Who Can Apply for an Explola Operator Account
Explola is built for registered safari operators across Africa. Here's who we accept, what we ask for, and the few exclusions.
On this page (13 sections)
What Explola is
Explola is a marketplace connecting African safari tour operators with travellers worldwide. Creating an account and listing your tours is free. We charge a flat monthly subscription for advertising your business at scale, with optional per-inquiry overages when you exceed your plan — designed to be predictable for small operators and fair for larger ones.
Who we accept
We accept tour operators that meet all of the following:
1. Hold all required licences for their country of operation
You must be fully registered as a tourism business in the country (or countries) you operate from, with current tourism licences, business registration, and tax compliance documents. See the country-specific guides in this section for what we ask for per jurisdiction.
2. Offer tours to at least one of our supported countries
Explola currently serves operators offering tours in the following safari countries:
- Botswana
- Kenya
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- South Africa
- Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar)
- Uganda
- Zimbabwe
If you operate tours in countries we don't currently serve, we'd still love to hear from you — drop us a note so we can plan future expansion.
3. Are based in Africa or have a dedicated African travel department
Your company is either headquartered in one of the countries above, or has a dedicated Africa department with staff focused exclusively on African travel.
4. Operate in English (or have an English-language section on your site)
Most travellers on Explola search and book in English. Your website should be available in English, or at minimum have a clear English-language section. Multilingual operators are very welcome — English is the floor, not the ceiling.
5. Can serve travellers from any country
You should be able to accept inquiries and book travellers from anywhere in the world. The exceptions are countries subject to international sanctions (United States, European Union, United Kingdom, or United Nations sanctions regimes). We currently exclude inquiries from operators servicing clients in: Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Russia, Belarus, and the Crimea region.
What we don't accept
Hunting safaris
Explola does not work with companies that offer, market, or are otherwise affiliated with hunting safaris. This applies to the applying company itself, its directors, its owners (both direct and ultimate beneficial owners), and any other companies under common ownership or control. If your business has any hunting-safari connection, we're not the right marketplace for you.
Companies without current licences
If your tourism licence has lapsed, please renew it before applying. We can verify a licence within its grace period, but accounts can't go live until the licence is current.
Sole proprietors and small operators are welcome
You don't need to be a large company to join Explola. Sole proprietors are accepted on equal terms with incorporated companies — see each country's guide for the sole-proprietor document alternatives. Our flat-fee pricing was designed specifically so that small operators aren't priced out by per-lead costs that scale with someone else's big budget.
Accommodation providers
Explola focuses on tour operators. If you're primarily an accommodation provider (lodge, camp, hotel), reach out and we'll point you toward the right tools — we're building this out separately.
How to apply
If you meet the criteria above, you can create a free account in a few minutes. Once you've uploaded your jurisdiction documents and our team has verified them (typically 1–3 business days), you're live and ready to publish tours.
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