Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD – Comprehensive Booking Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy
Please read through these booking conditions carefully. We have used clear, accessible language so that our operational realities, payment systems, and risk frameworks are completely transparent. By making a booking with Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms in full. When returning our booking form or checking the mandatory acceptance boxes during digital checkout, your digital submission counts as your legal signature and indicates your full acceptance of these terms.
1. Legal Status, Corporate Structure & Agent Role
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD is a private company registered under the laws of the Republic of South Africa, operating entirely from its business headquarters in South Africa. We do not maintain separate international offices or entities in the United Kingdom, the United States, or elsewhere. By paying in ZAR, USD, or other currencies into our South African bank account or secure payment gateway, you are contracting solely with Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD, which is subject exclusively to South African travel trade regulations and consumer protection laws.
You appoint Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD as an agent to act on your behalf and make all the agreed-upon arrangements, itinerary designs, and payments in respect of your trip. Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD acts exclusively as an agent and intermediary, and not as a principal or owner of the third-party accommodation, regional airlines, or secondary services included in your itinerary. The price we quote you includes a tour arrangement and mobilization fee for the intensive administrative work, research, and planning performed on your behalf prior to your arrival.
2. Booking Procedure & Price Binding Laws
Confirmation of a booking is made in writing via email once it is mutually agreed upon by the client and the Nhongo Safaris specialist. No quotation issued by Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD (provisional or final), booking made (provisional or final), or website listing shall be binding until such time as a final invoice has been issued and the required payment cleared.
Prices quoted on our websites or in printable marketing materials are provided solely as an indication of the cost of a tour and are subject to change without prior notice. The price explicitly quoted in the final written invoice is the only legally binding rate.
3. Rates Amendments
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD reserves the right to amend the quoted rate in the event of preferred accommodation being unavailable, fluctuations in the exchange rate, changes you make to the itinerary, or unforeseen price increases by third-party suppliers like the South African National Parks Board (SANParks), private lodges, transport providers, or government authorities (such as fuel levies or tax adjustments). Minor operational variances will usually be absorbed by us, as it is always our aim to honor the quoted rate and avoid price adjustments.
4. First Advance Payment (35% Non-Refundable Deposit)
For bookings made more than 35 days in advance, a first payment of 35% of the total tour price is strictly required within 48 hours of written confirmation to secure and validate your reservation.
This first payment includes our non-refundable mobilization and tour arrangement fee for services rendered and administrative costs incurred by us in advance of your trip (such as planning, researching, preparing, and arranging your tour). Subject to our cancellation policy outlined below, this amount is entirely non-refundable should unforeseen circumstances necessitate the cancellation of your trip.
The remainder of your 35% advance deposit is immediately utilized to pay non-refundable deposits to third-party suppliers to secure availability and confirm reservations made on your behalf. Whether these deposits are refundable or not depends entirely on the cancellation policy of each individual supplier. On some bookings involving certain high-demand luxury suppliers, a deposit larger than 35% may be required up front, as dictated by that supplier’s payment terms. If we fail to receive your first advance payment before our supplier deadlines, your provisional reservation will automatically lapse.
5. Balance Payment
The balance of payment for your booking is required 35 days prior to your safari arrival date. Certain suppliers (such as SANParks) need to be paid in full 35 days prior to departure to avoid automatic reservation cancellations. If you are booking within 35 days of arrival, the full 100% price of the safari is payable immediately at the time of written confirmation.
Failure to pay your balance on time may result in your booking being canceled and your 35% first payment forfeited in full. All transaction fees, including wire transfer costs, cash deposit fees, foreign exchange conversion fees, and bank routing fees are for your account. The full quoted amount needs to clear cleanly into our account. If you pay by credit card through our secure payment gateway, we absorb the credit card fees and no credit card surcharge will be added at checkout.
6. Cancellation Schedule
Should you need to cancel your booking or any part of it for any reason, the cancellation must be submitted in writing via email to your Nhongo Safaris agent. The following minimum cancellation fees will apply to the total tour value, regardless of the reason for cancellation:
Cancellation 61 days or more prior to departure: 15% of the full price is forfeited (half of the 35% first payment).
Cancellation 60 days to 46 days prior to departure: 30% of the full price is forfeited.
Cancellation 45 days to 31 days prior to departure: 50% of the full price is forfeited.
Cancellation 30 days or less prior to departure (and No-Shows): 100% of the full price is forfeited.
