TripinAfrica simplifies tourism bookings in Africa

Planning a trip across Africa can involve much more than choosing a destination. For many travel agencies in the travel industry, finding the right tour operator, checking availability and confirming prices still takes several phone calls, emails and WhatsApp messages. By the time everything is confirmed, the booking may have passed through several businesses, each adding its own commission. TripinAfrica believes there is a better way to manage that process. The startup was founded in 2024 by Ismène Cledjo and Yacoub Sidibé. Instead of building another website for travellers, the company has focused on the businesses behind the bookings. Its platform helps tour operators, hotels and travel agencies manage their services and connect with one another.

An idea shaped by experience

The idea came from the founders’ own experience. Cledjo previously ran a travel agency in West Africa and regularly dealt with the delays that came with sourcing suppliers and confirming bookings. Sidibé, who has a technology background, had seen many of the same challenges while working with tourism businesses. They both reached the same conclusion. The biggest problem was not attracting travellers. It was how tourism businesses worked with each other.

Moving away from manual bookings

Many operators still keep track of bookings using notebooks or spreadsheets. Others depend on WhatsApp to confirm availability. That may work for smaller businesses, but it becomes difficult when working with agencies in different countries or handling larger volumes of bookings. TripinAfrica’s platform allows operators to manage availability, pricing and reservations in one place. Travel agencies can search for services, prepare quotations and confirm bookings without going through long email chains or waiting for responses from multiple suppliers. The platform also connects travel businesses through APIs, allowing agencies to access services from different operators. Operators can also list their products on TripinAfrica’s marketplace and sell directly to travellers.

Expanding across different markets

Payments have been another challenge. While building the software was relatively straightforward, expanding payment options across Africa has taken more time. Every country has different regulations, payment providers and financial systems. Supporting mobile money alongside card payments means building partnerships in each market. The company also found that many operators were not yet using digital booking systems. To address that, it built a simpler onboarding process that allows businesses to start using the platform without changing everything at once.

Fewer middlemen, clearer pricing

TripinAfrica also wants to reduce the number of intermediaries involved in selling tourism services. When agencies can deal directly with operators, prices become clearer and both sides have a better understanding of what they are paying and earning. Africa’s tourism industry continues to attract investment and visitors, but many businesses still rely on manual processes to manage bookings. TripinAfrica sees an opportunity to simplify that side of the industry by giving tourism businesses better tools to work together.