Article published in Phocuswire (formerly Tnooz) on 2017-02-20

HotelOga and Savanna Sunrise merge, plot travel tech domination in Africa

Two African companies have joined forces in a bid to create what they claim will be the biggest hospitality tech group on the continent.

Savanna Sunrise and HotelOga will merge under undisclosed “similar valuations”, the pair say in a statement, with management roles being divvied up between the original founders of both.

HotelOga’s Marek Zmysłowski will become CEO of the new entity and Håvar Bauck will assume the role of executive chairman.

Initially the two companies will run as separate brands until a “unified marketing strategy is rolled out in the near future”.

HotelOga was created in Nigeria just a year ago and, with backing from the Polish venture capital service SpeedUp, had contracted more than 500 hotels for its online booking engine, channel manager and management systems.

Launched in Kenya in 2014, Savanna has amassed 400 properties in 13 countries in Africa with its own reservation system.

Bauck says: “With this merger, we are writing a new chapter in the evolution of the hospitality sector in Africa. “From the position we are building, we are now well poised to expand our footprint to Frontier and Emerging Markets globally. “The challenges facing the hospitality sector across these markets are very similar, and we are eagerly preparing to tap into the immense opportunities that exist.”