7. Third-Party & SANParks Cancellation Penalties
Third parties that we have contracted with or confirmed with, whether or not they have been paid already (any lodge, hotel, transport operator, or other supplier, including SANParks), may have higher cancellation penalties. In such cases, the third party’s cancellation policy will completely supersede our own, and their additional cancellation fee will be added directly to our own. Third-party cancellation fees apply even if we have not yet physically transferred the funds to the suppliers at the moment of your cancellation. Flights booked on your behalf are completely non-refundable if the lowest economy class fare was selected.
8. Credit Card Acquiring, Chargeback & Dispute Protection Policy
By entering your credit card details, authorizing payment via our payment links, or submitting your booking form, you explicitly agree to the cancellation schedules and refund constraints outlined in these terms.
You explicitly agree that you will not initiate a chargeback, transaction dispute, or “friendly fraud” claim with your credit card issuing bank for any cancellation fee, weather disruption, missed connection, medical emergency, or supplier-withheld funds that fall within our stated policy.
In the event of an unauthorized chargeback dispute initiated by a client, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD reserves the right to submit this binding contract, proof of secure digital checkbox acceptance, and proof of supplier booking commitments (including SANParks documentation) to the merchant provider and acquiring bank. You agree that a 15% legal administration fee will be billed to you to recover funds and cover dispute processing costs if an unauthorized chargeback is filed.
9. Absolute Refund Restrictions & Operational Realities
Our refund policy is strictly subject to our cancellation policy and the non-negotiable cancellation policies of third-party suppliers like SANParks. When a refund is requested, our approach will follow a strict, set order of priorities to find a viable solution:
Reschedule or Postpone: As a first priority, we will attempt to reschedule the activity or postpone your trip to a mutually agreed date. This minimizes losses to all parties. Your trip can be postponed without agency penalty for up to 1 year from the original date of travel, subject to seasonal rate differences or third-party supplier price adjustments.
Travel Insurance Claim: If rescheduling or postponement is not possible, you will first be required to claim the full cost of your trip from your travel insurance provider. No refund will be made if a valid travel insurance claim can cover the loss. If you fail to purchase comprehensive travel insurance with sufficient cover, that risk will not be carried by Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD. No refunds will be paid to any customer who fails to purchase adequate travel insurance before their trip.
Supplier-Dependent Refunds: If your travel insurance claim is formally denied or falls short of covering your loss despite having sufficient cover in place, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD will refund to you only whatever net money we successfully secure as a refund from our suppliers, less a 5% administrative fee to cover bank transaction and credit card merchant costs. We cannot and will not refund money we do not have because it has already been paid out to suppliers on your behalf.
Weather Dependent Activities:
Certain activities on your itinerary may be weather-dependent and might have to be canceled if conditions are unsafe. Examples include open-vehicle night drives, guided bush walks, or boat trips.
If it is possible to reschedule the activity to another day on your itinerary, we will do so.
If it is not possible to reschedule, we will attempt to secure a refund from the supplier (such as SANParks) on your behalf.
If the supplier does not offer a refund, we will not be able to offer you a refund either. Your recourse in this case is to claim from travel insurance.
For missed transfers, late arrivals, no-shows, and last-minute cancellations requested by you, no refund or credit will be made under any circumstances.
Refunds can only be made in the currency you paid, back to the same credit card or bank account that you paid with.
10. Force Majeure / Vis Maior
In the case of any force majeure / vis maior event such as war, civil unrest, a pandemic, government travel bans, a natural disaster, or any other unforeseen event that makes it legally or physically impossible for us to fulfill our obligations toward you, our priority will be to reschedule or postpone your trip to a future date without agency penalty (subject to possible supplier cancellation or seasonal rate penalties). If postponement is completely impossible, you must claim from your travel insurance. If the claim is rejected, our standard supplier-dependent refund policy (Section 9.3) applies.
11. Risk of Loss
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD will not absorb any financial losses on your behalf due to third-party cancellation fees, supplier failures, exchange rate fluctuations, or any unexpected incidents or cancellations which may result in any direct or consequential loss to you or your travel companions. Your travel plans are made entirely at your own risk.
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD will not accept responsibility for any direct or consequential losses incurred due to supplier failures, problems with visas or travel documents, flight cancellations or missed flights, travel delays, lost baggage, transport or traffic delays, bad weather, illness or medical problems, family matters or bereavement, pandemics or disease outbreaks, natural disasters, war, or riots. Please ensure you purchase comprehensive travel insurance with adequate cancellation and curtailment cover for any eventuality. By booking with us, you agree to carry the full risk of any direct or consequential loss to yourself or your travel companions, regardless of the cause of such loss.
