Tech

Canadian travel platform Busbud acquires SA’s Ratality

Published

6 months ago

May 24, 2024

Canadian ground travel booking platform, Busbud, has announced the acquisition of South Africa’s Ratality in a bid to enhance its revenue management capabilities.

Ratality, a provider of revenue management optimisation software for ground travel operators 2017, is a cloud-based software solutions provider that seamlessly allows ground transportation operators to digitally manage their operations and optimise revenues.

Arend de Waal, CEO and co-founder of Ratality, who made the announcement in a statement, said joining forces with Ratality will enable Busbud to broaden its value proposition to become a complete solution provider for operators worldwide.

“The acquisition builds upon an existing partnership between the companies and extends Busbud’s reach in Africa,” de Waald said.

“Uniting with Busbud expands the reach of our platform to bus operators around the world.

“Our innovative revenue management solutions generate immediate ROI for our partners and have already been proven in other travel sectors like airlines.

“Overall, this combination unlocks untapped potential for bus operators, maximising revenue and operational efficiency,” he added.

Also commenting on the acquisition, CEO and co-founder of Busbud LP Maurice, said the partnership with Ratality would add a key missing piece to Budbud’s growing B2B offering.

“We’ve heard first-hand from ground travel operators the tangible results they’ve achieved by using Ratality to generate more revenue for their businesses.

“We were extremely impressed by the technology and capabilities of their platform. It just really made sense to bring Ratality’s team of revenue management experts on board and integrate these features further into our core B2B platform.

“We wanted these capabilities to be in the hands of all of our operator partners worldwide. We have been partnered with ground travel operators for more than a decade and thrive on their success. We are excited to keep innovating together with Ratality for years to come for the benefit of our operator partners.”

Ratality offers solutions across buses, coaches, ferries, charters, tours, and transfers, as well as many other types of ground transportation operators and is a fully integrated, multi-modal management solutions allow operators to better manage their fleets through advanced demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, revenue management, and fleet management among many other sought-after features.

Related Topics:Acquisition Featured Busbud Ratality Travel Operators

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Tech

Ghana partners with The Gambia to provide free roaming services

Published

18 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana and The Gambia are in the process of launching free roaming services that will enhance a West African connectivity.

The plan which is a joint initiative of the Ghana Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and The Gambian National Communications Authority (NCA) will see mobile users in both countries avoiding extra charges for calls, texts, and data, which in turn, is expected to boost trade, tourism, and economic integration across borders.

The collaboration, according to a joint statement by the two bodies, aligns with the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) broader push for seamless regional communication.

“Ghana and The Gambia are forging new paths in West Africa’s digital landscape, implementing a free-roaming initiative,” the statement said.

“This move strengthens regional connectivity while highlighting the role of technological collaboration in fostering economic integration. The initiative enables mobile users travelling between the two nations to make calls, send messages, and use data services without additional roaming fees.”

It further noted that by reducing these costs, the program aligns with the ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative, which seeks to eliminate barriers to communication across member states.

“It is a boost for trade and travel as the free roaming plan is expected to spur economic activities by streamlining cross-border communication.

“Businesses and individuals travelling between Ghana and The Gambia can now stay connected without worrying about exorbitant charges, facilitating smoother transactions and personal interactions. The initiative is also expected to attract more tourists by ensuring seamless digital access for visitors.

“This collaboration marks another milestone in Ghana’s commitment to expanding digital connectivity, following Ghana’s successful implementation of similar agreements with Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, with talks of possible roaming partnerships with Liberia.

“By focusing on digital integration, Ghana and The Gambia demonstrate the power of technology to bridge gaps between countries. This step also serves as a model for other West African nations to join the free-roaming framework, contributing to the larger goal of a connected and economically integrated region,” it added.

Tech

Tanzania to host 6th Ocean Innovation Africa summit in February

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been selected to host the sixth edition of the Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA) summit from February 24-28, 2025, as a flagship event within Regenerative Ocean Week.

The Ocean Innovation Africa is set to be Africa’s most significant platform for Ocean Innovation conservation, and sustainable development in the blue economy. OIA2025 will be co-organised with leading partners, including IUCN, GIZ, OceanHub Africa, Catalyze and the Ocean-Climate Platform.

With the theme, “Science-to-Solution”, the Regenerative Ocean Week will present a line-up of sessions designed to bridge the gap between scientific research, business innovation, policy, and community engagement.

According to the organizers of the event, it will bring together African ocean innovators, investors, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore practical solutions that can be applied across the continent.

“These include the OIA Pitch Competition, which is a platform for Africa-based startups and entrepreneurs to showcase breakthrough ideas in ocean-impact solutions, allowing them to connect with investors and industry leaders and emphasizing Africa’s role in driving sustainable ocean initiatives,” the organizers said in a statement.