Tipping in Tanzania | Expert Africa

Tipping in Tanzania

‘How, who and how much should we tip on safari in Tanzania?’ That’s a common question from travellers, so we’ve put together the following guidelines. Along with the general etiquette of tipping in Tanzania, we’ve highlighted the various points to consider, which we hope will help you to avoid awkward situations.

Tanzania’s economy: issues with tipping

Tipping in Tanzania should always depend on the quality of service received, and it is your choice whether or not to tip. Of course we encourage our travellers to appreciate good service, but we also try to make them aware of the impact of tipping on the local community.

For those working in the service industry in Tanzania, including waiters, guides and trackers, tips can form a significant part of their income. However, there is a fine balance between tipping enough, and tipping too much. You may not think that tipping too much could cause problems, but excessive tips can throw out the balance of the local economy.

To understand this better, consider the work of a senior park ranger. To achieve this status requires a high level of education and knowledge, as well as several years’ experience in different national parks. If done properly, this is a very important role, and a fair wage is paid for the job, but government-employed rangers aren’t usually top earners. Yet both the parks and their visitors benefit if educated and competent people are appointed to this kind of post.

Conversely, a safari camp assistant, who helps out generally and perhaps carries bags for guests, is also very necessary. Yet s/he doesn’t need to be so educated, or to have as much experience as a ranger, and s/he certainly won’t have the same level of responsibility or the same salary. So consider the effect if such a worker gets massive tips – totalling, say, US$500 a month. If that happens, there’s a very real possibility that s/he will end up earning more than the park’s ranger.

In this case, the local balance of responsibility and remuneration is distorted by the tips – which are too high. If this happened too often, it would remove the incentive for a ranger to work harder and take on more responsibility – and could well see park rangers giving up their jobs to become camp assistants, to the detriment of the park and its visitors.

So before you tip, do try to bear in mind the importance and extent of the work someone is doing for you, and remember to keep your tips proportionate.

Who to tip and when on a Tanzania safari

It’s important to know who would appreciate a tip on a safari, as there are many people working to make your travel a success. Consider:

Tipping guides

Tipping the ‘team’ of staff

Do I tip the managers?

To summarise, normally in Tanzania you tip your guide separately, as you’ll spend most of the time with him or her, and the rest of the staff together. It is unusual to tip the camp manager.

When to tip

Another frequently asked question is the best time to give tips. There are three options:

After each activity
At the end of each day
At the end of your stay

Best practice is always to tip just once, and always at the end of your stay at each safari lodge or camp.

Your guides won’t expect you to tip after each activity, and doing so could put pressure on them to ‘perform’ for the guest who is tipping – while probably distorting the relationship between him/her and the guests as a whole. It would certainly put your fellow guests in a very difficult position if you were offering tips this frequently, and they were not.

How to tip

The most common way how to tip in Tanzania is to use the ‘tip box’ that most camps offer. However, sometimes the box will be for all the staff, and sometimes for the staff excluding the guides; each camp has its own policy.

Some camps explain their policy in writing and leave it in their rooms. If not, ask the manager if there’s a tip box and, if so, who shares the proceeds. Then it’s up to you whether to put everything into the box, or to tip some team members individually. In most Tanzanian camps, guides, trackers and butlers are usually tipped direct, while other staff benefit from the ‘general staff tip box’. But this varies, so do ask!

It’s most common to tip in cash, ideally Tanzanian shillings or US dollars. Although some camps offer the option to tip by credit card, this depends on their accounting practices and their ability to process cards. Tipping by card isn’t the norm in Tanzania, and it can make it difficult to direct your tips to specific members of staff.

For travellers willing to think ahead, it can work well to bring a small supply of envelopes, perhaps with a card inside on which a ‘thank you’ could be written. Then towards the end of your stay, you can address the envelopes for the individuals or groups of staff whom you wish to tip, put the appropriate amount into each, and either hand them out or put them into the general tip box.

How much to tip

The amounts we suggest here are just guidelines based on our experience of safaris in Tanzania. Tipping is a matter of personal opinion and individual satisfaction – moderated by some understanding of the issues mentioned above.

