Understanding Bluerhino Pricing
How Bluerhino Pricing Works
When you look at a Bluerhino quote, you may see a price made up of more than one part — a rand amount, sometimes a euro or US dollar amount, and sometimes a vehicle that is paid separately. That is not to make things complicated. It is the most honest way I know to show you which parts of the price are fixed, and which parts move with things neither of us controls.
On the website I always show an approximate rand value, so you have a budget figure to work with. Behind that figure there are up to three portions, and each one behaves differently.
The rand portion
Guide fees, Bluerhino’s margin, overheads and everything I load at home.
Stays firm
The foreign-currency portion
Costs I pay abroad, quoted in euro or US dollars. Invoiced in rands.
Moves with the exchange rate
Direct costs
Things that are yours, like the motorhome — paid through me at the group rate.
Charged at actual costNot every tour has all three. South African and regional tours are rand only; the longer tours and international tours carry all three.
1. The rand portion — the part that stays firm
These are the costs I pay in rands: my guide fees, Bluerhino’s own margin, the overheads of running the business, and everything I take with from home — firewood, recovery equipment, two-way radios, first aid, tools and supplies.
Because none of it depends on the exchange rate, this is the part of the price I expect to hold. It is worked out on the group size I plan for, so a very different number of people on the trip could move it — but in practice it is very likely to stay exactly as quoted.
2. The foreign-currency portion — linked to the euro or dollar
On the longer international tours, part of what I pay goes out in euro, US dollars or another currency. I quote that part in the currency I pay it in, so you can see exactly how much of the tour is exposed to the exchange rate.
You still pay in rands. If you see a €600 portion on your quote, it is invoiced in rands at the exchange rate on the day of payment. If the rand strengthens, you pay less; if it weakens, you pay more. The euro figure itself does not change — only what it costs in rands.
Most of the exchange-rate correction is made about 30 days before departure, with the final payment. A few costs can only be paid on the day — the Serengeti park entry fees, for example, I can only pay by credit card at the gate — so the rand amount for those is adjusted to the actual cost on the day. You do not pay anything on tour yourself.
3. Direct costs — paid through me, at cost
Some costs belong to you rather than to the tour. On the motorhome tours, that is your motorhome. You pay for it through me, because Bluerhino books several vehicles at once and gets a group discount — and I pass that discount straight on to you.
When I pay the rental company, whatever comes off the Bluerhino bank statement is what the motorhome cost, and that is what you pay. The estimate on your quote is adjusted to the actual transaction once it shows on our statement. No mark-up, and no guessing.
Putting it together
| Portion | Quoted as | ≈ Rand |
|---|---|---|
| Rand portion | R38,100 × 2 | R76,200 |
| Euro portion | €630 × 2 = €1,260 | ±R23,462 |
| Motorhome (whole vehicle) | €175 × 17 nights = €2,975 | ±R55,395 |
| Total for two, before fuel and flights | ±R155,057 | |
| If the euro costs… | Rand portion | Euro portion | Motorhome | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R17.50 | R76,200 | R22,050 | R52,063 | R150,313 |
| R18.62 | R76,200 | R23,462 | R55,395 | R155,057 |
| R20.00 | R76,200 | R25,200 | R59,500 | R160,900 |
Notice the first column never changes. Only the parts that are genuinely paid in euro move — and they can move in your favour as easily as against it. The rates above are illustrations, not forecasts.
What this means for you
- The rand figure is the one to plan around. It is very unlikely to change.
- A euro or dollar figure is fixed in that currency. Only its rand value moves with the exchange rate.
- Direct costs are passed on at actual cost, with the Bluerhino group discount included.
- You always pay in rands. You never need foreign currency to pay me.
- Tours far in the future carry an early-pricing note. The final price is confirmed within 12 months of departure.
If anything on your quote is unclear, ask me. I would rather explain a number twice than have you guess.
See also How Booking a Bluerhino Tour Works and the Bluerhino Cancellation Policy.