Rick van Zijl
Rick, who is 49 years old is the
brains behind John X Safaris which offers overseas visitors an
African adventure. Catering exclusively for overseas trophy
hunters, it attracts approximately 260 hunters per season. He
founded the company in 1983, at Merriman in the Great Karoo and
became a registered Professional Hunter in 1985. He is an expert
on hunting in South Africa and since securing his licence has
succesfully guided both local and international sportsmen and
women.
He was one of the first
outfitters to offer Bushpig and Caracal hunting with dogs and,
together with landowners in the Eastern Cape, instituted a
conservation program whareby they could offer Blue Duiker to the
trophy hunter. John X Safaris has access to 30 Farms throughout
the Eastern Cape, Free State and Northern Cape and has hunting
concessions for 10 months of the year.
Rick has now extended his
operation, forming Lalibela Private Game Reserve, which caters
to photographic tourists. He has introduced rhino and buffalo as
a start to his aim of establishing a Big Five Game Reserve.
