Africa is hard. Yet it holds a rugged beauty which is more breathtaking than anything painstakingly sculpted, painted, designed or crafted by human hand. The continent lives through its people, vegetation, wildlife, heritage, heat and harmonies.

There is something unbelievably moving in the demonstration of active contribution to the continent. I am privileged and proud to have been part of this way of life for the past 30 years.

The 2011 season was again a tough year financially. We want to thank all our old, loyal clients over the years that supported us by coming back again and again and experienced the beauty of Africa. We also had new clients who eventually left as our friends.

We want to thank you all for making it possible for us to be able to do what we love and that is to transfer this feelings of Africa to you.

Our staff, manager, skinners, professional hunters and trackers once again made a big effort. They made this season an outstanding one with high standards in service delivery and trophy quality. They respected the rights and interests of property owners and local communities. These people did not misrepresent themselves or Jannie Otto Safaris. They did not mislead clients in any way.

Thank you for conducting yourself in a manner which reflected honesty, integrity and morality, making it possible for Jannie Otto Safaris to carry on making the “African Dream” come true.

The bush is a way of life for me, and I am honored to have been able to share it with my family and those from far and near for the past 30 years. Next year will be a great mile stone for us. By 2012 we will have been actively involved in the hunting industry for 30 years. Without all our friends and/or clients and staff this wouldn't have been possible.

When we look back over this period we can’t but think about how things have changed in the game farms of South Africa and concession areas in Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Politics plays such a big role in all the changes that has happened. We were privileged to hunt in all these countries.  A lot of memories from those trips are dear to us.

We met some of the most outstanding professional hunters. These are guys that really love the bush and understand the joy, pain and tears of the African continent. There are outfitters that made a big impression on me. I have learned a lot from them and they have earned my respect. These people made it possible for us to gather new knowledge and make a huge success of our business over the past three decades.

There are trackers that I will follow any wounded animal with. They seldom get the recognition they deserve. These people have taught me more about the bush and Africa than any book will ever do. They are the real African people who give so much color to the continent and the safari industry.

We had clients, some who became very good friends of mine, with who we sat many a night around campfires in different countries and areas. We enjoyed changing stories and more than once had a “cold one”. We had close calls with these people in the bush. We share a lot of great memories.

Some of these clients became mentors to me. They helped me to get direction in my business and even in life. To all of you we just want to say: Thank you so much for your continuous support, patronage and friendship.

With Jannie Otto Safaris hunting is part of a greater conservation plan that is managed and controlled. Through respect for wildlife, decades of experience and subsequently well-developed skills, African ecology is preserved and all hunts ultimately give life back to the land.

Priding itself in its caring and conservational nature, Jannie Otto Safaris offer the most experienced and skillful team of handpicked professionals to help you explore the magic and mystery that is Africa. From the banks of the mighty Zambezi, through the unspoiled lushness of Mozambique or Tanzania to the expansive plains of South Africa, take time to taste what feels like a bygone area with Jannie Otto Safaris. 

We are looking forward to the many, good and successful years still to come and it will be great to see you next year where and when we will attend the different marketing shows. We would like to invite all of you to come and celebrate 30 years of excellence with us.

Sincerely

Jannie Otto

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