Learn about our

Hunting Heritage

An exclusive Safari with the Umdende Team is like no other.

Filled with laughter, fun, great food and most important, good ethical hunting exploring the unique and amazing hunting areas our great country has to offer. A member of my passionate and expert team will always accompany you on your Safari, from pick-up at the airport to drop off, ensuring a safe and trouble free adventure, together.

  • Where We Started
  • Where we are now
  • Where we are going

The parents of Clayton Comins’ (Owner and Outfitter) started their own Bird Hunting business in South Africa, many years ago, Game Bird Safaris. Trevor (Clayton’s Dad) spent many years as a child in the wilds of Africa living and speaking the Zulu culture. His early days were spent in the mountains with his fellow Zulu friends and his prized ‘katty’ (sling-shot), he then quickly upgraded to an air rifle and became a true marksman. The days hunt would be cooked over an open fire and celebrated with Zulu Praise songs, these songs Trevor still sings to his Grandchildren. Trevor went on to work for the local Natal Parks Board, now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. He was actively involved with the first Rhino capture in Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park. Trevor spent his days walking in the Bushveld guiding and monitoring the Reserves and learning about conservation. It was here that Trevor gained invaluable knowledge about our Wildlife and dealing with International guests. Colette Comins (Claytons’ Mom) raised 3 children in these Reserves, in between the wild animals being at her back door and them pulling her washing off the lines.  Trevor and Colette then took the leap away from the norm of offering Dangerous game and Plains game hunting, to open the first Bird Hunting operation in South Africa. Colette took her Professional Hunters (P.H.) licence, making her the first lady P.H. in South Africa. The Comins family lives by the motto – We Hunt to Fish…. And they still do, spending their working days hunting and their playing days fishing all over Africa. And this is where it all started.

Clayton and his siblings, Camilla and Jason, grew up in much the same way as their Dad Trevor did. Sling-shot in hand, fishing rod in the other, and disappearing into the mountains till well after sunset to hunt, fish, play and of course cause some trouble. Being a farm-boy, Clayton had no passion for the city life, fancy degrees or the need for any material possessions – he just wanted to hunt and fish. So after completing school he joined his Dad to help run their successful bird hunting operation Game Bird Safaris, and never left. Clayton married his high-school sweetheart and best friend Debbie in a traditional Zulu-style wedding on his parent’s farm. Debbie supports Clayton all the way and when she gets out of the office she also enjoys a bit of hunting. During this time Clayton also started and managed a Game Farm, gaining the best knowledge of both hunting worlds – Game Conservation and Bird Conservation. With this combined knowledge he took over from his Dad, now retired and fishing, and this gave birth to Clayton and Debbie’s business – Umdende Hunting Safaris (Umdende is the Zulu name for a unique Red Leaf Rock Fig Tree found in our area).

Clayton and Debbie’s business Umdende Hunting Safaris is an example of a business that has been created by family support, a long history of hunting, a passion and love for nature, and an excellent Team of staff. Their two children are Liam (his Zulu name is Siphandla which is a ‘Zulu wedding band’) and Camilla (her Zulu name is Mbali meaning ‘Flower’)… by the way Clayton’s Zulu name is Magangane meaning ‘the naughty one’. Liam and Camilla are the third generation of our hunting family, and by the looks of things….they are following directly behind Gampie (Trevor) and Dad (Clayton) with their passion for the outdoors, animals, conservation and hunting….  Stay tuned as the next chapter unfolds and we look forward to sharing these experiences with our clients and friends from around the world!

  • My fiance and I booked a hunting trip/excursions through Umdende and were very pleased. Clayton worked hard to ensure Arthur had a good hunt and they booked horseback riding, safari, scuba diving and a cheetah experience for me. They also booked a Tiger fishing day for us. This is what makes them unique from other outfitters. They worked with us so both Arthur and I would have a great experience. It was a pleasure getting to know them and we look forward to our next visit.

    Lynne Glynn Avatar Lynne Glynn
    24/04/2017

    Wonderful people with excellent food, accommodation and experiences. This is a small, family-run operation that has a tremendous variety of travel options that are good for beginner and seasoned traveler alike. Let Umdende help you with your next trip to South Africa.

