LekkeSlaap Acquisition Signals New Growth Phase for African Travel Tech

A consortium of investors has acquired LekkeSlaap, the largest accommodation booking app in South Africa. The deal positions the company for expansion across Southern Africa and beyond.

The platform, which started as a garage project called TravelGround in 2009 by university dropouts Jonathan Womersley and Marcel van de Ghinste, has grown to list over 40,000 properties and facilitate bookings for more than nine million guests since its inception. LekkeSlaap was launched in 2013 as South Africa’s first leisure accommodation booking platform in Afrikaans, quickly surpassing TravelGround.

The acquiring consortium is co-led by Bellair Road Investment Partners and Janic Capital, with participation from the Ferreira Family Office, Moolman Family Office, and Investec. While Womersley and van de Ghinste have exited, the current executive management team retains a stake and will continue to lead LekkeSlaap.

“LekkeSlaap remains proudly local and independent in spirit, but with the right partners behind us, we can now dream even bigger,” said CEO Frans Joubert.

The new board of directors includes Herman Bosman (former RMB CEO and Outsurance Group chairman) as chair, and Robert Paddock (co-founder of GetSmarter). Both investors have joined the acquisition. Bosman praised LekkeSlaap as an example of South African entrepreneurial success, while Paddock highlighted the company’s potential to transform travel experiences across Africa.

The undisclosed acquisition amount reflects investor confidence in LekkeSlaap’s market position and growth prospects within Southern Africa’s expanding tourism sector.