Tourism stakeholders, innovators, and policymakers gathered for the official launch
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The Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge is an exclusive platform designed to empower innovative African youth in the travel and tourism sector. It provides opportunities for funding, mentorship, partnerships, and global exposure,
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CEO, Africa Tourism Partners, South Africa
Kwakye Donkor is the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), a Pan African tourism advisory firm and a UNWTO award-winning firm. He is a renowned Pan-African strategist and expert in areas of tourism development, strategic and destination marketing, destination brand management and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition/Events). He is a recognised and highly respected personality in Africa tourism space, and speaks at global conferences, seminars and think tank fora. Kwakye has demonstrated expertise in destination master planning as well as strategy formulation and execution, business transactional advisory and leadership development worldwide across education, finance, and hotel development. His expertise and experience have earned him the privilege to regularly serve on expert panels and think tank fora facilitated by international organizations including UNWTO, AU, SADC, The World Bank Group, GIZ, BBC, CNBC Africa, Channel Africa, ENCA, SABC and others across Africa. He is the convener of the annual Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards, Africa MICE Masterclass, Africa Youth in Tourism Summit and Africa Women in Tourism Summit series.
Founder, Hotelonline, Kenya
Håvar Bauck is an experienced entrepreneur, business developer, and commercial strategist with two decades of emerging-markets experience spanning the travel and hospitality sector as well as telecommunications. He is one of the founders of HotelOnline, a leading, pan-African travel technology company providing services to more than 6,000 hotels in 27 countries. Originally from Norway, he has lived in Kenya, Nigeria, DRC, Belgium, and Norway, conducted business across Africa, Europe, and Asia, and visited 56 countries. Håvar speaks five languages and holds a Masters degree in Business and Economics from BI Norwegian Business School.
Director, Africa Department, UNWTO, Spain
Originally from the Seychelles, Elcia Grandcourt joined the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations specialized Agency for Tourism in 2013 as Director, of the Regional Department for Africa. Elcia began her tourism career studying Hotel Management in Singapore at the Singapore Hotel Association and Education Centre (SHATEC). Thereafter, she occupied various positions in operations, reservations and sales mainly in hotels, including leading international brands such as Le Meridien and Hilton Worldwide Resorts. She was part of the rebranding team when Hilton Worldwide Resorts took over the management of the then Northolme hotel in Seychelles. She worked with the Seychelles national airline and destination management companies before joining the public sector to Seychelles Tourism Board as deputy CEO before being promoted to Chief Executive Officer, a position she occupied prior to joining UNWTO. Passionate about tourism, Elcia is honored to be able to contribute towards sustainable tourism development in Africa. Elcia also holds a Master in Dynamics of Cooperation, Conflicts and Negotiation in International Relations and Diplomacy.
Director - Innovation, Education And Investments UN Tourism
Natalia Bayona leads the innovation, education and investments strategy of UN Tourism, the United Nations specialized agency for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism worldwide. With a diverse background on politics, destination management and business, she has become the first innovation director at UN Tourism, has introduced entrepreneurship and education as key factors for tourism and development, and has positioned UN Tourism as an innovation benchmark within the wider United Nations system as recognized in the UN 2020 Mapping of Innovation, Data and Digital Capacities. Furthermore, she has joined the UN Executive Leadership Programme for Sustainable Development led by the UN System Staff College (UNSSC). Her work consists of identifying the most disruptive startups and investment projects and matching them with Member States and leading corporations. As an advocate of youth and technology, she seeks to make entrepreneurs grow for a promising future in all regions. During the last 4 years, Natalia has developed 20 UN Tourism Startup Competitions and Innovation Challenges with outcomes such as more than 214 million USD in support for entrepreneurs and pilots for safe travel. Moreover, she has designed the Tourism Tech Adventures innovation forums and co-created the UN Tourism Online Academy, the pioneer platform for advancing skill development for the sector in collaboration with the most prestigious universities such as IE University, Sommet Education, Swiss Education Group, the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Externado de Colombia University, currently with over 15.000 students from 191 countries. Furthermore, she has created the UN Tourism Technical Committee on Tourism Online Education and acts as its Secretary to ensure education is at the forefront of the global agenda. She has also opened the Multilateral Investment Cooperation area for tourism and has built a network of more than 290 investors interested in the sector and is currently working on high-impact projects to recover tourism, including the Investment Readiness for Green Finance Mechanisms in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) from the World Bank Group. In this same vein, she has been a coordination member of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee (GTCC) where UN Tourism Member States, UN Agencies and Private Sector Associations – IATA, ACI, CLIA, among others – gather to discuss actions to address current issues. Within this framework, Natalia has led the UN Tourism Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge, the UN