CELEBRATING NOW THE HARD WORK IS OVER: OVC franchise owner Yolanda Murray enjoys a drink with some of the FX Africa JHB team. (L-r:) Tony Brown (Management Assurance Manager), Yolanda Murray, Dinoshen Naidu (Branch Consultant), Amanda van Wyk (Operations Manager), Andrew Stainforth (Sales Manager), and Leonie du Preez (Branch Consultant)

FX AFRICA has continued its aggressive expansion programme with the opening of a shared store with Starlight Cruises and the Overseas Visitors’ Club (OVC) in Fourways View Shopping Centre. The opening took place on June 22, and was attended by about 60 people, mostly from the travel industry.

The outlet provides a one-stop shop for travelers to book international travel and cruises, and to purchase foreign exchange. FX Africa’s Managing Director Darren Jenkins-Ferrett explained: “It’s part of our expansion plan to open in all the major shopping centres. The Fourways store is a totally new concept in South Africa – it’s the first time anyone’s opened a foreign exchange bureau inside a travel agency. The businesses are complementary, so it makes sense.”

Fourways Bureau Controller Jacoob Jattiem says of the new store, “It’s a stunning place we’re based in, and we’re hopefully going to forge some great relationships to help us sell our products.

Jenkins-Ferrett said the store is aiming for customers from the “upper LSMs. Traditionally, you get a lot of moms in the mall during the day. Normally, they are tasked with booking the family tour, so we’re hoping to attract them.

“Our Glen store (which opened in Johannesburg’s south in February) is already smashing all its targets, so we hope Fourways will be similar.” He said that the company planned to have approximately 20 stores running profitably in shopping centres, and would then focus on building its corporate business. “We started behind the game, and were a very small player,” he pointed out. “We’ve had to be more adaptive, and customer service has been key, which has helped make us successful. The lessons we learnt as a small company, we need to remember as a big one.”

Pierre Grobler from GSA was the lucky winner of the draw for a cruise from Starlight Cruises, luggage from the OVC and US $250 loaded onto a Cash Passport Card.

Congratulations to John Rambo, Tony Brown and Amanda van Wyk for the tremendous effort to create such a fantastic outlet!

“Our Glen store (which opened in Johannesburg’s south in February) is already smashing all its targets, so we hope Fourways will be similar.”– FX Africa’s Managing Director Darren Jenkins-Ferrett