SATC AND XL Travel team up

SOUTH African Travel
Centre (SATC) and
XL Travel have
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to
collaborate on all preferred
suppliers contracts.
The deal gives both groups
access to a wider pool of
preferred suppliers’ deals
as well as the potential
to earn higher overrides,
says Kekeletso Mokwena,
business development
manager of SATC.
“In addition to enhancing
and contributing towards
equitable potential override
earnings for SATC members,
we believe that this
partnership will facilitate
growth and prosperity in the
emerging markets through
networking with members
who have great experience
in the travel industry,” says
Marco Ciocchetti, XL Travel
Group ceo.
“It is one of our primary
goals to promote ease
of access to, entry and
sustainable participation
in the travel retail industry
particularly for those
emerging travel retailers
who… are still finding
it difficult to operate in
the mainstream of this
significant industry. Synergy
benefits, specifically in the
area of preferred supplier
arrangements, are envisaged
to improve the commercial
well-being of our members,”
says acting SATC ceo,
Yvonne Sprowson.
The partnership does
not affect the respective
companies’ brand identity or
corporate structure nor does
it create an expectation or
precedence for a merger or
takeover, the consortiums
said in a statement.
In 2014, SAA announced it
would put SATC up for sale
(see TNW March 19, 2014).
At the time, XL Travel was
rumoured to be in talks with
SAA to purchase the SATC
group. However, this latest
development is a “separate
matter entirely”, says
Kekeletso.
Spokesperson for SAA, Tlali
Tlali, told TNW: “Ownership
structure of SATC has
not changed as the entity
remains a wholly owned
SAA subsidiary. Appropriate
announcements will be made
should the shareholder
intentions change about the
future of the entity.”