Lagos – Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that it has agreed to invest $40 million in Wakanow.com Limited (Wakanow), an online travel agency focused on West and East Africa, with principal operations in Nigeria. Equity came from Carlyle’s Sub-Saharan Africa fund and further financial details were not disclosed.
Founded in 2009 in Nigeria, Wakanow is one of West Africa’s largest full-service online travel companies, providing its customers with a one-stop online booking portal for flights, hotels, holiday packages, and other travel services and ancillaries. Complementing their online offering, Wakanow also operates a network of traditional brick-and-mortar travel centres and has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, UAE and the UK.
Wakanow enjoys strong brand recognition and a scale advantages in its local markets. This investment adds to Carlyle’s experience in the online travel sector, where it has invested in companies such as C-trip, one of the major online travel agencies operating across China, the Latin American travel and tour operator CVC Brasil, and Vasco Turismo, one of the largest travel operations groups in Peru.
Obinna Ekezie, Co-Founder and CEO, Wakanow, said: “We are excited to partner with Carlyle as we continue to grow and expand in Africa and beyond. Carlyle’s global footprint and scale as well as its extensive experience and network in the online travel sector will help us to further develop our offerings and broaden our customer base.”
Idris Mohammed, Managing Director, The Carlyle Group, said: “Wakanow has experienced incredible growth since inception, disrupting the travel market and taking market share both online and offline. We believe that this strong growth trajectory will continue as Wakanow benefits from an expanding middle class across the continent in addition to increasing internet penetration and mobile connectivity, which is driving increased online traffic. We look forward to working with Wakanow’s management team to help them deliver on their vision for growth and expansion.”
Mayowa Ayodele, Chief Investment Officer, Platform Capital, one of Wakanow’s lead investors, said: “We are happy to partner with Carlyle and look forward to working together with them to strengthen Wakanow’s market position, accelerate innovation, deepen its systems and processes to realize the vision of a truly world class online travel agency with African roots.”
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Media contacts:
Wakanow
Obinna Ekezie
Tel: +234 (0) 803 725 2736
Obinna@wakanow.com
The Carlyle Group
Catherine Armstrong
Tel: +44 (0)20 7894 1632
Catherine.Armstrong@carlyle.com
About Wakanow
Wakanow Limited is Nigeria’s leading travel business with a strong presence in West Africa and an increasingly growing reach across the African continent. The company offers an increasing set of products to address the holiday making desires of the African consumer, while showcasing and offering the Africa holiday experience to the rest of the world. Its partnerships with key global players in the travel space make it a one-stop travel solution at a competitive price point. The company employs over a 100 people and operates offices in strategic locations across the continent.
About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager with $212 billion of assets under management across 339 investment vehicles as of September 30, 2018. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,625 people in 31 offices across six continents.
Web: www.carlyle.com
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About Carlyle Sub-Saharan Africa Fund (CSSAF)
Established in 2012, CSSAF and its affiliates, with $698 million of committed capital, have invested over $550 million to date across a variety of industries, including energy, financial services, TMT, retail, logistics, business services and mining services, and across a variety of geographies, including South Africa, Gabon, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CSSAF makes buyout and growth capital investments in private and public companies from offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria.
About Platform Capital
Platform Capital is a growth markets focused, sector agnostic, principal investments firm.
Platform deploys patient, value accretive capital alongside international and local value investors to create champion businesses with the ability for regional scale. The firm’s extensive on-the-ground relationships and real time market insights makes it a unique co-investment partner.
