Travelstart founder and CEO Stephan Ekbergh.
Online travel booking Web site, Travelstart has bought a majority stake in Cape Town-based SafariNow.com.
Established in 1999, SafariNow is one of SA’s largest accommodation booking Web sites, representing accommodation over both the informal (self-catering and vacation rentals) and formal sector (hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts).
The acquisition, according to Travelstart, is part of the company’s strategy to reshape the online travel industry in Africa, by making it more professional, transparent and to combat challenges around payments and content aggregation.
The acquisition of SafariNow’s 40-man team will see Travelstart fast-track the growth of its accommodation offering, adds the company.
Travelstart founder and CEO Stephan Ekbergh explains: “We want to supercharge our accommodation offering and with more than 23 000 listings on SafariNow, we can give our customers much better choices.
“SafariNow have a history, and they’re one…