Tourism Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Global Startup Competition and the UN Tourism Jobs Factory as specific projects to support destinations and employment. On 2022, she has launched the first series of tourism investment guidelines: UN Tourism Doing Business, starting with the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and moving on with countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uruguay. Also, she has developed the brand-new UN Tourism Digital Futures for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Programme which aims to provide digital training on connectivity, business growth, e-commerce, big data and analytics, payments, and security to 1 million beneficiaries by partnering with the largest technology companies. Furthermore, her short-term goals include a variety of high-impact projects such as (1) co-creating the first Tourism International Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (2) opening of the UN Tourism Tourism Innovation Lab in collaboration with IE University as a world-ranked institution on online education and entrepreneurship by QS Rankings, (3) positioning women leadership in tourism through supporting innovation and startups, and (4) supporting countries to advance their investment promotion strategies in order to facilitate business creation in tourism, hospitality and food & beverage with tools such as the above-mentioned guidelines. As recognition for her work, Natalia has been awarded the IIPT (International Institute For Peace Through Tourism)’s 5th “Celebrating Her” prize for “Innovation & the Empowerment of Women Through Tourism” at ITB Berlin 2021, an acknowledgement that is only given to 3 women from all over the world each year. Natalia is also a part of the “100 de COTEC” network which gathers experts who speak Spanish from multiple areas of knowledge for analyzing social, economic and technological challenges that innovation faces. Recently, she has also been recognized as one of the 10 Colombian nationals in Spain contributing the most to the country’s positive image, as one of the 150 most influential people in tourism in Spain by Sergestur, and as part of the women-led think tank The Club G100 as Colombia Country Chair for Smart and Sustainable Cities. Natalia graduated in Government and International Relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia and holds an Executive MBA from the IE Business School. Nowadays, she is part of the World Economic Forum (WEF) network as a European Digital Leader and is an Eisenhower Fellow as the first Colombian on the Women Leadership Program for creating the first Tourism for Tomorrow Programme: a high-level network focused on joining public-private efforts for high-impact investments in digital education and innovation for tourism’s sustainable development and post Covid-19 recovery. Additionally, she enjoys sharing knowledge by teaching at universities – Harvard (USA), Cornell (USA), Externado (Colombia) and Bilkent (Turkey) – and public schools in Colombia as part of her give back to youth and her country. In 2017, she served as the Vice President of International Development for the Spain Startup – South Summit and organized the first South Summit Pacific Alliance, connecting the main stakeholders of the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Having worked in Colombia for ten years, she has lived in six countries where has developed strategies to boost exports, foreign investment and tourism for Colombia. Her career started in 2006 as part of the team that created the first international tourism campaign for Colombia: “Colombia, the risk is wanting to stay”, which sought to change the image of the country abroad. The successful execution of this campaign in more than 15 countries was possible thanks to her work.
Secretary General Of The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Spain
Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili is Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 1 January 2018 after being elected by the 22nd Session of UNWTO General Assembly. He was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Kingdom of Spain, the Principality of Andorra, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Kingdom of Morocco and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) up to December 2017. Between 2009 and 2010, he was Minister of Economic Development of Georgia.As a Minister of Economic Development of Georgia, Mr Pololikashvili was responsible for overseeing the country’s long-term fiscal growth strategies, advancing foreign trade and investment policy initiatives as well as for promoting the development of the tourism, infrastructure and transportation sectors. He was instrumental in launching an innovative policy for the development of tourism in Georgia, prioritizing the sphere on both the government and private sector agendas. During Mr Pololikashvili’s tenure as Minister of Economic Development, through key policy reforms, marketing activities, improvement of infrastructure and visa liberalization initiatives, Georgia nearly doubled the number of international tourist arrivals, from 1.5 million (2009) to exceeding the 2.8 million mark by 2011. Those reforms paved the way for sustainable tourism practices in Georgia and poverty alleviation initiatives, placing Georgia among the top tourism destinations in the region. Minister Pololikashvili successfully led the economic liberalization processes, introducing supportive policies for SMEs, and incentive programmes to attract foreign investment for the development of hard and soft infrastructure. 2006 – 2009 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Kingdom of Spain. 2005 – 2006 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. In this capacity as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, he supervised the departments for administrative, budgetary, financial and consular affairs, as well as the Department for Human Resources Management. Mr. Pololikashvili was responsible for ushering in a new phase of more liberal and secure visa regimes, facilitation of processes to ease border crossing procedures, and deepening relations with various international organizations, including UNWTO.
