Best Travel and Hospitality Companies in South Africa
The 138 best Travel and Hospitality companies in South Africa in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Fastjet.
South Africa's Travel and Hospitality sector has more capital concentration than most people realize, and this directory ranks the 138 companies we track by disclosed equity funding and recent funding momentum. Total disclosed funding sits at $354M, and two names own most of it: Fastjet at $181M and ExecuJet at $132M, which together account for roughly 88% of the pool. That's a thin spread at the top.
So what does the broader picture look like? The global Travel and Hospitality market was valued at $889.7B in 2020 and is forecast to reach $1,731.4B by 2025 at a 14.2% CAGR, a trajectory driven heavily by Gen Z spending behavior. Mobile is amplifying that shift fast. Median app install growth across 614 hospitality and travel apps hit roughly +19% year-on-year, and if you want to understand why, mobile's growing grip on travel brands tells you where operators are putting attention right now. One regulatory note worth keeping in mind: severe weather advisory and flood stage forecasting are emerging as real planning variables for Southern African operators, not background noise. Investors like Standard Bank and AfricArena are watching this space closely, and I'd expect the funding distribution to widen as more mid-tier players find their footing.
Ranked: Best Travel and Hospitality companies in South Africa
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fastjet Operator of passenger airlines | $181M | 98 mo ago | Public | — | 2006 | WordPressMySQLPHP+27 | — |
| 2 | ExecuJet Offers jet charters and aviation services | $132M | 133 mo ago | Acquired | — | 1991 | WordPress Block EditorSiteOrigin Page BuilderWordPress+20 | — |
| 3 | Planet42 Provider of rent-to-buy vehicle rental services | $39M | 27 mo ago | Series A | Marten Orgna CFO & Co-Founder | 2017 | WordPressMySQLPHP+22 | — |
| 4 | Montpelier Operator of a historical site, museum, and center for education | $1M | 15 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2000 | WordPressTypeScriptPHP+33 | 1 job opening |
| 5 | Flyairlink Operator of regional airlines | — | 21 mo ago | Funding Raised | Howard Levy CEO | 1992 | DrupalPHPMapbox.js+28 | — |
| 6 | AIRSTUDENT Provider of travel services | — | 60 mo ago | Seed | Lwanda Shabalala Co-Founder | 2017 | — | — |
| 7 | Sun International Provider of gaming, hospitality and entertainment services | — | 90 mo ago | Public | Anthony Leeming CEO | 1967 | Adobe Experience ManagerApple iCloud MailJava+29 | — |
| 8 | Wilderness Luxury travel operator offering safaris and journeys in remote wild destinations worldwide | — | 116 mo ago | Funding Raised | Chris McIntyre Co-Founder | 1983 | Node.jsTailwind CSSAmazon Web Services+25 | — |
Top 9 Travel and Hospitality companies in South Africa
#1
Funding Raised · South Africa · founded 2000 · 67 employees$1.2Mraised▾
Operator of a historical site, museum, and center for education. It provides historical interpretation, curatorial services, and educational programs. The organization maintains collections, grounds, and architecture. It offers tours, events, and learning opportunities. The center supports research, preservation, and civic engagement.
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$250K
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$249.8K
- May 2014Grant (prize money)$50.4K
- Aug 2010Grant (prize money)$74.9K
#2
Series A · Pretoria, Gauteng · founded 2017 · 250 employees$39.5Mraised▾
Provider of rent-to-buy vehicle rental services
- Mar 2024Conventional Debt—
- Mar 2024Series A$16M
- Feb 2023Series A$15M
- Feb 2023Conventional Debt$85M
#3
Public · Germiston, Gauteng · founded 2006 · 176 employees$181Mraised▾
Operator of passenger airlines
- Apr 2018Conventional Debt$12M
- Jan 2017Post IPO$48M
- Jul 2016Post IPO$19.7M
- Apr 2015Post IPO$75M
#4
Acquired · Cape Town, Western Cape · founded 1991 · 1000 employees$132Mraised▾
Offers jet charters and aviation services
#5
Funding Raised · Edenvale, Gauteng · founded 1992—raised▾
Operator of regional airlines
#6
Seed · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 2017—raised▾
Provider of travel services
- 2021Seed—
#7
Public · Sandton, Gauteng · founded 1967—raised▾
Provider of gaming, hospitality and entertainment services
#8
Funding Raised · Johannesburg, Gauteng · founded 1983 · 3000 employees—raised▾
Wilderness is a sustainable luxury travel operator that offers safaris and journeys in remote and breathtaking wild destinations around the world.
#9
Funding Raised · Cape Town, Western Cape · founded 2004—raised▾
Provider of online business and financial news. It delivers news and analysis across various sectors including technology, markets, economy, and personal finance. The platform features articles, videos, and other content formats. It covers topics such as stocks, cryptocurrencies, and real estate, offering insights into business strategies and financial planning. The content aims to inform readers about current events and trends in the business world.
- Sep 2012Conventional Debt—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Travel and Hospitality coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.