Pan-African Booking Player Travelstart Buys SafariNow in Lodging Play
Photo Credit: This rental apartment in the towers in the City Bowl of Cape Town, South Africa, has mountain views and is bookable for a stay via SafariNow, which has been acquired by larger rival Travelstart. SafariNow
Skift Take
Regionally focused online travel success stories are as rare as rhinos in the wild these days. But this merger of two South African players may help an endangered species — independent-booking players — keep thriving in a market where so much is dominated by the global duopoly, the Priceline Group and Expedia.
Cape Town-based online travel player Travelstart bought a majority stake in SafariNow.com, the biggest accommodation booking site for South Africa and East Africa, Skift has learned.
The transaction means that Travelstart will get to move from primarily selling flights to having more local accommodation inventory than either Priceline Group or Expedia Inc., the companies said.
Contrary to its name, SafariNow only offers a smattering of safari trips and is mostly an accommodation booking site, primarily serving South Africans journeying within South Africa.
SafariNow will retain its brand, business model, and 40-person team, said Travelstart’s founder and CEO Stephan Ekbergh.
The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. SafariNow has not taken venture firm funding.
In 2016, Travelstart received $40 million investment co-led by Amadeus Capital, and MTN