Director - Innovation, Education And Investments UN Tourism
Natalia Bayona leads the innovation, education and investments strategy of UN Tourism, the United Nations specialized agency for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism worldwide. With a diverse background on politics, destination management and business, she has become the first innovation director at UN Tourism, has introduced entrepreneurship and education as key factors for tourism and development, and has positioned UN Tourism as an innovation benchmark within the wider United Nations system as recognized in the UN 2020 Mapping of Innovation, Data and Digital Capacities. Furthermore, she has joined the UN Executive Leadership Programme for Sustainable Development led by the UN System Staff College (UNSSC). Her work consists of identifying the most disruptive startups and investment projects and matching them with Member States and leading corporations. As an advocate of youth and technology, she seeks to make entrepreneurs grow for a promising future in all regions. During the last 4 years, Natalia has developed 20 UN Tourism Startup Competitions and Innovation Challenges with outcomes such as more than 214 million USD in support for entrepreneurs and pilots for safe travel. Moreover, she has designed the Tourism Tech Adventures innovation forums and co-created the UN Tourism Online Academy, the pioneer platform for advancing skill development for the sector in collaboration with the most prestigious universities such as IE University, Sommet Education, Swiss Education Group, the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and Externado de Colombia University, currently with over 15.000 students from 191 countries. Furthermore, she has created the UN Tourism Technical Committee on Tourism Online Education and acts as its Secretary to ensure education is at the forefront of the global agenda. She has also opened the Multilateral Investment Cooperation area for tourism and has built a network of more than 290 investors interested in the sector and is currently working on high-impact projects to recover tourism, including the Investment Readiness for Green Finance Mechanisms in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) from the World Bank Group. In this same vein, she has been a coordination member of the Global Tourism Crisis Committee (GTCC) where UN Tourism Member States, UN Agencies and Private Sector Associations – IATA, ACI, CLIA, among others – gather to discuss actions to address current issues. Within this framework, Natalia has led the UN Tourism Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge, the UN Tourism Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Global Startup Competition and the UN Tourism Jobs Factory as specific projects to support destinations and employment. On 2022, she has launched the first series of tourism investment guidelines: UN Tourism Doing Business, starting with the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and moving on with countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uruguay. Also, she has developed the brand-new UN Tourism Digital Futures for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Programme which aims to provide digital training on connectivity, business growth, e-commerce, big data and analytics, payments, and security to 1 million beneficiaries by partnering with the largest technology companies. Furthermore, her short-term goals include a variety of high-impact projects such as (1) co-creating the first Tourism International Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (2) opening of the UN Tourism Tourism Innovation Lab in collaboration with IE University as a world-ranked institution on online education and entrepreneurship by QS Rankings, (3) positioning women leadership in tourism through supporting innovation and startups, and (4) supporting countries to advance their investment promotion strategies in order to facilitate business creation in tourism, hospitality and food & beverage with tools such as the above-mentioned guidelines. As recognition for her work, Natalia has been awarded the IIPT (International Institute For Peace Through Tourism)’s 5th “Celebrating Her” prize for “Innovation & the Empowerment of Women Through Tourism” at ITB Berlin 2021, an acknowledgement that is only given to 3 women from all over the world each year. Natalia is also a part of the “100 de COTEC” network which gathers experts who speak Spanish from multiple areas of knowledge for analyzing social, economic and technological challenges that innovation faces. Recently, she has also been recognized as one of the 10 Colombian nationals in Spain contributing the most to the country’s positive image, as one of the 150 most influential people in tourism in Spain by Sergestur, and as part of the women-led think tank The Club G100 as Colombia Country Chair for Smart and Sustainable Cities. Natalia graduated in Government and International Relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia and holds an Executive MBA from the IE Business School. Nowadays, she is part of the World Economic Forum (WEF) network as a European Digital Leader and is an Eisenhower Fellow as the first Colombian on the Women Leadership Program for creating the first Tourism for Tomorrow Programme: a high-level network focused on joining public-private efforts for high-impact investments in digital education and innovation for tourism’s sustainable development and post Covid-19 recovery. Additionally, she enjoys sharing knowledge by teaching at universities – Harvard (USA), Cornell (USA), Externado (Colombia) and Bilkent (Turkey) – and public schools in Colombia as part of her give back to youth and her country. In 2017, she served as the Vice President of International Development for the Spain Startup – South Summit and organized the first South Summit Pacific Alliance, connecting the main stakeholders of the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Having worked in Colombia for ten years, she has lived in six countries where has developed strategies to boost exports, foreign investment and tourism for Colombia. Her career started in 2006 as part of the team that created the first international tourism campaign for Colombia: “Colombia, the risk is wanting to stay”, which sought to change the image of the country abroad. The successful execution of this campaign in more than 15 countries was possible thanks to her work.
