BuuPass, a Kenyan travel booking platform, has taken over its Nigerian and South African competitor, QuickBus, in an undisclosed cash and stock deal.
This acquisition boosts BuuPass’s monthly active users to 650,000 and unlocks international routes across 16 African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria, and Ghana. Users can now book major routes like Johannesburg to Cape Town directly through BuuPass, with more options coming by Q2 end.
Furthermore, the acquisition will expand BuuPass’s partnerships with banks and telcos that offer multiple services, such as API integration features. For instance, BuuPass partnered with the M-PESA app, a financial super app, to provide its booking services to around 10 million Kenyans who use the mobile money app.
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wycliffe Omondi, BuuPass has become a major bus ticketing player, facilitating over 6 million bookings and generating over $100 million in total sales.
“We are excited to expand our footprint in Africa as we actively look for more opportunities to bring our platform to new African markets,” 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.”