South African startup Kumba, which began life allowing international travellers to book tours and activities in Africa, has launched a second product, targeting event management companies.
Formed in May 2018 by Tapiwa Ndlovu and Ayuoob Abrahams, who met at the University of Stellenbosch, Kumba is an online marketplace and booking platform that allows travellers to book and pay for various experiences, such as a two-hour Moroccan cooking experience in Casablanca, or an all-inclusive 10-day tour of South Africa.
The platform has already had over 2,500 users, and generated more than US$55,000 in revenue, and Kumba has now rolled out its second product. Aimed at event organisation and management companies, it is a travel service booking tool that can be seamlessly integrated into websites and ticket registration systems to allow event delegates to purchase flights and book hotels and transfers once they have secured their tickets.
It has already been used by hundreds of people across a handful of events, including the recent SA Innovation Summit. Kumba is now looking to onboard a further 150 events to help it scale.
Meanwhile, the startup will launch a third product in the next couple of months. This next addition to the Kumba suite of tools will be a tool that hotel owners and managers can seamlessly integrate into their websites to allow guests to book and pay for various value-added services. The startup is also on the fundraising trail to finance further expansion.
“We are currently raising a US$500,000 seed round via a convertible note, and are in talks with some investors from Africa and the United States. This will help us accelerate our growth, carry out aggressive marketing campaigns, expand our team and continue improving our technology,” Ndlovu told Disrupt Africa.
