1. The first and most important tip I found in the articles regardes the tour guide. Seeing as this person is essentially the brains of the operation, I thought this was the first step. This person know all about the wildlife that you would encounter on the trip, and should be aware of your intentions (to capture photos, not just go see a lion and go back to camp when it gets hot). They also (I would think) would be knowledgable about the behaviors of the animals and can let you know when the best times to see them would be. Overall, I found this to be one of the most important things to consider in a safari trip.

2. Another thing I think is important is the vehicle you ride in. You should do your best to get your own vehicle, and if not, then avoid tourists or other people with different goals than you at all costs. This can be a huge distraction, and impatience and different prioritites can cause huge problems and your pictures can suffer greatly.

3. Memory! A huge part in a succesful trip would be that you have sufficien memory cards to hold your photos. This way, you don't have to limit yourself on how many pictures you take and can spend more time focusing on the environment you're in and taking the best photos you can.

4. Another important element to consider is support of your cameras. As mentioned in the articles, many parts of Africa have strict rules and regulations on means of travel through parks and other wildlife environments. They often won't allow off roading and require drivers to stay on provided paths. Because of this, most photos must be taken while still in the vehicle. This would make it pretty difficult to use the support of a tripod, so instead bean bags can be used to support cameras and lenses in the vehicle. This way, you can ensure your expensive cameras and lenses' quality won't be wasted due to a shake shot.

5. Lastly, it can't be forgotten that you're in a very dry, hot, and dusty part of the world; so keeping your equipment clean is essential. Packing along cases to protect your camera when not in use, using a shower cap to cover elements of the camera when shooting, and bringing a microfiber cloth to wipe off loose dust is a good idea.