12. Mandated Travel & Medical Insurance (SATIBgo Integration)
All clients booking a safari with Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD are strictly required to arrange their own all-risk comprehensive travel insurance and medical emergency insurance. This insurance must be purchased within 48 hours after making your first advance payment to ensure cancellation cover is active from day one. Your policy must include, at a minimum: trip cancellation and curtailment cover, emergency medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, and delay or missed connection coverage. We highly recommend purchasing a “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) policy extension.
The free travel insurance bundled with standard credit cards is NOT SUFFICIENT to cover an international African safari. Failure to purchase comprehensive travel insurance and medical emergency/repatriation cover exposes you to unnecessary risk of loss, and you hereby agree to carry all the risk yourself and waive your right to any refunds or compensation from Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD that would ordinarily have been covered by travel insurance. Kindly note that NO refunds will be paid to any customer who fails to purchase adequate, comprehensive travel insurance.
For a reliable, Africa-specific travel insurance option, we recommend exploring the SATIBgo product developed by Safari and Tourism Insurance Brokers (SATIB), one of the most trusted names in African travel insurance. Their policies offer flexible levels of protection tailored specifically for safari travelers in Southern Africa. You can review their packages and purchase cover directly by visiting SATIB Go Travel Insurance.
13. Departure Times, Late Arrivals & Missed Transfers
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD cannot be held liable for delayed flights, airport immigration delays, or missed transfers that negatively affect a tour booked through the company. Our transfer vehicles and daily tour departures operate on strict schedules to respect park gate closing times and the bookings of other guests, and may be forced to leave the collection point without a client who has been delayed en route.
In the event of a missed collection due to client delay or flight disruptions:
The client is entirely liable for any additional costs incurred if Nhongo Safaris needs to organize a private dedicated transfer vehicle to catch up to the tour group.
The client is liable for any extra accommodation or accommodation changes required to rejoin the safari itinerary.
No refunds will be issued for any portion of the tour, activities, or accommodation missed due to late arrival.
14. Missed Connecting Flights & The "Buffer Day" Warning
It is strongly advisable that you take into account unforeseen delays that may affect onward international travel when booking your flights. This includes traffic congestion on major national roads, accidents, infrastructure failures, roadworks, and mechanical vehicle breakdowns that could result in the transfer vehicle arriving later than expected at the airport drop-off point on the final day of a safari.
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD strongly recommends that you book your outbound international connecting flight(s) for the day AFTER the tour ends, and book accommodation for that night close to the airport from which you will be departing (e.g., near O.R. Tambo International Airport). Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD accepts zero liability for missed international flights, rebooking fees, or overnight accommodation costs if a vehicle delay causes a guest to miss a flight scheduled on the final day of the safari.
15. Safe Vehicle Logistics & Safari Conduct
The safety of our clients is a top priority for Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD, but it is your personal responsibility to adhere to the rules and regulations of the country and the specific national parks or game reserves you are visiting. This includes strict adherence to safety protocols on safari tours where you will encounter wild animals.
In Transit: You are responsible for ensuring your own safety and well-being in transit to tour destinations, including wearing a seatbelt at all times while the vehicle is in motion.
On Game Drives: Guests must remain seated inside the safari vehicle at all times. Standing up, shouting, making sudden movements, or hanging arms or cameras outside the vehicle profile is strictly forbidden as it disrupts the outline of the vehicle and can provoke wildlife.
General Behavior: Exploring tourist attractions requires staying with the tour group and following guide instructions implicitly. Avoiding excessive drunkenness, lewd behavior, and general misbehavior that could result in you being harmed, excluded from a national park, or arrested is your sole responsibility. If a guest behaves in a way that endangers our staff, other passengers, or wildlife, we reserve the right to terminate their safari immediately without further liability, refund, or compensation.
16. Child Policy on Open Safari Vehicles
Many of the accommodation establishments and national parks booked for tours enforce strict child regulations. It is your absolute responsibility to disclose the exact age of each child in the traveling group to your Nhongo Safaris agent during the quoting stage. Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD cannot be held liable if an accommodation establishment refuses entry to an under-aged child where a child policy is strictly enforced.
In compliance with the professional safety recommendations of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) and national park regulations:
Children aged 6 years and younger are not permitted on open safari vehicles for daily game drives on standard tours. Private closed-vehicle safaris must be arranged and costed in advance for families traveling with children under 6.
The minimum age for guided bush walks is 16 years and older, with no exceptions permitted by park rangers.
It is your responsibility to notify the Nhongo Safaris agent of any minor who will be participating in daily safari tours to ensure the correct vehicle configurations and booking structures are utilized.
