1997: Tourvest is established through the incorporation of a number of long established tourism companies and is listed on the JSE.
1998: Aggressively expands through the acquisition of a number of tourism businesses, including Out of Africa and Shakaland.
1999: Acquires American Express Travel and Foreign Exchange franchise rights, and Seekers Travel.
1999: Opens Lesedi Cultural Village in the North West province.
1999: Purchases SAA’s inflight sales business.
2000: Wins ACSA tender for a curio megastore at Johannesburg International and Cape Town International Airports. Purchases a majority share and takes management control of an outlet in Kirstenbosch Gardens.
2001: Tourvest sells controlling stake to Imperial Holdings.
2002: Awarded the tender for the retail rights in SANParks including the Kruger National Park, Addo Elephant National Park and the Tsitsikamma Marine Reserve, creates the Parks Shop.
2003: Created the Pilanesberg Elephant Back Safari company.
2004: Acquires a number of tourist-orientated restaurants as the first step in its planned expansion into this sector of the tourism industry.
2006: Acquires the four star Adderley Hotel in Cape Town as well as an interest in the hotel management company Relais Hotels as the first step in establishing a presence in the accommodation sector of the tourism market.
2006: Expands its operations into East Africa through the acquisition of a majority interest in one of the region’s leading ecotourism businesses, Vintage Africa. At the same time, it is awarded a prime concession for a new luxury permanent tented camp in the Serengeti National Park.
2006: Acquires a controlling interest in a travel management company in Nigeria.
2006: Expands its fledgling property portfolio through the acquisition of the Makalali Game Lodge in Limpopo and Casa do Sol in Hazyview.
2006: Acquires a 60% interest in Ganzee, a leading souvenir store operator in Barbados. This is the first step in the planned international expansion of its destination retail business.
2007: Acquires four well-known seafront restaurants in Cape Town – La Med, Quay Four, Black Marlin and Bertha’s – in line with its strategy of building up a portfolio of strategically located tourist destination restaurants.
2007: Acquires the overland tours business of the Drifters group to support the expansion of its activities operations.
2008: Majority shareholding in Tourvest disposed of by Imperial Holdings. The company is bought by a BEE consortium led by Guma Tourism and delists.
2009: Acquires a majority stake in Silver Star Tours, giving the group major exposure to the Indian source market.
2010: Appointed as an agent of Western Union and offers money transfers at most of its foreign exchange bureaus countrywide.
2010: Handles over 70 000 passengers for the FIFA World Cup through a specialist division called TEAM.
2010: Adds the iconic Hildebrand Restaurant in Cape Town to its growing portfolio of restaurants.
2010: Completes a low ecological impact luxury camp, known as Elephant Camp, at its concession in the Victoria Falls National Park.
2010: Consolidates its property portfolio under a single umbrella company called aha.
2011: Adds Thakadu River Camp in the Madikwe Game Reserve, the Chobe Marina Lodge in Botswana and the Bongani Mountain Lodge in Mpumalanga to its property portfolio of managed properties.
2012: Awarded concession for British Airways inflight sales.
2012: SANParks extends contract to manage retail shops in the Tsitsikama, Addo and Kruger National Parks for a further 10 years.
2012: Launches TravelIT, a sophisticated online corporate travel management solution.
2013: Awarded full management contract for all the properties at the Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay.
2013: Strengthens presence in Uganda with acquisition of majority stakes in activity business Adrift and the River Nile island lodge Wild Waters.
2013: Extends sports involvement to UEFA and Olympics and opens TEAM offices in Portugal and Russia. Enters JV with SARU (SA Rugby Travel) and awarded exclusive rights for the IRB Rugby World Cup in the UK to provide complete fan and corporate packages, including tickets.
2013: Awarded full management contract for Kopanong Hotel & Conference Centre.
2013: Opens Kuria Hills, a permanent lodge in the Northern Serengeti.
2013: Awarded tender for KwaZulu-Natal provincial government’s travel management.
2014: Acquires Three Cities Management Group with full management contracts for fourteen properties.
2014: Opens destination retail shop at Mumbai Airport, a first in India.
2014: Buys out minority shareholder in East African operation.
2015: Awarded full management contracts for Ivory Tree Game Lodge, Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge and River Place Country Estate (now River Place Lodge).
2015: Awarded full management contract for Masa Square Hotel.
2015: Takes full control of Uganda activity business.
2015: Opens first duty free store at Lagos Airport.
2016: Launches the new aha brand.
2016: Awarded full management contract for Imperial Hotel and Urban Hotel Bloemfontein.