CEO, Africa Tourism Partners, South Africa
Kwakye Donkor is the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), a Pan African tourism advisory firm and a UNWTO award-winning firm. He is a renowned Pan-African strategist and expert in areas of tourism development, strategic and destination marketing, destination brand management and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition/Events). He is a recognised and highly respected personality in Africa tourism space, and speaks at global conferences, seminars and think tank fora. Kwakye has demonstrated expertise in destination master planning as well as strategy formulation and execution, business transactional advisory and leadership development worldwide across education, finance, and hotel development. His expertise and experience have earned him the privilege to regularly serve on expert panels and think tank fora facilitated by international organizations including UNWTO, AU, SADC, The World Bank Group, GIZ, BBC, CNBC Africa, Channel Africa, ENCA, SABC and others across Africa. He is the convener of the annual Africa Tourism Leadership Forum & Awards, Africa MICE Masterclass, Africa Youth in Tourism Summit and Africa Women in Tourism Summit series.
Founder, Hotelonline, Kenya
Håvar Bauck is an experienced entrepreneur, business developer, and commercial strategist with two decades of emerging-markets experience spanning the travel and hospitality sector as well as telecommunications. He is one of the founders of HotelOnline, a leading, pan-African travel technology company providing services to more than 6,000 hotels in 27 countries. Originally from Norway, he has lived in Kenya, Nigeria, DRC, Belgium, and Norway, conducted business across Africa, Europe, and Asia, and visited 56 countries. Håvar speaks five languages and holds a Masters degree in Business and Economics from BI Norwegian Business School.
Gcina Nomsa Dlamini
Owner And Founder Merchantry Worldwide (Pty) Ltd South Africa
Tourism stakeholders, innovators, and policymakers gathered for the official launch
Tourism Leaders Aim to Elevate African Entrepreneurship and Innovation in
Nairobi,
Kenya
Name: TBD
Phone: 009-215-5595
Email: info@youthtourismsummit.com
tbd
Chief Executive Officer, Fihankra ComTech Ltd, Ghana
Joseph is an analytical thinker with a deep passion for innovation, human behavior and safety. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, having pursued a combined major in Economics and Marketing.
His entrepreneurial journey commenced at the University of Ghana Business School Innovation and Incubation Hub, where he played a pivotal role in supporting and nurturing student entrepreneurs towards sustainable business ventures. During his student years, he founded Effusion Network Ltd, an influencer and student marketing agency with social media influencers and student activation teams across four universities in Ghana, alongside working as a freelance product developer, building products for a wide range of clients in different industries.
He is currently serving as the CEO of Fihankra ComTech LLC, a travel security and safety technology start-up, where he leads a ten member team towards the charge of creating cutting-edge technologies aimed at ensuring people’s safety wherever they go. He, together with his team, have pitched and won various awards and recognition for their work towards pushing for safety innovation within Ghana.
He has had extensive experience within the space of innovation as a technology startup founder, community moderator, product manager and researcher. He is currently pursuing his graduate studies at the University of Ghana Business School, specializing in MPhil Marketing with a focus on Innovation and Product Development.
I’m Rosalia Haufiku, an electronics engineering student at the Namibia University of Science
and Technology with a strong interest in applying technology to environmental solutions. This passion led me to develop a system for streamlining Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
audits. My background in electronics engineering proved valuable in creating a user-friendly platform that simplifies data collection and reporting for environmental compliance.
Ajena Jafar is a disruptor in the best sense. He is an experienced marketer, a tech advocate, and a champion for a sustainable and inclusive future of African tourism. His dedication to harnessing technology’s power positons him as a key figure in shaping the industry’s positive
transformaton.
