Hop Software, co-founded by Highland hoteliers Richard Drummond and Jon Erasmus, has seen its all-in-one hotel Property Management System adopted in four continents since its launch in Edinburgh in 2017.

Now the two Scots-based hoteliers and fellow Director Ronald Tweedie have targeted growth opportunities in South Africa, with over 50 000 rooms and 304 hotels earmarked to open across the continent in 2025/26.

South African Tourism’s latest Annual Performance Plan has described tourism and hospitality as a ‘sunrise sector with endless possibilities’, with a focus on increasing visitor arrivals and growing domestic tourism.

Seeing those opportunities, Hop Software has recruited experienced local Business Development Manager, Teboho Ntsiane, to help open doors within the leading tech hub of Cape Town and beyond.

Irshaad Mahomed will also join as Onboarding and Support Executive as the company seeks a permanent presence in the country.

Hop already boasts a number of high-profile Scottish clients within a UK customer base numbering over 200 hotels and accommodation providers.

Moving into South Africa, where its teams will liaise closely with UK-based operations, makes sense for the company, due to both business and personal family ties.

Directors Jon Erasmus, who also co-owns the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness, and Ronald Tweedie, hail originally from Durban and Johannesburg respectively.

Mr Erasmus and wife Victoria also run a South African-based children’s charity to improve living conditions of young people in iKhethelo in Kwa Zulu Natal.

Hop officials believe the timing is right for the company’s one-stop PMS, which handles everything from bookings to global payments, to be introduced into a hospitality environment still largely reliant on manual bookings and disconnected tools.

“We are really excited,” said Mr Erasmus. “The South African market is vibrant, growing and increasingly open to technological adoption. 

“There are over 30 000 hotels, many migrating from manual or legacy systems to cloud-based PMS platforms.

“We are, therefore, bringing new technology to an emerging market which holds significant potential. South Africa is a robust and growing digital economy.

“This is an ideal time for Hop to launch here and provide an all-in-one solution for the hospitality industry.”

Hop Software is no stranger to breaking into new markets; a ground-breaking deal being sealed last year with a property in Greenland on the edge of the Arctic ice caps.

The long-term plan for its new Cape Town office is to establish the groundwork for a secure and permanent presence in the country.

“We want to establish Hop as a leading player in the Hospitality PMS market in South Africa,” said Fellow Director, Richard Drummond, who also co-owns McKays Hotel Bar and Restaurant in Pitlochry.

“We want to establish Hop as a strong, trusted and reputable brand known for its reliability and customer-centric approach.

“The long-term vision is about market leadership, sustained growth, and contributing to the overall Hop global strategy whilst also becoming a magnet for top tech and business talent in South Africa.”

In Winter 2024, Hop launched its new Booking Engine after two years of building and design, helping properties up-sell on rooms.