

It all began on the 3rd of May 1999!
My son Trent was 3 years of age, and my daughter Lauren was 1 year old. In fact, her 1st Birthday was on 4th May 1999 being the day after we opened the doors of eTravel which also by default means that eTravel is My Baby ,and she will always remain “My Baby” until the day I die if I all goes accordingly to plan!
To be honest the last 25 years now seem to be a “blur of happiness” which has flashed past so fast that looking back all I see can be summed up in the following few words:
- Hard work
- Discipline
- Patience
- And of course, remaining focused on “your dream”

For me “My Dream” is based on a simple philosophy of “Listening to the whole world but only hearing yourself”. What I mean by this is that if you have a dream you need to take advice from those that have been there before you BUT when you make a decision know that it is YOUR decision that no one else can be held accountable for! This way you cannot blame anyone else for a bad decision but also know that living your dream also means you will make many mistakes. It’s from these mistakes we learn and become wiser. Ultimately my dream has been to be an entrepreneur and to run my own business as I don’t like taking instructions from anyone! I like to build businesses to create a culture of empowering individuals so that they can run and manage their own area within these entities. The eTravel ITC model has been the perfect breeding ground to do this as we have empowered ITC’s to run and manage their own businesses but it goes beyond the ITC as I believe we create a culture within eTravel whereby our staff are recognized to use their creativity and empowered to manage their own work via a simple process of Budgets to Key Drivers to Key Performance Areas which are managed furiously and consistently which in turn ultimately paves the way to allow each staff member & ITC to “live their own dream” of managing their own areas that all converge to a common purpose.
If I look back at the highs and lows of the last 25 years one could break this down into the following:
Years 0 to 5
- We grew from a handful of ITCs with our HO in Jhb.
- I was the founder of the business together with the late Bob Williams plus the backing of a listed company called Prism Technologies.
- We faced huge losses in year 1 amounting to around R5.0m which at that time was massive.
- Prism Technologies (the listed company) decided that due to these huge losses they wanted to extricate the business, so we bought them out in 2000 and became 50/50 partners.
- We continued to make losses and Bob too then decided that he didn’t want to be a part of this “highly risky business”, so I bought him out and became a 100% shareholder in August 2021.
- The problem was that eTravel wasn’t making a profit and the cost of becoming a 100% shareholder amounted to R7.0m : the debts and payments within the Sale Agreements.
- Many thought that I had lost my marbles, but I could see where the future of Travel was heading especially if I could now “follow my dream” and listen to the whole world but only hear myself.
- I recall my one older brother Curt’s stunned silence on a phone call when I told him I’m a 100% shareholder but owe R7.0m which was followed by the following few words – “wow boet you have bigger balls than me”. It was at this point that I knew I had my work cut out for me but was beyond excited!
- During these years we faced the catastrophic impact of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 on the twin towers as well as had to navigate the SARS virus which seemed huge but looking back now it was a piece of cake compared to the 2020/21 Covid Lockdown but all these events negatively impacted travel.
- Our Turnover increased from NIL in 1999 to R215m for the year ending June 2004 by which stage we were making good profits and I had managed to settle most of the “acquisition debt” but it did mean living on “bread and water” during those months that I truly never knew where the money would come from to pay the staff salaries!
Years 6 to 10
- The years from July 2004 to June 2008 were “golden years” for eTravel as the model in SA gained traction with more and more consultants realizing that becoming an Independent Travel Professional was the way to “Live their Dream” too.
- This meant that consultants who worked from 8 to 5 for a salary could now work from home (or an office) and spend more time with their kids and families and work their own hours plus “write their own salary cheques”.
- The model boomed and with this came competition some of which was healthy, but others were driven by greed of merely maximizing the override payouts without worrying about the associated risks of “cleared funds” and credit card fraud.
- It was now that eTravel not only sharpened our pencil and increased the payouts BUT we also realised the value of superlative back-office support in terms of MIS reports and ensuring that the ITC’s corporate clients received 100% accurate recons and admin support.
- By now I had settled all my debt and the Cape Town ITC expansion reached “fever pitch” with the plan to relocate our HO from Jhb to Cpt which happened in 2008.
