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Travelport’s roots in Southern Africa run deeper than any other GDS. From the Safari terminals of the early 1990s to Galileo — operated by South African Airways for nearly two decades — to Smartpoint and now Travelport+, this platform has been the backbone of the region’s travel trade for over thirty years.
Travelport Southern Africa launched on 1 February 2026 with a single mission: make Travelport the easiest, most rewarding, and most technologically advanced GDS for agencies of every size.
What sets us apart is what we put around the platform. A dedicated helpdesk and training team that knows the trade by name. Named account managers who understand your business. A curated technology ecosystem anchored in South African-built tools
Travelport+ gives our agencies access to the richest content pool in Southern Africa — NDC and traditional airline fares side by side, over three million hotel properties, 42 car rental brands, and 35 rail operators — all from a single screen. Travelport was the first GDS to achieve IATA’s highest level of NDC certification, and over 30 major carriers now deliver NDC content through our platform.
We don’t lock agencies into proprietary systems. We give them freedom of choice, modern tools, and a clear path to grow — with a local partner who’s been here since the beginning.
Travelport. Powering Southern African travel since the days of Safari.
Now, through Travelport Southern Africa, powering its future.
Travelport+ is not simply a GDS with a new name. It is a fundamentally reimagined travel commerce platform giving Southern African agencies access to the richest content pool in the region — NDC and traditional airline fares side by side, over three million hotel properties, 42 car rental brands, and 35 rail operators — all from a single screen. Travelport was the first GDS to achieve IATA’s highest level of NDC certification. We don’t lock agencies into proprietary systems. We give them freedom of choice, modern tools, and a clear path to grow — with a local partner who’s been here since the beginning.
From the Safari terminals of the early 1990s to Galileo — operated by South African Airways for nearly two decades — Travelport’s technology has powered Southern Africa’s travel trade for over thirty years. In 2012, Travelport acquired Galileo Southern Africa directly from SAA, cementing its long-term commitment to the region. Smartpoint and Smartpoint Cloud followed, transforming the agent desktop for a generation of consultants. Today, Travelport+ carries that heritage forward — the most modern platform in the region, built on three decades of local presence.
Travelport was the first GDS to achieve IATA’s highest level of NDC certification, and over 30 major carriers now deliver NDC content through our platform. For Southern African agencies, this means access to fares and ancillaries that may not be available through any other channel — displayed in a normalised, easy-to-compare format alongside traditional content. The landmark strategic partnership between United Airlines and Travelport exemplifies what NDC leadership looks like in practice, flowing directly through to every agency connected via Travelport Southern Africa.
What sets Travelport Southern Africa apart is what we put around the platform. A dedicated helpdesk and training team that knows the travel trade by name. Named account managers who understand your business. Quarterly strategic reviews and technology adoption roadmaps. And through SevenC Computing, full ICT managed services capability — from cybersecurity to cloud infrastructure to custom middleware. For agencies in a region where load shedding, bandwidth constraints, and limited IT support are daily realities, we’re the partner built for your environment.
Travelport Southern Africa launched on 1 February 2026 — a strategic partnership between Travelport, Real Time Travel Connections, and SevenC Computing. Our mission is clear: grow Travelport’s presence across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and eSwatini by making it the easiest, most rewarding, and most technologically advanced GDS for agencies of every size. From a home-based leisure advisor booking their first ticket on Smartpoint Cloud to a national TMC processing hundreds of thousands of segments through Travelport+ APIs, we are built to serve every tier of the market.
Bryan Rufener works closely with travel agencies and partners across Southern Africa, helping them navigate the evolving travel technology landscape and connect to the tools that power modern travel retailing. Over the course of his career he has built strong relationships across the regional travel trade, working with agencies, travel groups, and partners to help them access the content, systems, and support they need to grow their businesses. At Travelport, Bryan focuses on ensuring agencies across the region can practically apply global travel technology in their day-to-day operations – from accessing airline content to improving servicing workflows and operational efficiency. With the introduction of the new Travelport operator model in Southern Africa, Bryan continues to work closely with the travel trade to strengthen partnerships and ensure agencies are well positioned for the next phase of digital travel retailing.
South African entrepreneur and a technologist who has spent his career building platforms that enable businesses to grow. Darren’s roots lie in open-source technology, engineering discipline, and regional innovation. His philosophy has always been simple: Technology should empower people. That philosophy now meets the future of travel retailing.
Backed by Traveloport globally, empowered by modern booking tools that transform the agent and therefore traveller’s experience, Travelport Southern Africa combines global technology, local entrepreneurial energy, a strong team, and deep regional travel expertise and relationships geared to create a new kind of travel distribution partner for the region.
One, powered by modern retailing systems, built on future-focused travel tech innovation. TravelportSA is first and foremost an agent-first business and we are commitment to building trust in every agent touchpoint.
Contact our sales team to find out more
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