SAA wins top African airline award at travel market

South African Airways (SAA) has won the Top African Airline Award at the 22^nd Akwaaba African Travel Market held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on September 13 – 15, 2026.

Voted by the travel industry and members of the public, the award stood out among the Top 100 Travel Icons in Nigeria for Excellence in Travel.

The award was announced by Mr Ikechi Uko, Publisher, African Travel Quarterly & Founder, Akwaaba Travel Market and was presented to the airline by Mrs Ida Jeng Njie, DG, Gambia Tourism Board and Mr Yinka Folami, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA), in recognition of the airline’s consistency and outstanding performance in customer service delivery and premium products.

The award is a fitting testament to the giant strides and numerous impacts the airline has made over the years on the lives of its clients, partner agents, Nigerian youths, and the general public through its various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

At the forefront of these initiatives is the continuous empowerment of its Travel Agent Partners through regular familiarisation trips (Famtrip) to selected business and leisure destinations, as well as workshops to enhance their product knowledge.

The airline took this initiative a step further by collaborating with and offering an all-expenses-paid B2B and B2C industry exposure experience to four (4) of its Travel Agents and Tour Operator Partners as co-exhibitors at its exhibition stand at this year’s Akwaaba Travel Market and Expo.

This is an excellent and unique business strategy that promises better synergy and a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties, and it is the first of its kind by an airline in the industry.

The travel agents included: Fare Deal Travel & Tours; Vacation Places Limited; 3Cords Leisure & Vacation; and OCI Travel & Tours. SAA sponsored them on an unforgettable and colourful fam trip to Mauritius, where they visited and experienced firsthand the amazing hotels and beautiful, picturesque tourist locations in a relaxing atmosphere.

Sharing her experience on the trip, Miss Oluwayemisi Kpote, a Travel Consultant with 3Cords Travels, said, “SAA did a wonderful job. The facilitation was seamless, and we want to do more group tours with SAA to bring more people to explore Mauritius.”

Mrs Olubusola Afolabi, Head of Operations, OCI Travels & Tours, noted that the Fam Trip allowed SAA Partners who sold Mauritius to experience the destination firsthand. She stressed that the exposure made it possible to speak with clients from real-time experience and advise them better, adding, “The experience has improved our sales to that destination.”

Mr Sonny Egbane, Co-Founder & COO of 3Cords, said, “This is a step in the right direction. The synergy of working together is a good initiative, and the service of the airline is good.”

This is an eye-opener. We can advise clients better now, and the response time of the people is very good,” were the remarks of Miss Divine Bestman, Ticketing Officer, Fare Deal Travels.

Other notable SAA initiatives, which no doubt contributed to the airline achieving the Top African Airline Award, include the South African Airways Essay Competition (SAAEC), launched in 2017 to reach out to students in secondary schools and give back to society.

Another is the South African Airways Aviation Youth Forum, which showcases the career opportunities in the aviation industry and encourages young Nigerians to pursue careers in the sector.

SAA is a network carrier that continues to revolutionise its processes and adapt to changes in order to give its customers the best service. In line with this, the airline offers its customers more choices to more destinations within and outside the continent, including places such as Mauritius, Sao Paulo in South America and Perth in Australia.”

As Africa’s most awarded Skytrax airline, SAA has a rich history of excellence in the aviation industry. With 92 years of operation, the airline is well-positioned to continue delivering exceptional service to its customers.

Wole Shadare