My bet is he was pulling your leg. RSA is the most industrialized and civilized country in Africa and there is very little really wild country there and even less free ranging dangerous game. With the exception of the areas around Kruger most hunting is on big blocks of private land that also do some livestock operations. Leopard and hyena aren't tolerated. So based on personal experience hunting RSA twice, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Cameroon I'd say the guy was trying to impress you.