Ajena’s career path is a testament to his diverse skillset. He has thrived in government agencies, private multinationals, and tech startups, gaining a holistc understanding of the challenges and opportunites facing African tourism. His core strength lies in crafing impactul marketing and communication strategies that build brands, attract customers, and promote responsible travel practices.
A strong advocate for empowering local businesses, Ajena played a key role in developing a digital marketing curriculum for Ugandan tour operators with the Netherlands’ Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI). This initiative equips them with the tools to compete in the digital age.
He demonstrated his visionary leadership when he founded and led the Tourism Promoters Club – a platorm that champions inclusive and sustainable tourism development among the youth in Uganda. The organizaton has grown beyond 200 members over the past 12 months with aspiratons expanding into a contnental network.
As an employee of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Ajena’s leadership shone during the pandemic. He spearheaded the development of UTB’s digital marketing strategy, encompassing both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic recovery plans. His focus on responsible tourism practices was woven into all aspects of UTB’s online presence.
Ajena spearheaded East Africa’s frst virtual tourism expo during the pandemic, enabling over 1,000 B2B interactons. This groundbreaking event showcased the industry’s resilience and adaptability. He also managed from start to end, a Euro 500,000 Smart Tourism Development Project funded by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.
Sarah Anghuwo, a visionary advocate for creatourism and cultural preservation, stands at the forefront of Africa’s artistic renaissance. Born on March 22, 2004, in Windhoek, Namibia, Sarah proudly embraces her Oshivambo roots intertwined with Ugandan heritage, embodying the rich tapestry of African diversity.
Currently a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Management at the University of Namibia (UNAM), Sarah’s educational journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to excellence. She obtained her National Senior Secondary Certificates at both the Ordinary and Advanced Subsidiary Levels, laying a strong foundation for her future endeavors.
Sarah’s multifaceted skill set encompasses teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and effective communication, underpinned by her digital literacy. These qualities serve as pillars for her leadership role as the Founder of AFRIC IKŌ ATIZAY, a platform dedicated to showcasing Africa’s diverse artistic expressions and promoting sustainable tourism.
Her contributions to the discourse on creatourism and cultural identity are evident through her publications in esteemed newspapers and media outlets. From advocating for the integration of art into national progress to addressing gaps in regional artistic landscapes, Sarah’s insights resonate deeply with readers across various platforms.
Noteworthy achievements punctuate Sarah’s journey, including securing a coveted spot for AFRIC IKŌ ATIZAY in the University of Namibia’s mentorship program. Furthermore, her launch of AFRIC IKŌ ARTIZAY e-magazine volumes underscores her commitment to amplifying African voices and narratives on a global scale.
Sarah Anghuwo’s dedication to advancing Africa’s artistic heritage and fostering cultural exchange exemplifies her role as a trailblazer in the realm of creatourism. With a steadfast resolve and unwavering passion, she continues to inspire change and uplift communities, leaving an indelible mark on Africa’s cultural landscape.
I am an electronic engineering student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology in my final year of studies, and I am passionate about technology and how it has the power to completely transform human existence. I have explored the complex worlds of electronic systems, circuits, and communication technologies over my academic career, developing my abilities and broadening my knowledge base to harness the potential of innovation for societal improvement. My intense interest in electronic engineering is a result of my enthusiasm with the countless opportunities it offers to improve human lives. I am fascinated by the number of ways that technology can be used to address urgent global issues and raise people’s quality of life everywhere, from improving healthcare solutions to optimizing energy efficiency.
I actively participate in extracurricular activities and initiatives that enable me to use my knowledge in practical settings in addition to my academic endeavours. I work best in settings that encourage creativity, teamwork, and practical learning, whether I’m working with peers on research projects or taking part in hackathons to solve challenging issues. Through these experiences, I have gained a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of electronic engineering as well as priceless problem-solving and teamwork skills that are necessary for success in the profession. I’m dedicated to using my experience in electronic engineering to further good deeds and build significant solutions that influence the course of technology, in both R&D and product innovation.
I believe I have the potential to make a positive impact in the field of electronic engineering and beyond, I am eager to play a part in technological advancement and benefit others with my fundamental technical abilities, curiosity, resilience, and willingness to learn. Even though I have a vision for the future I recognize that I still have a lot to learn. As I strive towards my objectives, I am prepared to take on opportunities and overcome obstacles.
