SAA’s interim CEO, John Lamola, recently stated at a summit on aviation in Johannesburg that he is seeking a partner that will uphold the airline’s objective.
Rumors that South African Airways (SAA) and Qatar Airways were going to form an equity partnership have been refuted.
After Qatar Airways declared earlier this month that it intended to acquire an airline based in southern Africa, rumors started to circulate.
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The Gulf carrier is “in the final stages” of concluding an equity investment in an airline in “the southern part of Africa,” according to Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Al Meer, who made the statement on May 15. An announcement is anticipated to be made within two or three weeks following the announcement.
At the time, Al Meer said during a panel at the Qatar Economic Forum, “This airline will help us and complement the operation of Kigali.”
But on May 22, during a speech at an aviation conference in Johannesburg, SAA’s interim CEO, John Lamola, refuted these rumors.
“We are South Africa’s national carrier… and we’re looking for a partner that will respect the mission of SAA,” Lamola stated, as reported by Tourism Update.
Lamola emphasized that, in the wake of the failure of its private equity agreement with the Takatso Consortium, SAA is in fact searching for a strategic partner.
He stated that maintaining SAA’s state ownership and dedication to serving South Africa is the primary prerequisite for any potential partner.
In order to support the recapitalization and modernization of the airline’s fleet and comply with international decarbonization regulations, the board is also demanding a capital infusion.
In the meantime, Qatar Airways is eager to increase its presence in Africa. As of right now, the airline flies to 31 locations in Africa.
This includes a significant equity investment in another southern African airline, complementing its existing operations with RwandAir and enhancing connectivity across East, West, and North Africa.
Qatar Airways has been increasing its presence in Africa since 2019 when it expressed interest in acquiring a 49 percent stake in RwandAir.
This long-term investment is part of a broader plan, which includes a $1.3bn investment in Rwanda’s new Bugesera International Airport, aimed at developing a major aviation hub in the region.
Between 2022 and 2023, both sides operated about 156 flights between Doha and Kigali. During the same period, the airline witnessed a 10 percent month-on-month growth, resulting in more than QAR 7 million ($1.9m) in revenues.
In May last year, Qatar Airways Cargo launched its first hub, in partnership with RwandAir, for its cargo handling.
By taking this action, the African aviation cargo network was to be expanded and within ten years, the continent’s estimated three to five percent annual economic growth was to be met.
Among the African cities on Qatar Airways’ network are Lusaka, Harare, Abidjan, Algiers, Accra, Cape Town, Abuja, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Zanzibar.
