Every year, international travellers spend billions of dollars on African safaris, luxury lodges and holiday experiences. Yet before much of that money reaches the businesses providing those experiences, a portion is lost to payment processing fees, foreign exchange charges and the cost of moving money across borders.
For African tourism operators, getting paid can be surprisingly expensive.
TurnStay, a South African fintech that helps travel businesses accept payments from international guests, believes that problem has been overlooked for too long.
Alon Stern, TurnStay’s chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, said the three-year-old startup processed over R1 billion ($60.6 million) in travel payments during the first six months of 2026. The company provides payment infrastructure for hotels, safari lodges, tour operators and villa agencies, helping them reduce the cost of accepting international bookings.
Originally published by TechCabal.