Given that, we’d recommend that for good service, our travellers tip around:

US$8–10 per guest per day for a group guide
US$8–10 per guest per day for a private guide
US$8–10 per guest per day for the hotel or safari camp, which is then distributed amongst camp staff (excluding safari guides)
US$3–5 per city transfer

In reference to the impact on the economy, note that the gross national income (GNI) in Tanzania is about US$2.49 per person per day. This is a reflection of the average income of Tanzania’s citizens.

By contrast, the equivalent GNI in the UK is about US$118.74; in the United States about USS150.58; in New Zealand about US$109.80; and in Germany about US$125.45.

In conclusion, we want to highlight that while tipping is a sensitive issue, there is no need to feel embarrassed as it is a normal part of the service industry in Tanzania. But please remember that relatively affluent visitors can have a big impact on the local economy. Tipping unwisely can distort the economic and social balance, so we would ask you to keep that in mind when you tip the staff during your safari in Tanzania.

Our top picks for holidays to Tanzania

We'll always tailor-make your Safari for you. Here are some of our favourites to inspire you.

Marabou Stork Fly-in Safari

13 days • 5 locations
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Four luxurious camps enable exploration of Tanzania’s north and southern regions. With a range of land- and water-based activities available throughout, decidedly comfortable accommodation and applicable long-stay discounts, this adventurous safari is excellent value.

US$17,640 - US$25,560 per person

Flufftail Guided Safari

10 days • 3 locations
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Stay in three unique camps as you safari across the Ngorongoro Crater and the iconic Serengeti Plains with your private guide and 4WD vehicle: a trip of comfort and autonomy, with excellent wildlife.

US$13,020 - US$18,460 per person

Firefinch Drive-Fly Safari

9 days • 3 locations
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Enjoy a combination of privately guided and shared game drives during this good-value exploration of northern Tanzania. Explore game-dense regions from three comfortable bases which offer a variety of activities.

US$8,840 - US$10,760 per person

Jackal Fly-in Safari

8 days • 2 locations
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Enjoy a range of activities on this luxury fly-in safari. Explore the remoter regions of Ruaha National Park and Nyerere National Park with phenomenal guides during stays at two impressively comfortable camps that remain perfectly in keeping with their surroundings.

US$9,340 - US$12,080 per person

Chimpanzee Fly-in Safari

8 days • 3 locations
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Combining two of the remotest parks in Tanzania, this safari can deliver extraordinary wildlife viewing in Katavi, and East Africa's best chimp treks, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

US$13,190 - US$16,530 per person

Tinkerbird Fly-in Safari

8 days • 4 locations
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Explore Tanzania’s famous northern circuit in Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park. Four smart sister camps offer a high level of care, first-class guiding and a wide range of activities.

US$9,640 - US$14,140 per person

Secretary Bird Fly-in Safari

8 days • 4 locations
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Chosen for comfort and relaxation as much as for its range of activities, this safari makes for a leisurely trip featuring stunning accommodation and swift access to many of northern Tanzania’s best wildlife regions.

US$12,990 - US$18,080 per person

Topi Fly-in Safari

7 days • 2 locations
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Explore Nyerere National Park and Ruaha National Park from two luxurious, colonially styled camps. Chosen for their access to good game viewing and thrilling remoteness, these camps also offer a range of varied safari activities.

US$6,870 - US$7,420 per person

Spotted Hyena Fly-in Safari

7 days • 2 locations
DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT TO DAR ES SALAAM AIRPORT

Stay in one of Nyerere National Park's best safari camps before experiencing a truly authentic tented camp in Ruaha. Remote locations, superb guiding and a range of activities await guests during this comfortable fly-in safari.

US$7,400 - US$10,300 per person

Fringe-eared Oryx Fly-in Safari

7 days • 3 locations
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Stay in three superbly positioned camps during this exploration of Tanzania’s famous northern circuit. Excellent views over the surrounding areas, relatively remote locations and game-rich habitat make for an exciting and varied safari experience.

US$7,300 - US$14,860 per person

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