- This 5-year period saw our figures grow from to R215m to R563m (to end June 2009) representing a growth of 161% but at the end of financial year the “Sub Prime” crisis rippled through the world’s financial markets and created jitters across the globe.
Years 11 to 15
- The years from 2009 to 2014 was a wonderful period for South Africa whereby we hosted the 2010 SWC and the “Rainbow” nation was the place to visit.
- Unfortunately, it also saw the arrival of Mr Jacob Zuma at which stage the Rand / Dollar stood at around R7-50 / $1-00.
- The SWC itself created a very positive impression for South Africa and life was good with eTravel continuing to grow beyond our wildest dreams.
- With 15 years of experience, it was now making sure that we retained the best staff possible but being a private entity with a generous profit-sharing scheme from my MD all the way to the tea ladies this can be achieved as there is not a string of red tape when making decisions.
- During these 5 years we had acquired land in both Jhb and Cpt and built our own offices in Bryanston and Century City, respectively. We also moved our HO from Jhb to Cpt in a move that saw us running dual offices with duplicated staff on many functions.
- Our Turnover grew from R563m (2009) to R891m (2014) representing a growth percentage of 58% meaning that at these levels of Turnover we had become a serious player in the SA Travel space and the Market Leader in the ITC field by a long shot.
Years 16 to 20
- From 2014 to 2019 we continued to grow but with the focus on delivering superlative service to our ITC rather than worrying about top line growth over internal happiness.
- Luckily, we do not have a host of external shareholders who are only focused on their Return On Investment.
- Each year we spend a decent amount of time on our budgets to Key Drivers to KPA’s which we still manage furiously to ensure we meet our goals so that our Staff and ITC’s can reap the rewards of a well-oiled machine.
- It’s important to note that one of our main Key Drivers each year is to “Have fun” as its no use working hard and not enjoying yourself along the way!
- I’m a firm believer in making your staff the most important focus in the entire company as happy staff take care of the customer (ITC) which will mean Happy ITC’s!
- Our Turnover grew from R891m (2014) to R1.156bn (2019) representing a growth percentage of 30%.
Years 21 to 25
- I need not remind you all that 2020 saw the most catastrophic event of recent time in that the Covid Lockdown decimated Travel and Tourism which changed the face of Travel the world over
- As a 100% shareholder of eTravel, eHolidays and a recently acquired Game Farm (to make the most of Inbound Tourism) I witnessed the constant cash outflow which at times I truly thought would leave me destitute.
- Our eTravel “Cash on Hand” went from R21m in March 2020 to negative R17m by Sep 2020 with a significant outflow being the deposits that travelers wanted refunded as well as paying salaries, rent and other major costs to keep the business running.
- Personally, I went from being debt free to owing almost R20m within the space of 9 months.
- Many Companies such as Serendipity did not survive but we knew that if we could out last the pack, we would reap the rewards.
- My wealth was literally evaporating each day as I tried to keep core staff after retrenching 48% of the payroll and closing the Jhb offices by June 2020.
- A saving grace was that I owned a house in Knysna which was paid off, so I managed to sell this asset to pay salaries for the months ahead. It became a matter of selling anything that was saleable to plough these funds into the business and to keep communicating to the staff and ITC’s.
- In fact, communication became the second most important thing after cashflow as our ITC’s were clearly wondering IF eTravel had enough funds to make it through these horrible times!
- To be honest in a way these 2 years from April 2020 to June 2022 can be looked back on as a time of purging and cleansing which resulted in eTravel being more streamlined and more efficient than ever before.
- Our Turnover has grown from R1.156bn (2019) to a forecast of R1.600 (June 2024) representing a growth percentage of 38% and profitability that can match any year prior.
What does the future hold?
