Tipping on Safari: A Guide

Tipping on safari is never compulsory, but it is customary, and it matters. For many guides, trackers and camp teams, gratuities are a meaningful part of their income. This guide sets out what is usual in each region, so you can thank the people who look after you with confidence rather than guesswork.

The figures below are customary ranges drawn from leading safari operators' published guidelines, offered as a reference, not a rule. They are in US dollars per guest per day unless stated, and a little more is usual at the most luxurious lodges. Your camp manager is always happy to advise on the custom at their property.

How tipping works

When. Most guests tip once, at the end of their stay at each camp, rather than every day.

Your guide. Your guide, and tracker if you have one, are thanked directly, usually in an envelope on your last morning or evening together.

The rest of the team. Most camps keep a communal tip box, shared fairly among everyone behind the scenes, from the kitchen to housekeeping. If there is no box, ask the manager for an envelope.

Cash is best. Some lodges can add gratuities to your card, but many remote camps cannot. Bring cash in small denominations, such as US$5, US$10 and US$20 notes. In East Africa, older US dollar notes, printed before 2006, are often refused, so bring newer, undamaged notes. Local currency is always welcome too, particularly for small tips.

Kenya and Tanzania

US dollars are widely accepted across both countries, alongside the Kenyan and Tanzanian shilling.

Safari guide: around US$8 to US$10 per guest per day. If one guide drives and guides you throughout your journey, tip them at the end of the trip rather than at each camp.
Tracker or spotter: around US$5 to US$10 per guest per day, where one accompanies your vehicle.
Camp staff (tip box): around US$5 to US$15 per guest per day, and up to US$20 at the most exclusive camps.
Night drives and guided walks: where these are led by a separate ranger or spotter, around US$5 to US$10 per guest per activity.
Transfer drivers: around US$5 to US$10 per transfer.

For two guests on a three-night Masai Mara stay, at these customary rates, this works out at around US$48 to US$60 for your guide and US$30 to US$90 for the camp team.

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda and Uganda

A primate trek involves a small team, and each person plays a part in finding the family you visit.

Trekking guides: around US$10 to US$20 per guest per trek. There are usually two, tipped at the end of each trek.
Rangers and trackers: around US$5 to US$10 per guest per trek for each ranger and tracker. The trackers set out at dawn to locate the gorillas before you arrive.
Porters: hiring a porter is warmly encouraged, even if you can carry your own bag, as it supports families living around the parks. The porter's fee, commonly around US$20, is paid to their association, plus a tip of around US$5 to US$10 if you are pleased with their help. Confirm the current fee on the day.
Your driver-guide: around US$8 to US$10 per guest per day for the whole journey.
Lodge staff: as on safari, around US$5 to US$20 per guest per day in the communal box.

US dollars are widely used for tips in both countries, and Rwandan or Ugandan francs and shillings are welcome for smaller amounts.

Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia

US dollars are the usual currency for tips at safari camps across these countries.

Safari guide: around US$8 to US$10 per guest per day.
Tracker: around US$5 to US$10 per guest per day.
Camp staff (tip box): around US$5 to US$15 per guest per day, and up to US$20 at the most exclusive camps.
Mokoro poler in the Okavango Delta: around US$5 to US$10 per guest per day.
Butler, where you have one: around US$5 to US$10 per guest per day, and more at top-end lodges.
Transfer drivers: around US$5 to US$10 per transfer.

South Africa

In South Africa, tips are usually given in rand, although US dollars and euros are accepted, and many lodges can add gratuities to your card.

Game lodge ranger: around US$8 to US$10 per guest per day, or the rand equivalent.
Tracker: around R100 to R200 per guest per day.
Lodge staff (tip box): around R100 to R400 per guest per day.
Private guides and drivers on tours and transfers: around R200 to R400 per guest per day for a full-day guide, and less for a short transfer.
Restaurants: 10% to 15% of the bill is customary, as service is rarely included.

Beyond the lodge

Airport and hotel porters: around US$1 per bag.
City and sightseeing guides: around US$5 per guest for a shared tour, or US$10 to US$20 per guest for a private guide.
Restaurants and bars: around 10% of the bill in East and Southern Africa, and 10% to 15% in South Africa, if service is not already included.
Spa therapists: add to the communal tip box, or hand an envelope to the manager.

Tipping with Oloi Shorua

Gratuities are not included in our itineraries, so that you can thank the people who look after you in your own way. How much, and in what form, is entirely yours to decide. The ranges on this page describe what is customary, not what is expected of you.

Some of the most memorable thank-yous are not cash at all. One of our guests thanked their guide with a camera. A good pair of binoculars, a field guide or a pair of boots can mean a great deal to a guide, while the communal tip box remains the fairest way to thank the wider camp team. Before you travel, we will share the names of the camps and guides on your journey, so you know who will be looking after you.

If a camp has its own guidance, it takes precedence; just ask the manager on arrival.

For everything else to arrange before you travel, see Before You Travel. If you are planning a journey, we would be pleased to begin with a conversation.

Sources

Last checked 15 October 2026. Ranges are drawn from the published guidelines of: