South African travel fintech startup TurnStay has secured $2 million in seed funding to enhance its platform and simplify payments for the travel and hospitality sectors across Africa.

The funding round, led by First Circle Capital and supported by TLcom Capital, Enza Capital, Incisive Ventures, CVVC, and Equitable Ventures, underscores growing investor confidence in fintech solutions designed to tackle financial challenges within the African travel industry. 

Founded by Alon Stern (Slide Financial) and James Hedley (Quicket), TurnStay offers digital payment solutions, booking management tools, and financial services tailored for hotels, tour operators, and travelers. 

TurnStay’s platform facilitates secure, instant, and cross-border payments, reducing delays and operational friction for hospitality businesses. Additionally, the fintech provides analytics and reporting tools to help businesses optimize revenue and manage cash flow more effectively.

“Travel is an industry full of opportunities, but payment challenges often hinder growth,” said the CEO of TurnStay. “This investment will enable us to scale our platform and provide seamless financial solutions to more hotels and travelers across Africa.”

With the new funding, TurnStay intends to:

• Expand its platform into additional African countries
  
• Launch AI-powered tools to further enhance booking management and payment optimization
  
• Form partnerships with banks, financial institutions, and travel operators to drive greater adoption of its platform
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While Africa’s travel and hospitality sector is recovering quickly from the pandemic, fragmented and outdated payment systems continue to pose challenges. TurnStay aims to address these issues by digitizing and simplifying financial transactions, allowing businesses to focus more on growth and delivering superior customer experiences.

The $2 million investment will position TurnStay to drive significant transformation in travel payments across Africa, enabling faster transactions, smoother operations, and better experiences for both businesses and travelers. With this, TurnStay is poised to become a key player in reshaping Africa’s travel and hospitality landscape.

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