Customer Success Story: Lendimi African Safari's inspiring story about growth

From the heights of Kilimanjaro, and the serene blue beaches of Zanzibar, to the beauty of the Serengeti, Lendimi African Safaris is the ultimate tour company for travel experiences in Tanzania. 

When they initially started operating in 2018, Lendimi faced various challenges with customer payments, bookings, and itinerary creation. However, since using WeTravel, they have saved tremendous time each week, and are now able to offer a more streamlined customer experience. 

We recently caught up with Amana Mbise, one of the founders of the business, and Emanuel Nnko, one of Lendimi’s safari tour planners, and this is what he had to say about their experience with WeTravel. 

About Lendimi African Safaris 

Lendimi African Safaris is a family-owned travel agency based in Tanzania. The small safari business is heavily community-driven and community-based. They’re also dedicated to the conservation of nature and the celebration of Tanzanian culture. These are the primary values of Lendimi African Safaris.

Lendimi was born from a tree planting initiative, where they worked with the local community to plant trees to help conserve the riverbanks that were being eroded. 

Lendimi African Safari's tree planting activity

Over time the tree planting endeavor grew, and it was that culture of conserving nature that was the driving force behind starting Lendimi African Safaris. 

The business was started by a group of brothers who were working as tour guides. They combined their passion for community-driven nature conservation with tourism and started their own safari business.

Each Lendimi tour includes a tree-planting exercise or conservation initiative to ensure the business gives back to nature.

Why WeTravel? 

Challenge 

How did your business operate before WeTravel? 

The most time-consuming part of our job was reaching out to customers and developing and customizing itineraries. WeTravel has helped us to be efficient in customizing itineraries and reducing the amount of time it takes to respond and reach out to customers.

Before WeTravel, the whole process of creating itineraries and sending them to clients could take 2-3 days and it didn't look professional at all. 

This process did not convince our clients that we were a serious business. WeTravel streamlined the entire process and added a professional look.  

Solution 

What problems has WeTravel solved for your business? 

WeTravel helped to simplify our expense management and made it easier for clients to book and pay directly online. 

Before using WeTravel, we asked clients to either deposit money into our bank account or clients would carry cash into the country and pay us in Tanzania. 

Our clients were not satisfied with these methods, and it added a layer of anxiety and concern for them and us as a business. Using WeTravel has helped us provide a seamless, hassle-free payment platform for all our clients.

Another useful feature is the refund functionality. When a client cancels and wants a refund, it's as quick as clicking a few buttons. 

Being able to process refunds quickly is useful, and knowing that all our expenses are being tracked and managed gives us confidence and reassurance that we’re on top of our records.

Overall, since we started using WeTravel, it has completely transformed our business.  

Amazing wildlife encounters during Lendimi's safaris

Impact 

How have your customers reacted to using WeTravel? 

WeTravel has helped create a more reliable customer experience. Because we are in a third-world country, and our clients are in first-world countries, WeTravel has allowed us to improve the customer experience and improve the trust our clients have in us. 

Giving customers more convenient and transparent options for making payments has improved their experience in a big way. 

How do you think your business management has improved with WeTravel? 

It is 100% improved and streamlined. Last year, before implementing the WeTravel platform, the feedback we received from our clients was that it was exceptionally difficult for them to pay us and a major inconvenience to carry cash into the country. Thanks to WeTravel, that is no longer a concern and our customer satisfaction has increased substantially. 

Our business admin has also changed dramatically thanks to the ability to easily issue refunds. This has built trust and created immense transparency for our client base. 

We are also saving a lot of time every month on creating itineraries. We’d say it’s now 75% - 80% faster to create itineraries. 

Using WeTravel makes clients feel more comfortable booking tours with us. It has alleviated stress and has added a professional touch to our business.

How WeTravel Became Lendimi’s Secret To Successful Booking & Payment Management 

Like many travel companies, Lendimi faced various challenges around client bookings, itinerary creation, and securing payments when they first started. However, since using WeTravel, the business has vastly improved the user experience of its clients. 

Not to mention how much time they’re now saving each month thanks to the streamlined processes. 

If you’re interested in seeing how WeTravel works, and whether it’s a suitable platform for your tour operator business, try the platform for free. Alternatively, schedule a demo where we’ll show you exactly how your business can utilize and benefit from the wide range of functions and features. 

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