Cornelius is a driven and innovative individual with a passion for using technology and its ability to transform the world. With 5 years of experience working with top-tier travel companies, I have honed my leadership and strategic management skills and have a proven track record of success in developing strategies for consistent business growth.
As a tech entrepreneur, I have cultivated key skills that I consider to be instrumental to my success. These include leadership, strategic planning, business and product development/management; I also strongly value inquisitiveness and a culture of reading.
My vision is to see a world where African countries can compete and achieve dominance globally, and believe that this can only occur when they have the right tools to do business from around the world. This is why we are building Kardinal: because we believe travel remains the key instrument for business growth. We are building a travel solution that caters specifically for African businesses, bringing ease, transparency and easy access to financial support.
Ms. Ntshabo Lehong is the managing director of Makeeda Hospitality Tourism and Wellness with an International Hotel School – Hospitality Management Diploma. She has a strong hospitality and training sector background, however in the last 3 years has found her desire and passion to work within the technology sector. In her previous role she worked as an assistant training manager for a hospitality temporary employment services company wherein she saw an opportunity to improve the way skilled and unskilled workers access opportunities.
Identifying this challenge is how the idea for m-Temp came about. m-Temp is an on-demand, managed Hospitality Staffing WhatsApp Chatbot and Web platform used by two types of users: the temporary or short-term work seeker, and the hospitality enterprise client. The job seeker applies for jobs throughthe web platform, and the recruiter utilises only the web platform to post an available job vacancy.
My name is Raina Kalinasho Augustus I’m a female of 35 years old and lam the found of Kalinasho Trading Enterprises cc/ Olupale Namibian Traditional restaurant.
Olupale has started its operational from 2018 and now we are based in Ongwediva district town in the Northern Part of Namibia. The company is operating with 10 employees, and we cater our services and products to tourism and general public at larger.
Olupale is one of the best places that has heart of attracting tourism to our town and we indulge in making all Namibian tradition food and serve the tourist in order the to experience our cultural Namibian food and cultural value.
Being as one of the women of color to recognise the important of local food products it’s an amazing
feeling and this empower our youths as an advocate entrepreneur woman to show the local people the important of tourism in terms of income and job opportunity in our country.
My name is Josef Kasheeta Hangula with a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST). I am very passionate about the service/tourism industry and enjoy being a custodian for the Namibian tourism industry. I love creating memorable experiences for guests upon their visit to my beautiful.
Having majored in Tourism Management I was disadvantaged to pursue a job in guiding. Employers are more interested in employing people with guiding qualifications or experience. Then I observed the gap in the tourism services provided to the guests especially in town when I saw a lot of tourist walking in the Windhoek lost. Sometimes I would witness guest being harassed by the street kids and it also make them targets for criminals. That is where the idea to do free city walking tours started from.
We know the area very well therefore, we will be able to do the tours and ensure that the guest reach their places of interest safe. Furthermore, it will allow us to gain guiding working experience that can be added on the resume when applying for a guiding job. With the high unemployment rate in Namibia a lot of my ex classmates are also interested in doing the tours as stepping stone in their career and to gain experience.
This project is going to benefit the tourists, tourism graduates and hopefully allow the guest to have a full Windhoek tour. The graduates will be trained on how to guide and they will be working on a tip based so they will also be earning some money for themselves and once they gain experience they can
start applying for guiding jobs so that we can bring in more student to learn and gain experience.
We are a Safari Tours company which sells tour packages and recreational activities to international and inbound tourists as well offering shuttle/transport services, vehicle hire, accommodation and flight booking services. This services are as stipulated on our business registration documents.
Takeuto Africa Safaris cc is a new locally owned business that aims at providing services to local and international tourists. Take-U-To Africa Safaris will provide a variety of tour packages in and around Namibia and other city and township activities. Please take time to browse our packages
on offer on our following website link: www.takeu2africa.com
Our signature tour, Redefined Travel focuses on travel that brings about community aid. This is designed for Travelers who seek for purpose on their travel journey, and this is one package close to our hearts because we wish to develop our Namibian communities countrywide and thereafter
broaden to the rest of Africa. We firstly aim to target the international tourists because they are commonly known for travel vacations to Africa.
Namibia, being in the top 10 of Africa’s tourist attractions, and with its popularity increasing due to the hydrogen gas project, we expect large numbers of tourists flying into Namibia. Hence, this becomes our market as we get to propose attractive tour packages which provide entertainment and the preferable Safari vacations.
