KENYA – BuuPass, a Kenyan-based travel booking platform, has announced the acquisition of QuickBus, a significant player in Nigeria and South Africa’s bus ticketing service sector, for an undisclosed amount.
BuuPass, backed by Founders Factory Africa and FrontEnd Ventures, is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book their tickets through its website, the Buupass app (available on Apple and Android), and a USSD system that can be used on any mobile phone.
Founded in 2016, BuuPass has sold over 6 million travel tickets and generated over US$100 million in the total value of goods sold. Its current platform has already served over 16 million passengers.
Early-stage tech investor Founders Factory Africa backs both BuuPass and QuickBus.
“We are excited to expand our footprint in Africa as we actively look for more opportunities to bring our platform to new African markets,” BuuPass Co-Founder Sonia Kabra said.
“BuuPass aims to create a comprehensive, continent-wide network of interconnected transport options for seamless global and continental travel, and this acquisition is a significant milestone toward that goal.”
The acquisition will now see BuuPass expand into South Africa and Nigeria, which is set to add over 5,000 new routes to BuuPass’s platform, significantly enriching the network and service offerings for African consumers.
BuuPass will also onboard over 100 bus operators and several high-profile online distribution partnerships, including FNB, Vodacom, and MTN.
“As an early investor and backer, Founders Factory Africa is proud to see BuuPass expand to Nigeria and South Africa,” said Eunice Wambui, Investment Principal at Founders Factory Africa.
BuuPass is already changing the daily lives of its customers as it moves closer to fulfilling its vision of being a pan-African travel booking platform.”
Founders Factory Africa says it remains committed to supporting BuuPass in achieving future milestones through the hands-on support it offers to founders and businesses in its portfolio.
“BuuPass’s continued growth validates the outstanding work done by its team. This acquisition also highlights how our bespoke and in-market support to founders can help the continent’s leading innovators attain their vision at scale,” Eunice Wambui concludes.
The integration processes will entail rolling out additional travel options, such as train and flight bookings, which have been limited in BuuPass’s Kenyan market.
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