FCTG set up shop in Namibia

THE SA Flight Centre
Travel Group’s (FCTG)
foray into Africa has
taken off with a bang. Its
branch in Windhoek has
recorded R1m worth of
sales during its first month
of operation.
TNW spoke to md,
Andrew Stark, shortly after
Flight Centre Namibia’s
official launch on January
12. The branch, in Maerua
Lifestyle Shopping Centre in
Windhoek, is staffed by six
consultants and operates
as a hybrid, servicing both
leisure and corporate
clients.
The branch’s hybrid
status makes it unique:
it has the appearance of
a Flight Centre store but
is equipped with a sales
team dedicated to winning
corporate accounts. Andrew
reveals that sales currently
comprise 80% leisure and
20% corporate bookings.
He says an established
top-performing store in
South Africa would only
be expected to produce
R2m worth of sales in a
month. So for a store that
is brand new and the first
for SA FCTG in the Namibian
market, it is a very good
result. Should sales
continue favourably, Andrew
says further expansion
into Namibia will be in the
pipeline.
The group also has
ambitious plans for growth
further afield on the
continent.
While it was too early
for Andrew to say which
countries the group would
explore, he did say that
expansion would likely take
place in the SADC region
between now and 2025.
As a result of the success
of Flight Centre Namibia,
the group is now recruiting
a country manager for
Namibia. Applications for
the position closed on
January 20.