M-Web and Southern African Investments Limited (SAIL) have announced the merger of their ticketing agent businesses, Computicket and Ticketweb. The transaction, expected to be completed within the next few months, will see the two ticketing agents operating under the Computicket brand. The deal follows the buy-out by SAIL of Ticketweb's other shareholders (Johnnic e-Ventures and management). According to the agreement, SAIL will own approximately 15% of the merged business, while M-Web will own the balance.

William Marais, director of Computicket, says: "We believe that this is good news for consumers and the ticketing industry as a whole. Consumers will now have a broader choice of tickets and services, all from one agent. The entertainment industry will also benefit from the combined strength and expertise of the companies. Under the well-known Computicket brand, the combined force of Computicket and Ticketweb can now focus its attention and energies on industries such as the transport and sports sectors where additional revenue opportunities lie."

Cobus Kotzè, director of SAIL says: "Several market developments and changing consumer needs have precipitated the deal. At the same time that SAIL's brands ticketing inventory is growing, consumer spending have changed. Consumers prefer to interact with one brand and have wide trans-activity. SAIL saw the need for one agency brand to serve consumers and the logical outcome was to merge the business of Ticketweb with that of Computicket. Whilst Ticketweb predominantly concentrated on the concert market the new merged business will have a much wider inventory and better distribution than Ticketweb had and create a much more attractive service for consumers."

Neil Jacobsohn, CEO of Johnnic eVentures (JEV), said that JEV is concentrating on the business-to-business environment and is happy to conclude a transaction whereby SAIL and M-Web could rationalise the shareholding in the independent ticketing operations of Ticketweb and Computicket. Jacobsohn wished the merged business well and expressed confidence in the ability of the merged entity to serve both inventory holders and consumers.

Marais concluded that Computicket had over the past six months focused on the development and launch of a new ticketing engine which will enable the company to handle and process vastly increased ticketing requirements, as well as deliver a flexible, reliable service to its clients.