    Don Clark Avatar Don Clark
    23/04/2018

    Highly Recommend!!! The entire staff made my first trip to South Africa so memorable! While the guys hunted, us girls got to do a tour of Kruger National Park, as well as a few other things that the staff set up and organized for us. It was honestly amazing!! The food, people, accommodations - everything was perfect! Definitly one of my favourite trips!

    Alicia Marie Avatar Alicia Marie
    24/04/2019
  • I had a awesome time with Clayton and his staff. The accommodations and food were delicious. Now to the important part the bird hunting was amazing. I had a amazing time collecting my specific species we connected on every opportunity. Africa is amazing with always something else to collect in the future. Thanks Clayton and Umdende Safaris

    Rich Turner Avatar Rich Turner
    24/12/2022

    Writing this on behalf of my husband Gerry who recently return from his trip with Umdende Hunting Safaris he says it was an well organized, good time, good food awesome trip. Accomodations very comfortable and Clayton and Theo put them on lots of trophy animals and seen lots of trophy animals. A Big 5 + stars to the staff as the Hospitality was unbelievable he highly recommends them. Thanks again for a great trip!

    Irene Purcell Avatar Irene Purcell
    24/03/2019

    What an incredible experience from the accommodation to the fishing and the exquisite food. Clayton and his team and his team made our long weekend one we will never forget. We hope to see you guys again soon!

    Ashley Matheson Avatar Ashley Matheson
    29/09/2020
  • I've been fortunate to have hunted in Africa many times, in three different countries, since 1987. I have hunted in all South African provinces, except one, and hunted in 4 different provinces with Clayton and Garth, and all the great people that work with them at Umdende. Together, we have taken some great trophies and made some awesome memories. The Umdende team will go to great lengths, to make sure you have a trip of a lifetime. They make sure that you are well taken care of, and I guarantee that once you hunt with the Umdende team, you will be back for more. The awesome accommodations, excellent meals, as well as local wines and beers (I've been known to have a couple) are second to none. The hunting is fantastic, and Clayton and Garth will do their very best to get you on the game. I have hunted some very hard to obtain trophies with Clayton, and we've always come right, hunting hard and the proper way to do it. Just ask him about the bushbuck, bushpig, oribi and caracal. All awesome hunts, I will be back soon, and thanks for everything, Clayton, Debbie, Garth and Tenneil, and the rest of the Umdende team. Johnny Fidler

    John Fidler Avatar John Fidler
    26/05/2016

    Highly Recommend!!! The entire staff made my first trip to South Africa so memorable! While the guys hunted, us girls got to do a tour of Kruger National Park, as well as a few other things that the staff set up and organized for us. It was honestly amazing!! The food, people, accommodations - everything was perfect! Definitly one of my favourite trips!

    Alicia Marie Avatar Alicia Marie
    15/03/2019

    Absolutely 10 out of 10 company.. the Hospitality the friendliness and the hunting and quality of the game was more then expected.. book with Clayton , you can't go wrong top notch in every way

    Jack Ouellette Avatar Jack Ouellette
    24/03/2023
  • Loved it!!!

    Kelly Wandile Avatar Kelly Wandile
    26/05/2019

    I was only able to hunt one day with Umdende Safaris. It was a very long day, with the whole team working very hard to make my day amazing. My wife anf I will be back to hunt with them again, but for a much longer time. We can't wait.

    William Woody Avatar William Woody
    22/02/2020

    Awesome people and great shooting.

    Mike Odell Avatar Mike Odell
    20/06/2021
  • Wij zijn net terug van een weekje wing shooting met Umdende safaris en het was onvergetelijk. Alles was super georganiseerd! Van de lodges en hun personeel, de ritjes naar de jachtvelden, de wapens, de Ph'es. Gewoonweg alles! Ik zou deze organisatie aan iedereen aanbevelen die een soortgelijke trip van plan is! Wij gaan zeker een keertje terug! Vriendelijk groeten aan Clayton en het ganse team!

