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Competition set to stiffen as SA travel giant lands in Namibia

06 January 2017 – Namibian travellers are set to benefit from lower prices with the entry into the market by the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), South Africa’s largest travel company.

Senior Account Executive of Flow Communications, Edwin Reichel on behalf of Flight Centre Travel Group recently said, the group will open a branch located at Maerua Lifestyle Shopping Centre in Windhoek on 12 January.

According to Reichel, the group will enter Namibia and the store, which will be staffed by six consultants, and will be operating as a hybrid, servicing both leisure and corporate clients, the first of its kind in the country.

Managing Director of FCTG, Andrew Stark predicts that FCTG’s entry into the market is likely to increase competition, leading to lower prices.

FCTG anticipates healthy competition with very fierce pricing points which bodes well for Namibian customers. Our job is to make travel more accessible and affordable for all Namibians, opening up the world for those who want to see,” he said.

The entry into Namibia is the first step in FCTG’s expansion outside South Africa, supporting the statement of FCTG being “Africa’s Greatest Technology and Travel Experience Company”.

Stark said the group will use Namibia as “a stepping stone and learning experience for future Africa growth”.

FCTG has ambitious plans encompassing aggressive growth and change into Africa over the next 22 years. We are continuing to look to invest in getting closer to the customer with new technology platforms and future business acquisitions with a strong focus on blended travel options,” he said.

Meanwhile, FCTG has achieved considerable success in South Africa, with an overall market share of 20% as well as owning over 175 businesses in South Africa, which have an annual turnover of over R5.8-billion.

With 22 years in operation in South Africa, FCTG has diversified and grown to encapsulate 11 brands across the 4 pillars of leisure, corporate, wholesale and events businesses.

About The Author

Musa Carter

Musa Carter is a long-standing freelance contributor to the editorial team and also an active reporter. He gathers and verifies factual information regarding stories through interviews, observation and research. For the digital Economist, he promotes targeted content through various social networking sites such as the Economist facebook page (/Nameconomist/) and Twitter.