Travelstart agrees commercial deal with African booking portal Jumia Travel

OTA will facilitate online sales and customer service elements

OTA Travelstart has agreed a distribution and commercial deal with Jumia Travel to power the latter’s pan-African online travel booking portal.

Under the agreement, Travelstart will take control of the sales, fulfilment and customer service aspects of Jumia Travel online booking websites in all its operating territories.

Joe Falter, executive vice president of Jumia on-demand services, said: “We have a strong belief in the potential of the online travel industry and travel portals in Africa and have built a strong platform across our markets to address this opportunity.

“In Travelstart, we have found the perfect partner to build on the success Jumia Travel has achieved so far. While we will continue to promote the travel category, Travelstart will be responsible for the operational side of the business.

“The travel ecosystem in Africa will be further energised by this partnership. This partnership will ensure we remain hyper-focused on our growth and path to profitability as we reinvest our resources in our key markets, services and technology to create the best customer experience in Africa and allow Jumia to thrive.”

Jumia Travel operates in several African countries where it counts Kenya and Nigeria as its largest markets.

Travelstart, which operates in nine African countries, will use the partnership to tap new customers in markets where digital is emerging.

Stephan Ekbergh, chief executive of Travelstart, said: “Twelve thousand customers travel with us daily. Being Jumia’s exclusive distribution partner will help even more travellers in Africa unlock high quality online travel services.”