Partnering for growth: Tourvest’s CCO on driving Africa’s retail and catering strategy

In May 2025, Tourvest formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lagardère Travel Retail, reinforcing the French retailer’s presence in Africa. The partnership paves the way for joint initiatives in retail, duty free, dining, and tourism across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, combining Tourvest’s local expertise and African footprint with Lagardère’s global retail concepts. The alliance also commits both companies to sustainable development, job creation, and investment in African talent, aligning with Tourvest’s Vision 2027 goals.

Khumalo describes the collaboration as a powerful growth engine. “Lagardère brings global distribution and access to major brands. Tourvest brings local knowledge, operational expertise, and regulatory understanding,” she says. “This collaboration allows both sides to play to their strengths.”

Tourvest recently expanded at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, opening a second duty free store in Terminal 2 in September 2025. This complements the first store in Terminal 1, which has been in operation since 2015.

Khumalo describes Nigeria as a promising, forward-looking market. “The market loves premium brands, enjoys travel, and has a strong appetite to spend,” she says. “We want to be there as that market reaches its full potential.” Operating successfully, she adds, requires long-term commitment, as navigating regulatory complexity, currency fluctuations, and operational challenges depends on strong local partnerships. Tourvest’s collaboration with Lagos-based ALM Group has been key to ensuring both stores thrive. “You can’t operate in a vacuum. You need local knowledge,” she notes.

Terminal 1 offers a broad duty free mix, while Terminal 2 focuses on a smaller, more premium selection. Both mix global brands with curated local products that place African creativity alongside international luxury. “Shoppers can explore an extensive range of fragrances, skincare, high-end cosmetics, spirits, wines, confectionery, and select local delicacies,” says Khumalo. “Renowned global brands are showcased alongside regional products, providing both convenience and a sense of place for customers.”

Tourvest also leverages partnerships to strengthen its airline retail operations, serving around 24 million passengers each year across seven airline partners. “Strong partnerships have been central to our success,” Khumalo says. “We are now expanding into additional product lines to create a more well-rounded offering.”

In 2025, Tourvest sold roughly 900,000 cups of coffee and one million sandwiches globally. In South Africa specifically, this has been achieved alongside FlySafair and supported by an upgraded café experience developed with Bootlegger Coffee. Onboard duty free services for South African Airways, Airlink and Kenya Airways feature African brands alongside global names. SAA flights, for example, highlight designers such as Maxhosa and NtoZinhle. “We celebrate premium local design and become part of their growth stories,” Khumalo explains.

“Creating space for local products is a priority to ensure they have a seat at the duty free table," she adds. These initiatives give African creativity and craftsmanship equal footing with international luxury, allowing passengers to experience the continent’s richness at 30,000 feet.

Tourvest, who also manages onboard retail for British Airways, BA Euroflyer, and Virgin Atlantic in the UK, recently opened three warehouses – two in South Africa and one in the UK – to manage logistics internally for retail and catering. Khumalo says the move reflects a strategic shift that future proofs the business. “We diversified, built our own catering units, and launched warehouses so we could manage logistics internally rather than outsourcing. Today, we do our own picking and packing that support both retail and catering operations.”

Looking ahead, the company’s growth strategy aligns with Vision 2027, which emphasizes job creation, skills development, and sustainable growth. “From a South African perspective, job creation is important,” Khumalo explains. “Building facilities that empower employees and create long-term opportunities matters very strongly to us.”