What Expert Africa does

Expert Africa is a privately held, UK-headquartered travel company founded in 1994 that designs and sells tailor-made African safaris and beach holidays through a consultative direct-sales model. Operating across 12 African countries (Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zanzibar, and Seychelles), the company maintains a curated inventory of 1,033 camps, lodges, and hotels and employs 19 dedicated destination specialists who collectively visit hundreds of properties annually to verify them in person. The team has authored 39 editions of 8 guidebooks, and the firm holds AITO, ATOL, and ABTA accreditations alongside industry awards from Condé Nast Traveller and the British Travel Awards.

The company's core technology is a web-based booking platform underpinned by three proprietary data assets: a Wildlife Sightings Database with 92,817 species records, a Trip Wildlife Reports system capturing 2,296 traveler-submitted reports, and an unedited Traveler Review System holding 6,576 reviews (95% rated excellent). These assets support itinerary design and customer confidence but are described as databases and reporting tools rather than AI-driven systems. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer: customers initiate enquiries through the website or via US (1-800-242-2434) and UK (+44 203 405 6666) phone lines, then are matched with a dedicated specialist who manages the trip end-to-end from planning through post-return feedback. No app, API, or third-party reseller channel is in use.

Expert Africa generates revenue through transactional fees on bespoke safari and beach packages, with published per-person pricing ranging from approximately US$2,640 for shorter beach holidays to over US$21,000 for comprehensive multi-country safaris. The company does not disclose revenue, has no outside investors, and shows no evidence of M&A or restructuring activity. It serves a fragmented base of individual leisure travelers — primarily families, honeymooners, and wildlife enthusiasts in the UK, US, and other affluent source markets — with no enterprise or B2B contract concentration, and supports 11 charitable initiatives as part of its responsible-travel positioning.

Name

Expert Africa

Legal name

Expert Africa

Website

https://expertafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Expert Africa is a privately held UK travel company founded in 1994 that designs and sells tailor-made African safaris and beach holidays across 12 countries using a team of 19 destination specialists and a direct phone/website consultative sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Safari and Beach Holiday Travel Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Travel Agencies (56151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari & Wildlife Travel Agencies (THAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAC), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE), Destination Research & Custom Recommendations (HSACAKAM), Wildlife & Safari Tour Operators (THAKADAG), Safari & Wildlife Adventure Tour Operators (Land-Based) (THAAADAD)

Keywords

• African safari tours
• Tailor-made holidays
• Beach holiday packages
• Wildlife travel experiences
• Custom travel itineraries

Headquarters

HQ city

Isleworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Safari and Holiday Package Bookings: Expert Africa generates revenue by organizing and selling tailor-made safari and beach holiday packages to African destinations. Packages include accommodations at partner lodges and camps, activities, and sometimes flights. Pricing varies based on destination, duration, accommodation level, and season, with prices ranging from approximately US$2,640 to over US$17,000 per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Expert Africa is a UK-based travel company that designs and sells tailor-made African safaris and beach holidays across 12 countries, delivered through 19 dedicated Africa specialists who have personally visited 878 lodges. Trips are fully bespoke itineraries combining partner-lodge accommodations, activities, and flights, priced per person from approximately US$2,640 to over US$21,480 depending on destination, duration, and accommodation level. The company also operates a proprietary wildlife sightings database (92,817 records), a trip wildlife reporting system (2,296 reports), and a traveler review platform (6,576 unedited reviews) that inform its trip recommendations.

