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Affiliate marketing is the selling of third party products and services for a commission online. Locally NetFlorist allows web publishers to add affiliate links on their websites, whenever a purchase is generated through an affiliate website, that website owner gets commission on that transaction.

Affiliate marketing is huge business internationally especially with bloggers who earn a decent living from selling products and services from third parties. Professional bloggers like John Chow earns around $40,000 per month from running a self branded blog www.johnchow.com which is big on affiliate marketing.

I’m also involved with affiliate marketing through www.accommodate.co.za where I sell lodging, air tickets and car rentals for a commission. The beauty about it all, is that everything on the website is automated, my only role is getting to promote the portal and getting paid for bookings it generates.

South African companies are still way behind in terms of offering affiliate marketing opportunities for web publishers to contribute in the bottom line by driving new clients into purchasing their products and services. Today I’m chatting to Robert Baker, a local entrepreneur engaged in affiliate marketing within the tourism industry through www.southafrica.to and he explains his business model…

Tell us about yourself, when were you born and where are you based?
SouthAfrica.TO is an online business, so it’s not as important where we are based, we could manage the core of our business from anywhere in South Africa.  Whilst our offices are in Cape Town, we spend a lot of time travelling to review hotels, game lodges, car rentals, airlines and get a personal feel for the places our clients are visiting.

What is your business all about and what inspired it?
SouthAfrica.TO was born out of our love for travel, our computer abilities and the fact that we are suckers for a good deal (and like sharing it with others).  In fact when the website was set up in 2006, there was no commercial intent and no planning.  For example, the publication of our “Kruger Park photos” was about sharing those clicks with a wider audience.  As interest in our website grew, we started to see the commercial potential.  In 2007 we linked up with TrafficSynergy and started marketing flights through TravelStart, and there’s been no looking back since then.  To this day we get most of our bookings through Travelstart.

How many people do you employ?
There are 3 of us involved in the business on a regular basis.

How many domains do you own?
We own a ton of domains, but most of them are dormant. The most important of the travel sites are www.southafrica.to and www.mrcheapflights.com.

Which other sectors of the tourism industry do you feel could do better with booking engines?
Did you know that not a single South African airline has a standard affiliate marketing agreement? South Africa’s airlines are way behind international competitors like Emirates, KLM, BA, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Virgin.  I also think there’s gap in the car rental market for a Travelstart-like competitor to enter the fray.

Given an opportunity to start all over again, what would you do differently in launching your business and why?
I quite like the way SouthAfrica.TO came into being.  A labour of love isn’t labour.

What do you like and dislike about your industry?
Travel is one of the most enjoyable things in life, and it’s a pleasure to be involved in the industry doing something I love. I would love it if the various domestic airlines would see the benefits to them in opening up affiliate marketing arrangements.

How do you unwind after a busy day in the office?
I unwind by doing my job! Love the game.  But enjoy spending time with my family.

Is your family involved in the business?
Yes, my family helps out.

Do you use www.wiwih.com?
First I’ve heard of it.

What are your short and long-term business plans?
Short-term plans are to keep on developing the South African travel business, provide more reviews of hotels, game lodges, car rentals & flights.  In the longer run I’d like to further develop the www.mrcheapflights.com business.

Is your business affected by the current economic climate?
We haven’t been immune to the economic climate, however we are lucky to have this plethora of events (like the Fifa World Cup, Confederations Cup, IPL cricket, Trinations, British & Irish Lions rugby), taking place in South Africa, which together with a weak rand has partially shielded us from the economic downturn.

You’re quite active with comments on www.travelwires.com; does it work in getting your website traffic?
I just had a look at the stats – I’m afraid to say only 5 people visited www.southafrica.to over the last month via travelwires…however, it’s not all about generating traffic for me – I just love taking part in the travel debate. Muzi, may I take this opportunity to thank you for setting up travelwires – a great site for us involved in the industry to debate issues and keep up with the news.