Rapid Fire with Adebayo Adedeji of Wakanow

As we count down to Phocuswright Europe, taking place in Barcelona from June 10 to 12, PhocusWire is shining the spotlight on a selection of conference speakers in a series of Q&As. 

Adebayo Adedeji, group CEO of Wakanow, will take part in an executive panel called “Around the World of WiT.” The session will focus on markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as younger, more tech-savvy travelers rise and artificial intelligence (AI) begins to play a bigger role in the sector.

Below, Adedeji opens up about what he’s working on, the challenges he faces, hotels and technology stacks and more.

What are you working on that excites you?

As group CEO, I’m most excited about how we're integrating AI across our ecosystem to drive business automation and simplify complex travel processes. From customer service to pricing, AI is helping us make travel booking and planning simpler and more seamless for millions of travelers across Africa.

What are the greatest challenges you currently face?

Tech cost relative to revenue generation in local African currencies. Most of our technology infrastructure—whether it’s payment gateways, global distribution systems or enterprise tools—is priced in USD. But the bulk of our revenue is earned in local currencies that continue to experience devaluation. 

What do you think are the greatest challenges the industry faces?

Perhaps the most pressing issue is trust. Customers have been [burned] and so they are wary of booking travel online. As an industry, we need to rebuild confidence by offering reliability and consistent service.

I’d also say volatility and the dearth of infrastructure–both digital and physical. Currency fluctuations and structural issues like inconsistent internet access, fragmented payment systems and underdeveloped transportation networks slow down innovation and customer experience.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known 20 years ago?

Twenty years ago, I believed great ideas could win on their own. Now I know that execution is everything—and execution is driven by people.

Are hotels receptive to modernizing the tech stack? What about the other sectors Wakanow works with?

Across Africa’s hotel sector, tech adoption is still a major challenge. Many properties rely heavily on offline, walk-in bookings—which in some cases account for 80 to 90% of their revenue. Because this model has worked for them historically, there’s little urgency to invest in technology, especially when budgets are tight. As a result, tech often takes a back seat. In other sectors we work with—like payments, for example—we see a much higher openness to innovation.