LekkeSlaap Acquired by South African Investor Consortium as Founders Exit

South African accommodation booking platform LekkeSlaap has been acquired by a consortium of local investors, bringing its co-founders’ involvement to an end and setting up the business for its next phase of growth.

Announced on 8 October 2026, the transaction is co-led by Bellair Road Investment Partners and Janic Capital, alongside the Ferreira Family Office, the Moolman Family Office and Investec. The purchase price has not been disclosed. LekkeSlaap’s parent company, Tripco, is covered by the transaction.

The deal also includes investment from the platform’s executive management team, which will continue running the business under CEO Frans Joubert. Co-founders Jonathan Womersley and Marcel van de Ghinste, together with other long-standing shareholders, have exited.

From a garage startup to 40,000 properties

The business began in 2009 when Womersley and van de Ghinste launched TravelGround.com with around R12,000 and listings for 300 accommodation establishments. They introduced LekkeSlaap in 2013, building an Afrikaans-language booking platform that grew into the group’s main brand.

Today, LekkeSlaap connects travellers with more than 40,000 properties across Southern Africa and says it has served over nine million guests since inception. Its listings include holiday homes, guesthouses, hotels, lodges and other accommodation options.

The platform competes with international booking services such as Airbnb and Booking.com by focusing on local accommodation providers and South African travellers.

Who is behind the acquisition?

Bellair Road Investment Partners is a South African investment firm whose portfolio includes businesses such as Montego Pet Nutrition, Econofoods and Freedom of Movement. It invests in established businesses with potential for further growth.

Janic Capital is the Dippenaar family’s investment vehicle, led by Adriaan Dippenaar. The consortium also includes the Ferreira and Moolman family offices, bringing private family capital into the transaction.

Investec participated through its Principal Investments division and provided debt financing through its Leveraged Finance business. The bank said the deal combines equity investment with acquisition funding.

The new ownership has also brought changes to the board. Herman Bosman, chairman of OUTsurance Group and Fortress Real Estate and former CEO of RMB Holdings and RMI Holdings, has become LekkeSlaap’s chairman. Robert Paddock, co-founder of education technology businesses GetSmarter and Valenture Institute, has joined the board. Both have invested alongside the consortium.

Expansion and technology investment

LekkeSlaap says day-to-day operations will continue as usual for guests, accommodation providers and industry partners. The new investors intend to support further expansion across Southern Africa, with additional investment in technology and localisation.

For the company, localisation includes improving the platform and its services for the markets and customers it serves. The management team will remain in place as the new shareholders support its growth plans.

The transaction keeps LekkeSlaap under South African ownership while giving the business access to additional investment capital and experienced investors. It also marks the end of a 17-year journey for its founders, who built a local travel technology business from a small operation into a major accommodation-booking platform. The acquisition price and the individual ownership stakes of the new investors have not been made public.