Kearsleys, as it is more avidly known today, was established in 1948 with a vision to serve the foreign expatriates working in Tanganyika (Tanzania before independence) with a reliable and efficient travel and tourism services to meet their needs. Originally it was a fully owned subsidiary of J.W Kearsley (UK) Ltd., owned by Cory Brothers Ltd. and a member of Powell Duffryn Group. It changed hands in 1974, when it was sold to N.V. Patel & Brothers Ltd., a locally owned holding company with a wide interest in agriculture and agro- chemical industries, air and sea transportation and general trading. Since that date the management of the company has been passed to the local board of directors consisting entirely of Tanzanians who have admirably steered the company forward and developed it into a market leader in spite of the economic challenges it faced over the years.