17. Children Entry Requirements (South African Law)
The South African Department of Home Affairs enforces strict legal requirements governing children traveling through South African ports of entry. It is your sole responsibility to have in your possession the correct legal documents required to enter South Africa with a minor aged 18 years or younger.
If a minor is traveling on a South African passport, an unabridged birth certificate (showing full details of both parents) is required by law. If traveling with only one parent, a legally certified parental consent affidavit from the non-traveling parent must be produced.
While current regulations have relaxed documentation requirements for foreign passport holders traveling with minors, immigration officers retain the right to request documentation under specific profiling conditions.
If you cannot produce the correct legal documents for a child on arrival at any port of entry and are denied entry by immigration authorities, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD accepts zero liability and will provide no refund for the aborted tour.
18. Medical and Health Warnings
It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with health warnings pertaining to South Africa and your specific safari destinations. The Greater Kruger National Park region is classified as a low-to-medium risk malaria area, particularly during the wet summer months.
It is strongly recommended that you consult your doctor or a reputable travel clinic for professional medical advice and obtain a prescription for suitable anti-malaria prophylactics before departing for your tour.
Ensure that you and any minors in your care are up-to-date with required travel vaccinations. If you have traveled through a Yellow Fever endemic zone prior to entering South Africa, you must produce a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate at the port of entry.
If you suffer from a medical condition, severe allergy, or physical limitation that may affect your participation, you must disclose this on your booking form. You are responsible for carrying adequate supplies of your personal prescription medications. Nhongo Safaris accepts no liability for medical emergencies or conditions arising during the safari.
19. Changes to Itineraries and Accommodation by Us
Every effort will be made to provide the exact accommodation, routes, and activities as described and confirmed in your itinerary. However, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD reserves the right to change an accommodation establishment or route specified in a tour itinerary if it is deemed unsuitable, closed for unexpected maintenance, or if localized conditions compromise guest safety.
We cannot be held responsible for adverse weather conditions, traffic congestion, vehicle breakdowns, road closures, social unrest, or supplier issues that necessitate itinerary changes. We reserve the right to change accommodation, vehicles, transport modes, meals, and guides as conditions dictate. We commit to acting in your best interest and will always aim to offer an alternative of similar value should any adjustments be unavoidable.
20. Stolen or Lost Luggage
The safekeeping of your luggage and personal belongings is entirely your responsibility throughout the duration of the tour. While our guides and team will do everything reasonable to assist in maintaining the security of the vehicle and assisting in tracking items lost in transit, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD cannot be held liable for stolen, damaged, or lost luggage and personal items. Please ensure your travel insurance policy contains adequate baggage asset cover.
21. Dietary Requirements
It is up to you to inform us in advance of your dietary requirements, food allergies, or specific restrictions on your booking form. We try our best to cater to everyone’s needs by coordinating with lodge kitchens, but we rely entirely on advanced notice. In remote bush locations, it may not always be possible to cater to highly specialized, niche, or strict religious diets if notice was not given during the booking process.
22. Indemnity Execution Timeline and Limitation of Liability
By booking a safari or travel service with Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD, you acknowledge and accept that travel in wild environments inherently involves certain risks. You voluntarily assume full responsibility for all risks and agree that Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD, including its directors, employees, guides, agents, and affiliates shall not be held liable for any direct or consequential loss, damage, injury, illness, disability, emotional distress, trauma, death, property loss or damage, financial loss, or any other incident of any nature that may occur before, during, or after your trip.
An official, detailed Physical Indemnity Form must be completed, signed, and returned by every individual member of the travel group on the morning of departure, before the vehicle leaves on the safari.
If a member of the travel group refuses to complete and sign the physical indemnity form on the morning of departure, Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD reserves the absolute right to deny that individual boarding and cancel their booking immediately with zero obligation to refund any payments made, as this refusal violates a fundamental safety and insurance condition of carriage.
23. Legal Jurisdiction
Nhongo Safaris (PTY) LTD is a registered company in the Republic of South Africa. Your booking, contract, and relationship with the company are entirely governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of South Africa. The courts of Johannesburg/Gauteng shall have exclusive jurisdiction in resolving any legal action, claim, or dispute arising from this contract.
24. Binding Agreement and Severability
Acceptance of these terms and conditions is a strict precondition before you can complete our booking form, utilize our secure online payment links, or confirm your custom quote. If any provision of these terms and conditions is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions shall remain completely unaffected and continue to be binding and in full force and effect.