Qatar Airways acquires stake in South Africa’s Airlink

Qatar Airways bought a 25% stake in South Africa’s SA Airlink Pty Ltd. as the Doha-based airline looks to expand its presence on the continent. 

The stake in the regional airline, purchased for an undisclosed price, will allow Qatar Airways to bolster its Africa growth strategy, it said in a statement Tuesday. Airlink will be able to increase its capacity and expand its marketing reach, according to the statement. 

The deal is Qatar’s latest in a string of acquisitions in Africa. The carrier is also finalizing the acquisition of a 49% stake in RwandAir, and will have a 60% stake in a new airport that’s being built near Rwanda’s capital, as the carrier tries to gain greater scale on the continent that’s seen rising travel demand in recent years.

Qatar Airways is also the largest shareholder of British Airways owner IAG SA, and has stakes in Latam Airlines Group SA and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. The carrier is in talks to acquire about 20% of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty, Bloomberg reported in June.