurerfenis. Die gedenkboek vertel die storie van dié ontstaan en groei van hierdie besondere vereniging.
Management structure of SA Hunters
SA Hunters is a voluntary membership association that is managed in a transparent manner by its democratically-elected members to serve and protect the interests of its membership community relating to responsible hunting, conservation, sport shooting and firearm ownership.
Throughout South Africa, members establish branches in their communities, and elect management teams that organise events that members can participate in according to their interests. Each branch management team is an important link between the branch and the national office that keeps its members informed about the latest developments within the scope of the Association’s interests. Branch management teams represent the members at the national congress, which is the highest decision-making authority of the Association.
At the annual congress, members deliberate on various issues of common concern and mandate the management team to execute decisions and to represent their interests through engagements at relevant forums and processes accordingly. Members also elect leaders among their peers to serve on the Board of SA Hunters, which provide strategic direction in all disciplines, and oversee the activities of the management team and the branches.
SA Jagters se bestuurstruktuur
SA Jagters is ʼn vrywillige lede-organisasie wat op ʼn deursigtige wyse deur demokratiese verkose lede bestuur word om sy lede te bedien en hulle belange te beskerm ten opsigte van verantwoordelike jag, bewaring, sportskiet en vuurwapeneienaarskap.
Regoor Suid-Afrika, stig lede takke in hulle gemeenskappe en verkies ʼn bestuurskomitee wat aktiwiteite reël waarin lede hulle spesifieke belangstellings kan uitleef. Elke takbestuur is ʼn belangrike skakel tussen sy lede en die nasionale kantoor wat sy lede op die hoogte hou van die jongste verwikkelinge oor sake waarby die Vereniging ʼn belang het. Takbesture verteenwoordig lede by die jaarlikse kongres wat die hoogste besluitnemingsgesag in die Vereniging is.
Tydens die jaarlikse kongres, bespreek lede sake van gemeenskaplike belang en gee ʼn mandaat aan die bestuurspan om besluite uit te voer en om lede dienooreenkomstig by relevante forums en prosedures te verteenwoordig. Lede verkies ook mense vanuit eie geledere wat op SA Jagters se Raad dien om strategiese leiding in alle dissiplines te gee, en wat toesig hou oor die aktiwiteite van die bestuurspan en die takke.
The main objectives of the Association are to promote the interests of hunters, sport shooters, game ranchers, nature conservationists, and professional hunters in South Africa and to provide excellent service to all its members by:
In profound acknowledgement to the Almighty, Creator of all life and with sincere appreciation of the universe in the sublime totality thereof, I hereby pledge myself as a hunter and a member of the South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association to:
