Southern African Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $69 to $129 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
GH
Email Curtiss D. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Appears not to be a trustworthy tour operator
I booked a ZAR 144k tour with this agency and unfortunately had to cancel due visas issues beyond our control . I paid a deposit of ZAR 78k and the operator advised that they could only refund ZAR 50k , deducting various penalties and their own admin fees. This was happening in summer 2023. I even agreed that they repay in installment of ZAR 10k as they were raising some cash flow issues. For the last 6 months they haven’t paid anything !! They always come with an excuse as to why they have not paid me yet….This has become a nightmare!
I would caution anyone to deal with this agency as I believe they are simply not trustworthy
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Email Keith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor communication
We felt that this tour operator had poor communicative and didn’t book our tour or flights as originally expected. We originally booked our November safari with them in March 2024 and paid our 50% deposit at that time. After multiple emails over the next several months asking for confirmation that our flights and lodge had been booked, we found out in September 2024 that the flights hadn’t even been booked yet. We proceeded to book our own flights at that time. We would not recommend this company.
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Email S mathew | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible experience! Abandoned in South Africa after full payment
Horrible Experience – Abandoned in South Africa by Southern African Tours
We had a devastating experience with Southern African Tours, run by Craig and Bianca. We began planning our trip with them over a year in advance, starting in September 2024, for our visit in September 2025. Our payment schedule was as follows:
• First deposit: September 2024
• Second payment (local flights): November 2024
• Final payment: June 2025
Initially, communication with Bianca was good — she was responsive and professional until just after our second payment. After that, she became increasingly difficult to reach. Messages and emails often went unanswered for days or even weeks, and she frequently claimed to be “too busy” to talk.
The worst began right before our departure:
• 5 days before the trip, we asked for a group call to finalize the itinerary. She said “Monday,” then ghosted us.
• The day before departure, we urgently requested our pickup and flight information for our trip to Kruger National Park. No response.
• Upon arriving in Johannesburg, we discovered no local flight reservation was made — we had to book and pay out of pocket, on the spot.
• When we got to our first lodge, we were told our reservation had just been made the day before, and they wouldn’t let us stay unless we paid again for the first two nights.
• The next part of our stay was also a disaster — no transportation or accommodations were arranged, and again, we had to make and pay for our own arrangements.
• Later, we flew from Kruger to Cape Town, only to find out no flights had been booked there either. Once again, we covered everything ourselves.
Essentially, they took our full payment and provided none of the agreed-upon services. We were left stranded multiple times and had to rebook everything ourselves.
We read other reviews that mentioned similar issues but were reassured when we saw Southern African Tours respond defensively, blaming customers or claiming miscommunication. Now we know the truth — do not trust the reviews or their responses.
👉 Based on our experience, we strongly advise against using Southern African Tours.
👉 We felt let down by Craig and Bianca and would not recommend dealing with them.
👉 After paying, we felt abandoned and unsupported during our trip.”
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Email EJ | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They took our money and didn’t plan anything.
We began planning our 2025 trip to South Africa back in September 2024. Originally scheduled earlier, we had to postpone due to friends in our group becoming new grandparents. Bianca and Craig from Southern African Tours came highly recommended, and at first, they lived up to the praise—responding promptly to inquiries and accommodating the adjustments we made nine months ahead of time.
However, as the trip approached, communication began to falter. We were repeatedly assured that a detailed itinerary, including guide names and reservation numbers, would be provided, but we never received it. One week before departure, we managed to speak with Bianca, who again promised to send the necessary details. Unfortunately, nothing ever arrived.
Despite the lack of information, we remained hopeful that everything had been arranged as promised—after all, we had paid in full for the trip, including accommodations and excursions. That hope quickly vanished upon arrival in South Africa, where we discovered that no internal flight reservations had been made. Even more troubling, our accommodations in Kruger and Cape Town had not been booked or paid for.
This was a devastating realization. I have never experienced anything like this with a business. It feels as though they took our money and disappeared. Although Bianca had assured us she’d be available for support during the trip, she has not responded to any of our group’s calls or messages.
Looking back now, some warning signs were there—particularly Craig’s defensive responses to other reviews, which, in hindsight, should have raised concerns.
We’ve been saving for this trip for a long time, and it’s heartbreaking to see our money mishandled like this. Thankfully, members of our group have stepped up to salvage the experience, and we’ve had the opportunity to meet some truly wonderful people here in South Africa. Sadly, we can’t count Craig and Bianca among them.
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Email Sasi P | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beware of This Fraudulent Tour Operator – Avoid at All Costs
We booked an 8-day South Africa luxury trip through Bianca Els and Craig Lucke, and it turned into a nightmare.
Our itinerary included:
• 1 day in Johannesburg
• 4 days in Kruger (Kapama & Ulusaba luxury lodges, 2 nights each)
• 3 days in Cape Town (One&Only hotel)
We paid in full upfront, trusting their promises. Here’s what actually happened:
• Last-Minute Bookings: After weeks of chasing them for confirmations, they finally booked our Johannesburg stay at Four Seasons – but only on the day we arrived.
• No Flight/Resort Confirmations: When we landed in Johannesburg, we repeatedly called Bianca for flight and resort confirmations to head to Kruger. She never responded.
• Excuses & Lies: Craig finally replied saying Bianca had “overdosed,” claimed all bookings were prepaid, and asked us to pay for two nights out of pocket, promising a refund in two days (which never came).
• Nothing Was Paid: When we arrived at Kapama, we discovered the booking had been made just the day before – and nothing was paid for. We then called every other resort and hotel on our itinerary — none were booked.
• False SATSA Membership: Their website claims SATSA membership, but SATSA confirmed their membership is expired.
At this point, it became clear they were running a Ponzi scheme, using client money for other purposes. We essentially paid for their addictions while being stranded.
Adding insult to injury, Craig responds to negative reviews as though they did everything right — a blatant gaslighting tactic.
This experience has completely destroyed our trust in the system and caused massive financial and emotional stress.
Recommendation:
Avoid this couple and their company entirely. Verify memberships directly with SATSA, demand written and prepaid confirmations well before travel, and never transfer large sums upfront without protection.
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Email SMT | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unreliable
A few years ago, 10 of us traveled on safari to Kenya and Tanzania through a different travel agent who went above and beyond. That trip was flawless, which made us excited to try Kruger in South Africa, as it is often considered even better. Sadly, our experience with Bianca Els and Craig Lucke of Southern African Tours was the complete opposite—and it has left us heartbroken.
We first contacted them in September 2024. Craig was responsive in the beginning, but soon handed us off to Bianca, whose replies were slow and inconsistent. After our first deposit, her communication slowed even more. By March 2025, we had paid in full—including domestic flights—for a group of 14, totaling over $56,000 USD, because Bianca said everything had to be paid in advance. From that point, communication nearly stopped. Confirmations never came, and when replies did arrive, they were delayed and filled with excuses.
Two members of our group required visas. Despite repeated requests, Bianca sent only one document, with incorrect information, and gave no real guidance on the requirements. She never even asked if the visas were obtained . She also ignored repeated requests for proper flight and hotel confirmations. Bianca did take a call a few days before our departure to discuss the trip and also again gave assurance she would be available 24/7 and that everything was confirmed. Because this company had come recommended, we trusted her assurances that “everything is taken care of” and boarded our flights to Johannesburg believing our arrangements were secure.
The reality was devastating. Upon arrival, we learned that nothing was booked: no domestic flights, no safari lodges, no activities, no transfers, no dinners. The only exception was a single night at one Johannesburg hotel. We were left scrambling, on our phones at all hours, trying to salvage an 8-day trip for 14 people at the very last minute. This caused incredible stress, disappointment, and financial loss.
During this ordeal, Bianca and Craig never once responded to our messages or calls. Yet when friends back home posed as potential new clients, Bianca replied to them immediately. That contrast was deeply painful and showed us where their priorities truly were.
We also discovered that the company operates under another name, Afrique Australe Tours (PTY) Limited. Their Southern African Tours website displays the SATSA logo, which typically signals credibility, but when I checked directly, I was told they are not current members. Perhaps they once were, but displaying the logo now feels misleading to travelers.
We tried everything during our stay—calls, emails, even asking locals for advice—but there was no accountability or resolution. The staff at the hotels we eventually stayed in were kind and sympathetic, and even they expressed shock that agents representing their country would allow this to happen. Several suggested our only option was to pursue legal action once home.
This experience has not only cost us greatly, but it has also shaken our trust in visiting South Africa at all. It is a beautiful country, and the people we did meet were wonderful—but what happened with Southern African Tours was devastating.
Warning: Based on our experience, we strongly urge travelers to avoid Southern African Tours / Afrique Australe Tours . We relied on them entirely, only to be abandoned, with the $56,000 we paid unused for our trip. We hope sharing this prevents anyone else from going through the same pain.
