The prevailing message throughout conversations at the Web in Travel conference held at Cape Town’s Innovation City last week was that technology has the power to transform the travel industry. But whether it’s AI, e-commerce, or payments technology being deployed in Africa, it will require unique thinking to cater for its various markets and customer demands.
Christian Bombrun, CEO of Digital Platforms for MTN, said 287 million people accessed the Internet through mobile in Africa. With good network coverage, which is growing “super-fast” in Africa, and smartphone penetration of 55%, mobile connectivity dominates in the African market.
This dominance is also reflected in mobile service providers’ foray into other digital services such as financial services and marketing.
While mobile is definitely king, Bayo Adedeji, CEO of Wakanow, Nigeria’s largest online travel platform, said in the African market, operators still needed to consider a hybrid business model in which…