Competition Commission gives nod to Travelstart acquisition of Club Travel Group

Travelstart has completed its acquisition of Southern Africa’s Club Travel Group for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition, which sees Travelstart wholly acquiring the Club Travel Group and its subsidiaries, was first announced in June (see this story) and the deal was subject to the approval of South Africa’s Competition Commission. The transaction has now been formally completed and approved.

Travelstart said in a statement today that the acquisition will boost Travelstart’s offering by adding Club Travel’s established complementary corporate and franchise divisions to create one of Africa’s largest, full-service travel groups.

The Competition Commission has approved Travelstart’s acquisition of the Club Travel Group and its subsidiaries

Club Travel will continue as a standalone company within the Travelstart portfolio.

Thebe Tourism Holdings, the majority shareholder of the Club Travel Group since 2009, has sold its stake in the Club Travel Group to Travelstart. Thebe and Travelstart have jointly invested in Club Travel Corporate, a level one B-BBEE rated division of the Club Travel Group.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Club Travel as the newest member of the Travelstart family,” said CEO Stephan Ekbergh (pictured above). “Together we will continue to concentrate on building the best place for people to plan, book and manage travel.”

Club Travel’s Managing Director and founder Wally Gaynor said, “We are delighted to join Africa’s leading online travel agency and we know that Travelstart’s knowledge and footprint will help us ensure a sustainable future for Club Travel in an increasingly technology-dependent market”.

With the acquisition, Travelstart and Club Travel enter a co-operation which will enable the former to expand its business and reach new customers, and the latter to gain the expertise needed to deliver digital product innovation and remain competitive.

Read more: SA’s Travelstart to acquire Club Travel Group
Read more: SA’s Travelstart announces investment deal with HarbourVest
Read more: Travelstart acquires majority stake in accommodation site SafariNow.com
Read more: Travel booking site Travelstart lands $40m, asserts investor confidence

Featured image: Travelstart founder and CEO Stephan Ekbergh (YouTube)