    Wesley Dillen Avatar Wesley Dillen
    26/06/2022

    Although flight delays had our party members arriving day(s) late and lost baggage issues on the way.... Upon arriving in South Africa Clayton and his staff bent over backwards to help with any issues we had with the airlines and luggage. Great folks who work hard to make your experience the best it can possibly be! If they tell you something, you can count on it being right.

    Max Carr Avatar Max Carr
    24/06/2022

    Outstanding Hunting Safari!!

    Tenneil Lee Avatar Tenneil Lee
    26/05/2016
  • 3 friends and I did a wing shooting and fishing trip with Umdende. What a great experience. The lodge at Bivane was incredible and the staff, Chantal and Tjupie (sp?), made us feel like family. The wing shoots were amazing. Clayton sets up a variety of experiences with wind shooting and was very responsive when I asked to take a day to hunt kudu. The food was fantastic!

    Bill Thoet Avatar Bill Thoet
    26/05/2018

    Hands down the best bird shoot I've ever been on, Clayton and his team are professional and will not disappoint. Well done and thank you to Clayton and his team.

    Roy Matheson Avatar Roy Matheson
    22/07/2019

    Don and I had a great safari with Umdende Safaris. We won our hunt in a Duck’s Unlimited auction in Frisco, Texas. We didn’t plan going into the auction that we would be bidding at all… and walked out with an African Safari. The camp was an old farmer’s house and it was very nice. It had a kitchen, bar, fire pit, the usual! It was actually nicer than the lodges/accommodations I had previously been exposed to in Africa. I had briefed Don that accommodations would be ‘rustic’. Oh well. The first evening of the hunt we grilled and enjoyed a fire. The cook was fabulous. Day 1 was tough hunting. We had a missed shot as well. On Day 2 - Don and Theo (PH) took a magnificent Zebra and an Impala with a rifle in the morning. While glassing I spotted a nice Nyala and we went after him instead. We had to wade across a shallow river to get up to him. We weren’t sure where he would be as we lost his location in the vegetation/elevation lines after we crossed the river but it turns out we came out behind him with the wind perfect. After a further brief stalk, I had a 50-yard archery opportunity that I nailed. He went 15 yards and I had a nice 28” Nyala on the ground. Later in the afternoon Don took a very nice Red Hartebeest with a 250 yard plus shot. In the afternoon of the 2nd day I tried a stalk on a Warthog that Theo had tried to rifle hunt with his young son, but he busted me at 67 yards. I also tried stalks on Impala two or three times and got close but with thick vegetation I could not get an arrow off. Don and Theo took a break and drank Castle beer while I was playing Elmer Fudd with a bow. On the third day Don took a nice Mountain Reedbuck in the morning. It was a high scoring Mountain Reedbuck which wasn’t on his wish list, but Theo’s correct assertion that it was a magnificent trophy sold Don. I decided to try for that same Warthog again but this time with a rifle 😊, I took the nice Warthog and then went after an Impala with a rifle as well. I took a nice Impala in the late afternoon. On the fourth day of the hunt we switched to duck/goose hunting. I’ve never hunted waterfowl in Africa so didn’t know what to expect. Umdende and Theo did a great job setting us up for the morning hunt. We shot 41 ducks and geese with two guns. Shooting was hot and steady and ‘Argentine-esque’ until about 9AM or so, then it tapered off. In the evening we had another great shoot, this time over decoys but with a very high tail wind to deal with. Our shooting was high volume but the percentages dropped heavily due to the wind. That evening we had a duck breast dinner. All and all this was one of the best waterfowl days of my life and waterfowl was my first passion in hunting. We travelled to Limpopo on Day five. We stayed in a rustic but nice fenced bush camp. Next up on my list was Sable. Umdende had worked their network and found an exceptional Sable bull on a farm where the owner had just authorized it to be hunted. We went there and found him almost immediately. Regretfully I didn’t have a great archery performance here. My first arrow sailed over his back. My second arrow was a wound shot, but about an hour later and with the PH’s great assistance I finally had him down. Honestly, I have to admit I had buck fever here after decades of hunting and bowhunting. I think everyone telling me what a monster he was along with a truck load of spectators observing from distance got in my head. It ended up well and the Sable green-scored 111.75” by an un-official scorer. Things got tough at this point. Don’s #1 sought after animal had always been Gemsbok. We hunted hard for this animal for two days. On the last day of our safari we all agreed to hunt until 11 AM. Don was able to make the shot and we were on our way to the airport . We both had wish lists of animals to hunt and we both got everything we sought. The duck hunting was fabulous to boot.

