Africa Travel Investments, a tourism-focused investment firm backed by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, has acquired full ownership of Kenya’s oldest tour company, Pollman’s Tours and Safaris.
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) granted unconditional approval for the acquisition, allowing Africa Travel to take over 100 per cent of Pollman’s issued share capital.
The deal follows a February investment by private equity fund Alterra Capital — supported by Dangote and American billionaire David Rubenstein — in ARP Africa Travel Group, which operates Pollman’s. The formal acquisition signals strong investor confidence in Kenya’s tourism sector.
“This is a growth-focused investment,” Africa Travel said in a statement, indicating a long-term commitment to expanding the sector.
According to the CAK, the acquisition will not alter market dynamics in the local tour operator industry, as the two entities are not direct competitors.
“Post-merger, the market share of the merged entity will not change as the target and the acquirer are not in similar business,” the regulator noted. “The structure and concentration of the tour operators’ market in Kenya will not be affected.”
Kenya’s tour operator market remains highly fragmented, with more than 300 companies including Bonfire Adventures and Bountiful Safaris.
The authority further ruled that the deal poses no risk to jobs or the competitiveness of small businesses — key concerns under Kenya’s merger regulations. Both parties confirmed there would be no job losses resulting from the acquisition.
This is not the first major regional investment by Alterra Capital. In January, the firm acquired a majority stake in the Java House coffee chain, which operates 73 outlets across Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
