Marketing and representation giant, Discover the World, has signed an agreement with SAA to grow the airline’s representation in Europe.

South Africa’s national carrier already had representation in Canada, Germany, the UK, and the US through Discover the World. The same GSA now represents SAA in Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

While SAA does not service any of the countries covered under the new agreement, cumulatively, the markets accounted for over 308 000 of South Africa’s arrivals in 2023 – equating to more than 15% of the country’s two million overseas arrivals.

In a release from Discover the World Marketing, Tebogo Tsimane, SAA’s Chief Commercial Officer, highlighted the importance of Europe’s markets in SAA’s international strategy and overall business recovery plan.

“SAA is carefully considering its route network to optimise connectivity. The European markets are vital for SAA due to their significant contribution to tourism and business travel, which are essential for SAA’s operations and overall sustainability,” said Tsimane.

Aiden Walsh, Discover the World’s Head of Airline Development, called the opportunity to further represent SAA “an honour”.

“We look forward to growing our relationship with South African Airways even further in the future,” said Walsh.