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Email Loveen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Stole our money
We paid around $60000 total for our group of 14, months ahead of the South Africa tour September 2025 . Craig and Bianca didn’t book anything ( including pick up , local flights, and stay )
We were stranded in a foreign country . We had to book everything ourselves the day before ( higher prices on flight, stays which was not in our itinerary) making it an extremely stressful vacation .
That is a lot of money to steal without any consequences. We don’t want it to happen to anyone else .
Left Stranded in South Africa after using Southern African Tours
Our trip with Southern African Tours (run by Craig and Bianca) turned into a complete disaster. We started planning more than a year in advance (Sept 2024 for travel in Sept 2025) and followed their payment schedule faithfully:
Initial deposit: Sept 2024
Second payment (domestic flights): Nov 2024
Final balance: June 2025
At first, communication was fine. Bianca seemed organized and responsive. But after our second payment, everything went downhill. She became nearly impossible to reach — delays of days or weeks, excuses about being “too busy,” and eventually, total silence.
The real problems began just before departure:
5 days before flying out: We requested a group call to confirm details. She promised Monday — then vanished.
Day before departure: We begged for pickup and flight details. No reply.
Arrival in Johannesburg: No local flight was booked. We had to purchase tickets ourselves at the airport.
First lodge stay: Our reservation had only been made the day before. They demanded we pay again for the first two nights.
Subsequent itinerary: No transfers, no accommodations. We were forced to arrange (and fund) everything on our own.
Cape Town flights: Also never booked. Once again, more last-minute scrambling and out-of-pocket costs.
In short: we paid Southern African Tours in full, but they delivered nothing. We were repeatedly abandoned, overcharged, and left to fend for ourselves.
Looking back, we should have taken other negative reviews more seriously. Their responses always shift blame onto the traveler — now we know why.
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Email George J | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cheated by Craig & Bianca
We began planning our trip to South Africa with a group of family and friends in September 2024. Craig Lucke and Bianca Els of Southern African Tours were contracted to manage the in-country arrangements, including internal flights, hotel accommodations in both Kruger and Cape Town, group transportation in Cape Town, and various excursions.
We made our initial payment in September 2024 and completed the full payment before our departure. However, those in our group responsible for communicating with Craig and Bianca experienced increasing difficulty in getting timely or clear information—especially as the departure date approached. Despite repeated requests, we never received a final itinerary or confirmation numbers for any of the bookings before leaving the U.S.
Upon arrival in South Africa, we discovered that no hotel reservations, internal flights, or excursions had been booked or paid for. We were essentially stranded in a foreign country without any confirmed arrangements. Thankfully, the situation was salvaged—largely due to the efforts of our group members and the kindness of several locals we met along the way.
This was an incredibly stressful and disappointing experience. We have never encountered a situation where a company took full payment and failed to deliver any of the promised services. We strongly advise others to be cautious when considering Southern African Tours.
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Email Gita | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stress Filled Trip
Our group of twelve began planning this trip in Sept 2024 and hired Craig and Bianca of Southern African Tours to organize what we hoped would be a seamless, once-in-a-lifetime Safari and Cape Town experience. Instead, it turned into a stressful and costly ordeal.
After making our final payment in June, we repeatedly requested confirmations for hotels, internal flights, and Cape Town activities. Bianca assured us everything was paid for, but never provided any documentation. Upon arrival, we were shocked to discover that nothing had been paid for at all—no hotels, no flights, no activities.
Bianca stopped responding to all messages, leaving us completely abandoned and in disbelief.
Our first safari lodge confirmed Bianca only called the day BEFORE to request rooms, without payment. She had held our group’s money for nearly a year yet failed to secure a single booking. As a result, we had to pay out of pocket each day at higher last-minute prices for flights, safari resorts, hotels, tour guides, and Cape Town activities. To make matters worse, internal flights were so limited we had to split our group across different planes.
Instead of enjoying the trip we had spent a year looking forward to, we wasted precious hours daily researching, calling, and booking the rest of our own itinerary—tasks we had hired Southern African Tours to manage.
Thankfully, the staff at Kapama Game Reserve went above and beyond to help us find rooms and salvage part of our trip. Their professionalism was the only bright spot in this otherwise mismanaged experience.
Please learn from our mistake: do not use Southern African Tours. They took our money, failed to book or pay for anything, and strung us along with empty promises before going silent.
South Africa is a breathtaking country and truly worth experiencing—but do yourself a favor and use another travel agency that will handle every detail properly and give you the trip of a lifetime.