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Key business figures including Brian Joffe, Chief Executive of Bidvest (owners of Rennies Travel), Kathy Harris, Managing Director of Rennies Travel, and David Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) will be joined by 150 guests at an exclusive reception to be held at 'Investment Cars', Bryanston this evening (25 September) to celebrate the continuing success of Rennies Travel and to acknowledge their rebrand to HRG South Africa.

Explaining the relationship between Rennies Travel and Hogg Robinson Group, Kathy Harris said: "We first started working with Hogg Robinson some 12 years ago when Rennies joined Business Travel International (BTI), the worldwide organisation which Hogg Robinson co-founded in 1990 to provide a travel management service for the increasing numbers of multinational corporations who were seeking a seamless global service.

"Having worked together for so many years we have a very strong relationship with Hogg Robinson and share their vision for delivering service excellence and adding value to our multinational and national clients. When they announced last year that they were pursuing a new and independent strategy (from BTI) as a corporate services company and that they would be launching the HRG worldwide network, it was an easy decision for us to join them.

"Since then, we have continued to grow our business and the range of services that we are able to offer our clients and we are proud to further cement our relationship with HRG by re-branding our corporate travel business as HRG South Africa."

David Radcliffe, Chief Executive of Hogg Robinson Group, added: "I am delighted to be able to join Brian Joffe and Kathy and her colleagues at HRG South Africa as they welcome so many important business partners to this event.

"The diversity of the markets within Africa, and the rapidly accelerating growth and development of the region, brings with it many unique challenges and opportunities – both practical and industry-led. We are fortunate to have developed such a strong and highly valued working relationship with Rennies Travel who are HRG’s Strategic Partner for the whole Africa region. Their knowledge of the African corporate travel market integrates well with HRG’s global expertise. Together we are able to help HRG’s clients cut through the complexity and create opportunities for further business development, enabling our clients to depend on our network for a consistently seamless high standard of service, no matter where they are in the world."

According to South Africa Tourism, the business travel industry in South Africa continues to experience exceptional growth. In the year to August 2007, the market increased by almost 27 per cent. HRG South Africa, backed by the global resources of the HRG worldwide network, is well placed to help clients manage this growth and development effectively and efficiently.

HRG’s Africa region currently comprises operations in 10 markets. In addition to South Africa these include: Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. From 1 October the region will also incorporate an HRG operation in Zambia.

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For further information:

For HRG South Africa enquiries
Lynda Green, GM Marketing
Rennies Travel
Tel: +27 (0) 11 407 2852
Email: Lynda.green@renniestravel.com

For Hogg Robinson Group enquiries
Laurie Waugh, Public Relations Manager
Hogg Robinson Group
Tel: + 44 (0) 1256 312 623
Email: laurie.waugh@hrgworldwide.com

Notes to Editors:

Rennies Travel

Established in 1954, 75% of Rennies Travel is owned by The Bidvest Group Limited (which itself has recently sold 15% of its share capital to Black empowerment group Dinatla) and 25% by empowerment group WDBIH.

Long acknowledged as the leading travel solutions company in South Africa, Rennies Travel consists of 86 national branches, including 24 retail branches and more than 62 on-premise satellite offices servicing major corporate clients.

We are dedicated to finding ways of keeping South Africa’s leading travel solutions company at the forefront of the world travel industry. By providing the best possible value through dynamic and innovative travel solutions, with surprising offers and rewarding value, and through our obsession with providing the very best in customer service.

Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) is the award-winning international corporate services company. Founded in 1845, HRG has over 60 years specific corporate travel expertise. Its corporate services interests include wholly-owned or majority controlled corporate travel operations in 25 of the key driver and growth markets throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Supported by contracted partners, the HRG worldwide network extends to approximately 100 countries.

Totally committed to a value offering for clients, HRG offers a comprehensive range of corporate services which includes Corporate Travel Management, Consulting, Expense Management, Events & Meetings Management and Sports.