Hospitality tech firm, Hop Software, is opening a new office in Cape Town.
Based in Chester, with a second office in Edinburgh, the company is behind a Property Management System, used by hotels around the world.
It’s making the move to South Africa after the region’s tourism organisation described the sector as ‘sunrise sector with endless possibilities’, and is focusing on increasing visitor arrivals and a growing domestic tourism market.
Over 50k rooms and 304 hotels are earmarked to open in 2025/26.
The tech firm has recruited a local team including Business Development Manager, Teboho Ntsiane and Irshaad Mahomedm who becomes Onboarding and Support Executive.
It’s an important move for co-directors, Jon Erasmus and Ronald Tweedie, who originally hail from Durban and Johannesburg respectively. Erasmus and his wife also run a children’s charity in the region.
READ MORE – No Oasis here: Chester hospitality tech promises ‘good’ dynamic pricing
“We are really excited,” said Hop Chief Operating Officer, Sharon Smith.
“The South African market is vibrant, growing and increasingly open to technological adoption. There are over 30 000 hotels, many migrating from manual or legacy systems to cloud-based PMS platforms.
“We are, therefore, bringing new technology to an emerging market which holds significant potential. South Africa is a robust and growing digital economy.
“This is an ideal time for Hop to launch here and provide an all-in-one solution for the hospitality industry.”
The company is no stranger to breaking into new markets, having signed a deal last year with a property in Greenland on the edge of the Arctic ice caps.
“We want to establish Hop as a leading player in the Hospitality PMS market in South Africa,” continued Smith.
“We want to establish Hop as a strong, trusted and reputable brand known for its reliability and customer-centric approach.
“The long-term vision is about market leadership, sustained growth, and contributing to the overall Hop global strategy whilst also becoming a magnet for top tech and business talent in South Africa.”
