Economic Contributions of Hunting-Related Tourism in Eastern and Southern Africa

SCI Foundation has commissioned a report, produced by Southwick Associates, on the economic contribution of hunting in Sub-Saharan Africa. This report investigates the extent of hunters’ annual spending and the resulting economic contributions within an eight-country study area from 2012 to 2014. Results show that hunting contributes $426 million to the GDP of these African economies every year, hunters directly spend $326 million annually, and the industry supports over 53,400 jobs.
Having hunting on the landscape as a viable land use means conservation. Many areas where hunting provides critical income are rural or not viable enough for photo safari operations. Agriculture may also not offer reasonable economic opportunities in areas where hunting now occurs. These considerations show that hunting provides important economic opportunities for many areas where other common forms of income are limited.