Our Press Coverage >>

Satpack Travel's radical new offering has been very well received in the international press. Below we copy a few examples of articles that have been written about us recently.

EKSTRA BLADET (DENMARK), 12th January 2010

Ny GPS styrer dig uden om kriminelle (Rasmus Wind)

Kriminalitet mod turister er et stort problem i Sydafrika. Nyt GPS-system styrer turisterne uden om de værste kvarterer.

Planlægger du at følge landsholdet under VM i Sydafrika til sommer, har du sikkert allerede hørt nogle af de mange historier om turister, der bliver overfaldet, lemlæstet og i værste fald myrdet under overfald.

En af de bedste måder at sikre sig er naturligvis at undgå de værst ramte områder, men det kan være meget vanskeligt at finde ud af, hvor der er sikkert, når man ankommer til et nyt og meget fremmed land.

Sikkerhed for turister er et stort problem i Sydafrika, men en ny GPS-service kan hjælpe dig uden om de farligste kvarterer. Systemet er udviklet af det lokale firma Satpacktravel, og består af en traditionel GPS, som i dette tilfælde ikke nødvendigvis sender dig ud på den hurtigste rute fra A til B, men i stedet sikrer, at ruten er sikker og ikke fører dig igennem den værste slum.

Panikknap og mobil

Skulle du alligevel komme i problemer er systemet udstyret med en alarmknap, som kan tilkalde politi eller sikkerhedsvagter. GPS'en sender din præcise position videre, hvis du aktiverer panikknappen.

Der er også indbygget mobiltelefon med internetadgang, som du kan bruge til at få opdateringer eller ændre i ruten undervej. GPS'en koster fra cirka 80 kroner til cirka 140 kroner i daglig leje, alt efter hvor meget firmaet skal have planlægge for dig på forhånd.

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THE DAILY EXPRESS (UK), 3rd December 2009

World Cup Chaos (Adrian Lee)

......Rob Maclean, 32, Briton based in Johannesburg where he runs Satpack Travel, a bespoke tour company [says] "there is no doubt that crime is a concern but the perception is a lot worse than the reality" he insists. "The vast majority happens in poor, under-privileged neighbourhoods, although some of the stadia are in quite nasty areas. You certainly shouldn't wander around - there are frequently no pavements for one thing - and there are places you shouldn't drive. For safety resons I wouldn't put a client on an inter-city train. Driving is a better option, but the distances between World Cup venues are huge. Cape Town to Johannesburg is a 15-hour drive. There are budget airlines but the flights will be expensive". For the World Cup he's offering customers satnav devices which will guide fans away from the dangerous routes. Maclean insists: "People should come to South Africa. The whole country is excited about the World Cup and visitors will be warmly welcomed".....

THE SUN (THE UK'S LARGEST SELLING DAILY NEWSPAPER), 24th October 2009

Touring southern Africa by car just got easier - thanks to new concept called "satpacking" (Lisa Minot)

Specialists Satpack Travel's new service combines satellite navigation technology with local expertise to offer personalised trips on a pre-programmed device.

Rob Maclean, of Satpack Travel, said: "Southern Africa's great road network lends itself perfectly to exploring by car. However, the region's reputation for high crime levels has made many travellers wary.

"Our easy-to-use handset gives security-conscious travellers confidence to get away from the major highways and overpriced tourist hotspots to explore the real South Africa."

Prices for the full Satpack Travel service - including itinerary booking and advice before and through the holiday - start from £15 per day (£17 including insurance).

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www.discountvouchers.co.uk. 10th September 2009.

New Sat Nav technology to modernize car hire in South Africa (Natasha Redman)

UK travelers planning a trip to South Africa can now experience a whole new dimension in their car hire sat nav.

Satpack Travel has introduced a new satellite navigation technology that brings a new edge to exploring South Africa by rented vehicle.

By combining regular sat nav operations with travel information and advice, the ‘Satpacking’ system offers travelers an opportunity to enhance their travel experience by discovering options and attractions they otherwise might have missed.

Travelling with Satpack will be akin to having a personal tour guide on board, with a wealth of local knowledge at hand every step of the way. With this system, customers have the advantage of discovering this beautiful country at their leisure, while also having expert guidance to steer them out of any problems they may encounter.

Satpack Travel ensures that the system is constantly updated so travelers have the most updated, relevant information. The company also offers tailor-made programmes to suit the interests of the individual customer.

