MEET Duma. The
new look travel group
has just announced
several upgrades to
its business, including
structural changes and a
partnership with Uniglobe
that sees the group
owning the rights of the
international brand in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Themba Mthombeni,
founder and ceo of Duma,
says agents should
collaborate as opposed
to compete in the current
economic climate. He
lists a drop in volumes
and suppliers doing
away with traditional
remuneration practices
as some of the factors
negatively affecting
TMCs currently. The
principle of collaboration
was the catalyst for the
changes the company has
undergone, he say
membership partnership
with Uniglobe which
became official on June
14. “The agreement
gives well-run mediumsized
corporate travel
agencies the opportunity
to partner with a global
travel management
system,” says Themba.
By joining the Uniglobe
brand, agents will gain
access to global branding,
products, purchasing
power, technology and best
practices, he adds.
The partnership between
Duma and Uniglobe is
unique because part of
its focus is to develop
business in Sub-Saharan
Africa, says Derek HearlMaunder,
president and
coo of Uniglobe Europe,
Middle East and Africa.
Because the Uniglobe
rights (in Sub-Saharan
Africa) are owned and
managed by Duma, agents
who are interested in
joining the global brand
should contact Duma to
initiate the membership
process.
Duma Travel, now a
separate division of the
Duma group, is also a
member of the Uniglobe
brand.
The license of the
Uniglobe brand in SubSaharan
Africa was
formerly owned by Mike
Gray, who for personal
reasons, resigned, says
Derek. “The separation
was an amicable one and
he was in fact the one who
introduced us to Themba,”
he adds.
In keeping with the spirit
of collaboration, Duma
has also announced three
new divisions (which
will be launched shortly)
under the Duma group:
Duma Associates, Duma
Tech, and Duma Shared
Services.
Duma Associates’ focus
is on buying up to a 51%
stake in well-established
agencies. Franchising
doyen Rod Rutter, the
former coo of the XL Travel
Consortium, is Duma’s
head of Acquisitions
who will negotiate deals
with agencies looking to
transform their BEE profile
and to benefit from the
proposition the group
offers.
Duma Tech will focus on
supplying an e-commerce
platform for Duma’s
partners and associates.
The platform will integrate
agents’ online, front-, midand
back office systems
into one solution that
would enable agencies a
management information
system that can provide
detailed reporting to
clients, Themba says.
Agencies associated
with Duma, either through
its Duma Associates
division or through the
Uniglobe brand will also
benefit from Duma Shared
Services. The division
offers services such as
centralised ticketing, back
office functions, sales and
marketing, and after-hours
support through economies
of scale, says Themba.