    Rick Thompson Avatar Rick Thompson
    26/05/2019
  • What a professional set up, Thank you Clayton to you and your team.

    Roy Matheson Avatar Roy Matheson
    29/09/2020

    My first safari in South Africa was with Umdende Hunting Safaris and I had an incredible experience. The accomodations and facilities were first class. Clayton and his team of PHs were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Their knowledge of the areas we hunted and the game was excellent. The trackers were anazing in their ability to read and interpret sign. Myself and my hunting partners all took excellent trophies and I am already planning my return trip! Cheers - Jeff Eno

    Jeff Eno Avatar Jeff Eno
    14/12/2018

    Once in a lifetime experience hunting with them.

    Alex Boris Avatar Alex Boris
    26/05/2018
  • My first safari in South Africa was with Umdende Hunting Safaris and I had an incredible experience. The accomodations and facilities were first class. Clayton and his team of PHs were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Their knowledge of the areas we hunted and the game was excellent. The trackers were anazing in their ability to read and interpret sign. Myself and my hunting partners all took excellent trophies and I am already planning my return trip! Cheers - Jeff Eno

    Jeff Eno Avatar Jeff Eno
    15/03/2018

    This was by far one of the best bird shoots that i have had the privilege of being part of. Clayton to you and your team excellent job, well planned and set out. Colette and Jason the food was tops and your all round family like hospitality was out the top draw. I look forward to joining you all again soon.

    Ryan De Matteis Avatar Ryan De Matteis
    09/07/2020

    I have just gotten back from our trip to South Africa with Umdende Hunting Safari’s. To say it was a dream trip come true is an understatement! We were a group of 10- 6 hunters and 4 non-hunting pain in the butt women. From the planning stages to the trip itself, Clayton was super accommodating and went above and beyond to make sure us girls had a great time. They organized a private safari trip to Krugar National Park for two days, boat trips, excursions for shopping, and a cat sanctuary where we were able to get up close and personal with lions and tigers. Back at camp we were spoiled rotten with wine and drinks and food preferences. The accommodations exceeded my expectations and the staff was amazing; I so very much enjoyed our evenings spent together eating and drinking and sharing stories. To Clayton, Theo, Francois, Nells, Audrey and Henk (especially for having to put up with us girls for two days in the car) thank you so so so much! I will never forget this amazing experience and really hope to see you all again. It was a PLEASURE!!!

    Erin Libke Avatar Erin Libke
    16/03/2019
  • Best hunting experience around👍

    Ivan Botes Avatar Ivan Botes
    26/05/2018

    Just back from a cracking week hosted by Umdende - great shooting (and lots of it), good food and excellent guides. Many thanks Mark, Clayton, Theo and team.

    Paul Chapman Avatar Paul Chapman
    22/05/2023

    I have just gotten back from our trip to South Africa with Umdende Hunting Safari’s. To say it was a dream trip come true is an understatement! We were a group of 10- 6 hunters and 4 non-hunting pain in the butt women. From the planning stages to the trip itself, Clayton was super accommodating and went above and beyond to make sure us girls had a great time. They organized a private safari trip to Krugar National Park for two days, boat trips, excursions for shopping, and a cat sanctuary where we were able to get up close and personal with lions and tigers. Back at camp we were spoiled rotten with wine and drinks and food preferences. The accommodations exceeded my expectations and the staff was amazing; I so very much enjoyed our evenings spent together eating and drinking and sharing stories. To Clayton, Theo, Francois, Nells, Audrey and Henk (especially for having to put up with us girls for two days in the car) thank you so so so much! I will never forget this amazing experience and really hope to see you all again. It was a PLEASURE!!!

    Erin Libke Avatar Erin Libke
    15/03/2019

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