A big game hunter who has been leading safaris in different parts of Africa for decades has died after an elephant collapsed on top of him during a hunt.

Theunis Botha led his first guided hunting safari through South Africa's grasslands in 1989. A college student at the time, he used the money he received to help put himself through school.

An elephant reportedly fell on top of Botha after one of his companions fired at it. Credit:AP

Over the following 28 years, Botha expanded his college side-gig into a full-fledged business, setting up private hunting ranches in Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and elsewhere, and drawing clients from around the world. He won a reputation as a sought-after specialist in leopard and lion hunting, and pioneered a new method of using hounds to track big game, according to his hunting company's website.

On Friday, after countless treks into the African wilderness, the 51-year-old embarked on his final hunt.