So, people often ask me and / or almost tell me to sell eTravel as the years tick on! As a side note I was 32 in 1999 when I stared eTravel which makes me 57 now so the common question I get asked: “Is it not time to sell eTravel and cash in after all these years of hard work?” I smile internally and say to myself that “hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie” and by this, I mean that eTravel is truly my baby especially as my other babies have grown up and left home. It’s now, more than ever, that I thrive on making things work and empowering others. I feel proud when I look around and see how many families have become financially (and emotionally) “reliant on the eTravel family”. I like to give back and reward people for their hard work and commitment but don’t get me wrong, I’m not into giving without seeing the desired results. I believe teaching people how to fish and rewarding them is far more important than merely giving them fish!
eTravel Pty Ltd: Retail outbound ITC Travel group where we continue to remain “100% dedicated to the ITC”.
eHolidays Pty Ltd: Wholesale division with a hand full of IWC’s and other consultants who service our eTravel ITC’s.
eGroup Pty Ltd: A company that owns property including the eTravel HO.
GDW Lodges Pty Ltd: A company that owns 2268 Hectares of pristine African Bushveld on the border of Great Kruger close to Hoedspruit.
Bokmakirrie Pty Ltd: A company that own 732 Hectares of pristine African Bushveld on the border of Great Kruger close to Hoedspruit within the same Private Game Reserve as GDW Lodges as well as the Leopard’s Bend Bush Lodge.
These 5 entities all complement each other and fall into the following 3 broader segments being:
1. Outbound Travel
2. Property
3. Inbound African Bush Tourism
These 5 entities all complement each other and fall into the following 3 broader segments being So right now, there is absolutely no reason for me to have any desire to sell any one of the above entities! Especially with the exciting future I list below:
- Solar and Reception
We have recently put a 60kVA photovoltaic solar system in at our Cape Town travel HO coupled with our already existing 200kVA generator making us totally capable of operating independently of Eskom.
Revamped Cpt HO: We have recently revamped and reorganized our Cpt HO, so all staff sit in very comfortable offices which feel new, clean, safe, and conducive to great work outputs.
- Exclusive Bush Lodge
Within Bokmakirrie Pty Ltd we have recently (Aug 2023) opened our very own Leopards Bend Bush Lodge within a Big 5 Private Game Reserve named the Blue Canyon Private Game Reserve at the foot of the Drakensberg mountains where the Blyde River Canyon reflects its beauty
This Lodge is also off the grid with a 24kVA Solar system and 22 generator that makes it self-sufficient not to mention a borehole and purification plant supplying us fresh clean water daily.
This exclusive lodge has all the 5-star comforts and can be found on www.leopardsbend.com
- Adoption of AI
With the onset of Artificial Intelligence, we know that the future is bright as nothing can ever replace the human element, but we are excited to embrace and use AI to better service and manage our travelers’ experiences.
- Trent joining the eTravel Group:
Then something that is any Dad’s dream is to create a business that becomes self-sufficient and sustainable enough to entice your son to come work with you which is what is happening right now.
Trent Wolff (28 years) has joined eTravel in the capacity of “Projects Manager” on Monday 6th May 2024 (almost 25 years to the day of opening eTravel on 3rd May 1999) where we hope he will settle in and make a difference noting his ability to embrace AI has been a key excitement for me and the rest of the team so that in years to come WE can take the eTravel Group to infinity and beyond!
Trent went to Stellies University where he studied a BCom in Management Accounting and did his honours in Man Acc’s plus did his CIMA (UK degree) before he started working with Iridium and found himself working at Sporting Bet as the Financial Manager for the last few years so has been very exposed to all the financial requirements of running a business. He personally embraced AI via ChatGPT to assist him in making his daily tasks more efficient and accurate so once he has settled in at eTravel we plan to use his skills and knowledge to push eTravel into the next generation without losing the personal touch.
Goodies from our suppliers
I would once again like to make my commitment to my staff and ITC’s that while I remain the 100% shareholder, we will always try our very best to:
“Remain 100% dedicated to the ITC” and to be “Big enough to matter BUT small enough to care”.
At the tender age of 57 I feel blessed and excited firstly for what I have and secondly for where we are going!
Bring on the next 25 years!

Exclusive Bush Lodge
Within Bokmakirrie Pty Ltd we have recently (Aug 2023) opened our very own Leopards Bend Bush Lodge within a Big 5 Private Game Reserve named the Blue Canyon Private Game Reserve at the foot of the Drakensberg mountains.