Satpacking should prove a boon to the many football fans heading to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.
Demand for car hire during this time is likely to skyrocket, and the satpack system will come as a major help to visitors wanting to linger in favourite spots, steer off the beaten track and explore the country in a more personal way.

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www.limobroker.co.uk. 10th September 2009.

Car Hire in South Africa gets a boost from new technology

Those looking for car hire whilst holidaying in South Africa may be in for a pleasant surprise. One car hire company has engineered a new form of satellite navigation system with a twist which will enable customers to experience all this fascinating country has to offer.

The technology, known as Satpacking, was introduced by the owner of Satpack Travel and has been fitted in a selection of their hire vehicles. The device uses a combination of customary satellite navigation technology with some travel tips and advice gleamed from the inventor’s extensive local knowledge. It will offer car hire customers a greater range of opportunities during their travel and enable them to make discoveries they otherwise wouldn’t have. The Satpack is designed to be like having your own personal tour guide on hand at all times.

This vast country is best explored via car hire. Visitors can enjoy the freedom of the open road but at the same time, have the Satpack system which offers assurance should a customer encounter difficulties. With the Football World Cup 2010 fast approaching South Africa is bracing itself for a huge influx of visitors. Demand for car hire is likely to be high and the Satpack technology is guaranteed to enhance the car hire experience.

The Satpack system is continually updated to ensure its information is current and relevant. The team at Satpack Travel even offer to create a bespoke programme to incorporate points of particular interest to an individual customer. Instead of taking the fastest route, take the scenic route and make the most of your car hire in South Africa.

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www.121carhire.com. 10th September 2009.

Electronic tour guide fitted in rental car (Michael Bond)

Of all the new gimmicks offered now when customers hire cars, satellite navigation systems are always a good call if people are not familiar with the area. Wrong turns can always lead to arguments within families, which is not always the best way to start a holiday. However a sat-nav is not always great when you are trying to find a tourist attraction and sometimes beautiful sites can be missed just because people were not aware they were there.

A possible worldwide first is occurring at one car hire company in South Africa that have introduced their own unique navigation system. The new gadget is called Satpacking and is the brain child of Satpack Travel in South Africa. It encompasses the current satellite navigation that most use, but has the added extra of an onboard tour guide without taking up valuable space in the car.

The machine will give travelling tips to the people in the car as well as letting them know when they are coming close to something they may want to see. All the knowledge has been inputted into the device by the inventor who has hoards of information just itching to get out. With the 2010 World Cup gearing up next year this could be the perfect time to launch such a service to give the fans something to do between matches and let them explore a lot more than just the football grounds.

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www.comparecarhire.co.uk. 8th September 2009.

South Africa Pioneers new Satpack Hire Car technology (Wes Lane)

Tourists who hire cars in South Africa are set to benefit a new navigational system known as Satpacking, which provides an extra layer of security for those on self-driving holidays.

The brainchild of local operator Satpack Travel, the innovation uses personalised travel tips, local knowledge and satellite navigation technology to allow the driver the best information and route maps to make their trip to the republic a memorable, and safe, one.

Though the rental car market in South Africa has declined in line with most nations so far this year, the 2010 Football World Cup will see unprecedented numbers of arrivals, and car hire demand looks set to explode. For anyone considering making the trip to see the event now is a good time to begin making inquiries and doing some research.

South Africa has an extensive road network and is one of the best countries to explore by car or van. It’s huge range of natural parks, notorious recent history and bustling cities are a drivers dream, albeit one that is traditionally etched with danger.

The country, football aside, features eight world heritage sites and tourist hot-spots such as Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The game reserves also attract scores of travellers each year, most however, wary of the high crime rate in the country which has proved such a deterrent for car travel in the past, which is where Satpack hopes to corner the market.

The Satpack technology combines up-to-date information provided by the travel agency arm of the company to create personalised itineraries for hirers, and the team at the agency is always on call by email or phone. The local knowledge of the staff enables destinations to be planned whereby tourists can see the most on offer, rather than the traditional fastest route approach. Satpack staff claim the fastest route from A to B is normally not the most scenic or safest.

Staff can also assist with restaurant bookings and road information ahead, reducing stress which has long been a major cause of accidents.

Staff have claimed that they represent the new hire car philosophy of becoming a virtual concierge.

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