Travelstart is a pioneering online travel agency (OTA) providing comprehensive travel booking services across Africa and the Middle East. Founded in Sweden in 1999 and now with its primary operational headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa, Travelstart empowers travelers to search, compare, and book flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages from a wide array of suppliers. With a strong focus on emerging markets, the company aims to simplify travel through user-friendly technology and localized customer support. Following its merger with the Club Travel Group in 2019, backed by HarbourVest Partners, Travelstart has solidified its position as a leading travel provider in the region, committed to making travel more accessible and affordable.
Serves as the primary operational hub, overseeing technology development, product innovation, marketing strategies, customer service excellence, and regional management for African and Middle Eastern markets.
Modern office facilities located in the vibrant Longkloof Studios, known for its redeveloped, campus-like environment fostering creative and tech companies. The space is designed for collaboration with open-plan layouts and tech-enabled meeting areas.
Characterized by a dynamic, fast-paced, and multicultural work environment. Travelstart emphasizes innovation in travel technology, a customer-first approach, and an entrepreneurial mindset. It's often seen as a place for professional growth and learning within the e-commerce and travel sectors in Africa.
The Cape Town headquarters is pivotal to Travelstart's operations and strategic direction in Africa, its largest market. It symbolizes the company's commitment to the continent, serving as a nerve center for its technological advancements and expansion in online travel.
While Travelstart's core operational focus is on Africa and the Middle East, its services are accessible globally through its online platform. Key global functions include maintaining a sophisticated, multi-currency online booking engine for flights, hotels, and other travel products; providing multi-lingual customer support; continuous technology development and platform maintenance; and fostering international partnerships with airlines, GDS providers, hotels, and other travel suppliers to ensure a wide inventory and competitive pricing for its worldwide customer base.
Longkloof Studios, Darters Road, Gardens
Cape Town
Western Cape
South Africa
Address: Plot 14, Block 117, TKO Kasonu Street, Off TF Kuboye Road, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria
To cater specifically to the large and dynamic Nigerian travel market, offering tailored travel products, local payment solutions, and dedicated customer service to address the significant outbound and domestic travel demand.
Address: 11 Hassan Sadek, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
To serve the Egyptian travel market effectively and act as a strategic hub for North African operations, offering localized content, payment methods, and support to a digitally savvy population.
Address: Jumeirah Business Centre 1, Cluster G, JLT, Dubai, UAE
To expand Travelstart's footprint in the affluent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, offering premium and diverse travel services, and utilizing Dubai's strategic location for connecting travelers globally.
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As of April 2025, Travelstart' leadership includes:
Travelstart has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
The leadership team at Travelstart has been focused on driving growth and integration following earlier structural changes. Philip Akesson's appointment as CEO of Travelstart in early 2023 marked a key leadership reinforcement. Over the past 12 months, the executive team has been relatively stable with no major publicly announced hires or departures, indicating a period of focused execution on strategic goals.
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Travelstart most likely utilizes standard corporate email address formats for its employees. Common patterns include using the first name and last name, or the first initial followed by the last name.
[first].[last]@travelstart.com or [first_initial][last]@travelstart.com
Format
jane.doe@travelstart.com or jdoe@travelstart.com
Example
85%
Success rate
TravMagazine NL • November 2, 2023
Travelstart announced a strengthened partnership with Royal Air Maroc. This collaboration aims to provide customers with improved access to the airline's extensive network, particularly for routes connecting Africa with Europe and North America, offering more competitive fares and enhanced travel options....more
Bizcommunity • November 22, 2023
Travelstart launched its highly anticipated Black Friday campaign, offering substantial discounts on flights, hotels, and holiday packages across its key African markets. The initiative aimed to boost travel bookings and make leisure and business travel more affordable during the peak holiday planning season....more
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