Rocket Internet launches online hotel booking service Jovago in Nigeria

I am starting to think that Nigeria is Rocket Internet’s new pet project. You can’t really blame them, with Africa’s biggest population, an obsession with tech and people who like to spend, it’s an easy fit. The company today announced the launch of Jovago — an online hotel booking service in Nigeria.

According to a release by Rocket, Jovago offers around 140 000 hotels worldwide that users can choose from and its free.

“Jovago provides all information about hotels, as well as means to compare different options and find the ideal location. In Nigeria the portfolio consists of over 200 hotels. Customers have the option to choose between paying at the hotel or using the secure online payment option — without any booking fees,” says the release.

The service seems easy enough, sign up for an account and get booking, users can also change their currency for easier use. What’s interesting is that the service is a direct competitor to another hospitality startup in the country, Hotels.ng, which offers similar services.

Rocket is mixing things up with Jovago by launching it under its Africa arm, Africa Internet Holding, which it says has committed to “launch and run successful internet ventures to accelerate the online shift in Africa”.

According to the company, the hotel-booking market in Nigeria is currently unsorted. “It lacks convenient solutions for booking accommodation — using time-consuming booking agencies and walking up directly to hotels is still commonplace,” says Jovago.

“Jovago provides the easiest way to make travel arrangements. This will help business people and travelers find reliable accommodation everywhere. We are about to fundamentally change the hotel booking market in Nigeria by creating the safest and most convenient experience. Jovago is the best place to find a hotel in Africa,” Jeremy Hodara, co-CEO Africa Internet Holding.

Jovago’s 50-person team will operate out of Lagos but will focus on expanding the business to the rest of Africa as well.

Rocket Internet currently has six ventures in Nigeria, including online ecommerce powerhouse, Jumia, and taxi hailing service, Easy Taxi — most of which are invested through Africa Internet Holding.