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South African resort owner the Zorgvliet Group has agreed a seven-figure sum to buy St Andrews Travel as it tries to establish a foothold in the UK travel market for its five-star resorts.

Andrew Dickson, who with his wife Pat founded St Andrews 22 years ago, will become one of three directors of the company which will retain its name once the hunt for a new managing director has been completed.

Following a six-month handover period he will stop working at St Andrews, which has five agencies in the Bolton area, to become an ambassador for the Zorgvliet Group in the UK. He will also help the company, which owns a wine estate near Stellenbosch, to establish a wine importing business.

Dickson said the independence of St Andrews would be retained and no redundancies made. St Andrews’ agencies could be opened in South Africa offering specialist cruise and long-haul products and Dickson will work to get Zorgvliet-owned hotels into UK brochures and could even set up a tour operation himself.

Dickson will retain his position as an ABTA board director. St Andrews Business Travel will remain a separate company and will be renamed SAT Business Travel Management.

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