Serving the Hunter in the Western Cape Since 1984

Forty years ago (in 1984), The Cape Hunters and Game Conservation Association (KAAPJAG) was established through the selfless efforts of a handful of hunters who saw the need to create an organisation with the express purpose of protecting their freedom to hunt. Through their efforts they ensured, not only their freedom to hunt but also pioneered an institution that has grown into an organisation we can today, truly be proud of! 

KAAPJAG honours and celebrates the visionary efforts and legacy these hunters have trailblazed. Today, only a handful of founding members are still with the Association and actively pursuing the dream of defending their freedom to hunt 40 years ago. These humble beginnings set the stage for KAAPJAG to become a leading force for hunters in the Western Cape.  

The journey from 1984 to 2024

KAAPJAG has become a successful hunting and shooting association. Our main objective remains the promotion of responsible hunting. Initially, the growth in members was rather slow, but the men and women who became members of this prestigious institution back then, all shared the same objective as their founding counterparts, namely: 

To exist for the sake of defending our freedom to hunt. 

During the early 21st century, the landscape changed dramatically. Hunting and sport shooting associations were tasked with the added responsibility of certifying dedicated hunters and sport shooters. This responsibility was placed on our association by the Firearms Control Act of 2000 which required accreditation with the SA Police Services as an accredited hunting, and later, sport shooting association in terms of the provisions of the aforementioned Act. The creation of two separate classes of members placed an added burden on our resources as the association now had to set in place a procedure and system of distinguishing between the “Occasional” and “Dedicated” members. 

The new Firearms Control Act initiated a tremendous growth in our membership and KAAPJAG can rightly say that it embraced the new challenges with vigour and success. Members who obtained dedicated status through our Association, could in terms of the Act, own an unlimited number of firearms for hunting and sport shooting as long as their dedicated status remained compliant and in good standing with the Association. This however changed the essence and purpose of our existence from not only existing to defend our freedom to hunt, but also as an avenue through which members could justify their existing and additional firearms. In time and sadly so, the latter purpose overshadowed the initial pure principles on which we were founded.

Overcoming Complex Challenges

As time progressed, we became acutely aware that the threats against our freedom to hunt, shoot and own firearms, became more organised and has now morphed into the creation of a well-organised international anti-hunting, anti-firearm lobby. These organisations are generously funded internationally by emotional philanthropists and other non-governmental institutions that have one woke and emotional purpose only and that is to destroy hunting and firearm ownership in all its forms. 

While we are busy licensing a new hunting rifle, believing our membership to KAAPJAG is only to justify this new rifle, the antis are working relentlessly to deprive us of our most basic cultural activity of hunting and firearm ownership. The realisation that membership transcends our immediate need of supporting a new firearm licence application is vital. We need to become less indifferent to the fact that there is a bigger picture, namely: 

The threat against our freedom to hunt, without which the firearms we own today, will become redundant. 

Education is Key

Membership to KAAPJAG is NOT akin to getting a firearm licence approved. Rather, it is about serving the cause of defending your freedom to hunt. Think of the next generation and how they will view our lackadaisical attitude towards protecting this freedom. 

Please, do not become a member of our Association to justify ownership of your new firearm and think that existing members will serve the cause on your behalf. 

Partnering for success

To effectively defend your freedom to hunt and your freedom to own firearms, we need to stand together and support the organisations working behind the scenes for this purpose. 

Tirelessly and with limited resources, we are fighting tooth and nail to defend our freedoms. In support of this, KAAPJAG has since our founding, affiliated with CHASA (The Confederation of Hunting Associations of Southern Africa), whose purpose is to protect our interests at a national and international level. 

CHASA in turn, was a founding member of the Sustainable Use Coalition of Southern Africa (SUCo-SA) with a much larger footprint than our own, with the express purpose of defending our freedom to sustainably use the animals we hunt as well as all other forms of resource use. 

If KAAPJAG is fortunate enough to exist for another forty years, we are going to need members who care about the bigger picture. 

We know that we can count on your support!

The KAAPJAG Credo

We aim to promote the knowledge of the love of wildlife and nature while practising and promoting good amateur sportsmanship in hunting.  We are dedicated to actively guard against the destruction of wildlife and nature. 

Furthermore, we are committed to adhering to all laws, ordinances, by-laws, and official directives on the conservation of fauna and flora.

READ OUR CREDO HERE