Product overview

Expert Africa is a travel company specializing in tailor-made African safaris and beach holidays across 12 African countries. The portfolio includes core safari products for Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and beach destinations in Zanzibar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Seychelles. Products are organized under Safari Collections (wildlife, luxury, family, honeymoon, walking, photography, private camps) and supplemented by specialist consultation services. The company offers personalized itinerary planning with 19 dedicated Africa specialists who have visited 878 lodges and authored 39 guidebook editions. All trips are custom-tailored to individual traveler preferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Botswana Safaris Tailor-made safari tours to Botswana's premier destinations including Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, and Chobe National Park, designed for individual leisure travelers.
• Kenya Safaris Customized safari experiences across Kenya featuring wildlife encounters, Maasai cultural experiences, and access to coral reefs for individual leisure travelers.
• Namibia Safaris Tailored tours to Namibia's dramatic landscapes including desert landscapes, wildlife, and self-drive adventures for individual leisure travelers.
• South Africa Holidays Comprehensive travel packages to South Africa covering Cape Town, Winelands, Garden Route, and Big Five safari destinations for individual leisure travelers.
• Tanzania Safaris Expert-led tours to Tanzania's renowned national parks and the Serengeti for wildlife viewing experiences for individual leisure travelers.
• Rwanda Gorilla Treks Specialized mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park for individual leisure travelers and wildlife enthusiasts.
• Zambia Safaris Walking safaris and wildlife experiences in Zambia, including South Luangwa National Park and Victoria Falls, for individual leisure travelers.
• Zimbabwe Holidays Safari experiences in Zimbabwe's national parks with access to Victoria Falls for individual leisure travelers.
• Zanzibar Beach Holidays Beach vacation packages to Zanzibar including Stone Town, East Coast, and island resort accommodations for individual leisure travelers and honeymooners.
• Mozambique Beach Holidays Coastal resort and beach holidays in Mozambique's Bazaruto and Quirimbas Archipelagos for individual leisure travelers, honeymooners, and divers.
• Malawi Safaris and Lakeshore Holidays Combined safari and lakeshore holidays in Malawi featuring Liwonde National Park, Majete Wildlife Reserve, and Lake Malawi for individual leisure travelers.
• Seychelles Holidays Luxury island getaways to the Seychelles archipelago for beach and wildlife experiences for individual leisure travelers and honeymooners.
• Safari Collections Curated safari packages organized by travel style including wildlife safaris, luxury safaris, family safaris, honeymoons, walking safaris, photography safaris, and private camps/lodges.
• Wildlife Holidays Wildlife-focused travel experiences with access to species data and sighting reports across 92,817 recorded species sightings in Expert Africa's wildlife tracking database.
• Tailor-Made Trip Planning Personalized itinerary creation service matching travelers with specialist experts to design custom African safari and beach holidays, with quotes refined until fully satisfactory.
• Specialist Consultation One-on-one consultation with 19 Africa specialists who have collectively visited 878 lodges and written 39 guidebook editions, providing expert destination and itinerary advice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of travelers (6,260 out of 6,576) rate their trips as excellent
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Singita: Singita operates ultra-luxury safari lodges and reserves across South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. It targets the same ultra-high-net-worth customer as Expert Africa's top-end safari packages, although as an operator rather than a trip planner.
• Go2Africa: Go2Africa is a UK- and South Africa-based tailor-made safari specialist operating across multiple African countries with a consultative specialist model, very closely matching Expert Africa's core offering and target customer (affluent English-speaking travellers seeking custom safaris and beach combinations).
• &Beyond: &Beyond is a leading luxury safari and beach holiday operator with owned lodges across Africa and Asia, serving affluent tailor-made travellers. It competes with Expert Africa on premium safari itineraries and on the safari-plus-beach combination product.
• African Travel: African Travel is a US-headquartered safari tour operator specialising in custom and small-group safaris across Southern and East Africa. It is a direct competitor serving a similar affluent North American/UK customer with tailor-made itineraries.
• Africa Travel Resource (ATR): ATR is a UK-based Africa travel specialist offering tailor-made safaris and beach holidays across multiple countries, with a consultative sales model very similar to Expert Africa's.
• Wilderness Safaris: Wilderness Safaris is one of Africa's largest luxury safari operators running camps across Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It overlaps with Expert Africa on destination coverage and customer base but owns/operates camps rather than just reselling third-party inventory.
• Micato Safaris: Micato Safaris is a US-based luxury tailor-made safari operator offering custom East and Southern Africa itineraries with a high-touch, specialist-led sales model directly comparable to Expert Africa.

Emerging players

• SafariBookings: SafariBookings is an online safari comparison and booking platform aggregating African safari operators. It is not a direct tailor-made competitor but increasingly pressures the consultative specialist model by offering self-serve transparency on lodges, prices and reviews.

Broad incumbents

• Scott Dunn: Scott Dunn is a UK-based luxury tour operator offering tailor-made holidays worldwide, including a dedicated Africa safari programme. It competes for the same affluent customers but operates across many global destinations rather than Africa-only.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Abercrombie & Kent is a global luxury tour operator with a substantial tailor-made Africa safari portfolio. It overlaps heavily with Expert Africa on product and customer, but is significantly larger and geographically diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExpertAfrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ExpertAfricaVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/expertafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/expertafrica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Expert Africa