Take-U2-Africa Safaris is owned by Tinashe Ncube and Emilia Ambondo, a couple who are also qualified professionals in the field of travel, tourism and hospitality. Tinashe is our Chief Guide with the highest tour guide certificate level 4 that can only be attained in Namibia and has extensive tour guide experience in field guiding, toured the 14 regions of Namibia and cross-bordered South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Emilia with an Honors degree in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality from the International University of Management, has experience in guest relations and reservations. Together, this couple structured their tour packages to meet the diverse travelers they come across. Being a very young company registered only recently in the year 2020, we strongly believe in the potential it has to become one of the most recognized and preferred tour companies amongst other best.
Scott Blount is the founder of TripClip, a world-first travel tech platform that was launched in South Africa in 2021. TripClip has quickly become one of Africa’s quickest growing travel tech companies, spanning across 14 African countries with clients throughout the world.
Within just 12 months the platform has generated in excess of 80 000 itineraries that have amassed more than 1.4 million views/shares across the globe, generating immensely valuable exposure for the African travel industry.
TripClip was named the World’s Best Travel Itinerary Builder in 2021 and have again been shortlisted for this award in 2022. Scott is also a finalist in the ATP Youth In Innovation Challenge 2022.
Scott previously worked for an industry-leading Destination Management Company, managing Sales for the North American, South American, Asian & Australasian markets.
Prior to his involvement in the inbound travel & tourism industry Scott specialized in investment banking for one of Africa’s most prestigious investment banks – an opportunity awarded to him as a result of being the Top Graduate of his degree in South Africa.
His passion for innovation extends beyond the travel industry and he’s proud to have previously founded/co-founded two additional start-up ventures.
Nkululeko Ndumiso Nkosi is a 28 year old entrepreneur, writer, strategist and technology innovator who hails from Lekwa (formerly known as Standerton) in the Mpumalanga province. Nkululeko Nkosi fulfills his professional and leadership duties from South Africa’s city of gold — Johannesburg, South Africa.
He started out as a digital marketing professional with skills in digital data analysis, digital strategy, social media and community management. He later grew to be one of the most edgy, most insightful and forward thinking creative strategists with a finger on the pulse of South African popular culture.
His passion for research and his understanding of African culture both urban and rural makes his strategic work not only relevant but also come with a very high degree of authenticity. Nkululeko Nkosi was employed at an award-winning agency, MetropolitanRepublic, he has played a key role in unpacking creative strategies for world-class brands such Danone, Sony Mobile ZA, LEGiT Fashion, Leroy Merlin, Aquafresh, Med-Lemon, Ithuba National Lottery, KOO Brands and Discovery. When you ask him what keeps him going, Nkululeko Nkosi would tell you it is the diversity in our cultures that makes our country the coolest place to be right now. He is now focused on building the future of Africa in the entrepreneurial space where his focus is merging technology, creativity and strategy to develop solutions.
He has represented South Africa through his marketing, media and entertainment consultancy work at the ONGEA Summit in Kenya, 4th Africa Youth In Tourism Summit Innovation & Challenge in Namibia and the Financial Security Olympiad in Russia competing against youth in BRICS nations. Nkululeko is currently the co-founder of Saturated, a digital agency startup which has developed an innovative tourism digital product titled Etela Africa for the African continent. Etela Africa translates to ‘Visit Africa’ in the Sotho languages of Southern Africa.
Jeffrey-Takunda Murungweni is a 20-year-old Zimbabwean who is passionate about tourism and the inclusion of technology to help make the tourist experience a much better one. He is currently a first-year student at Africa University, pursuing an honours degree in Computer Science.
Jeffrey is the founder of a travel tech company called Trafiki Africa. Through this company, he has developed a WhatsApp chatbot that acts as a centralized platform for tourism services in Zimbabwe.
He launched the chatbot in August 2022 and has designed it so far to promote tourist destinations within Zimbabwe. With time, he aims at including booking services onto the chatbot.
Prior to scooping the 2nd runner-up position at the Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation challenge 2022, Jeffrey was the inaugural winner of the Zimbabwe Youth in Tourism Innovation challenge of 2021 with the same idea, Trafiki Africa.
Co- Founder and COO, Creative Bibini Ltd I Development Partner at FOCAS | Award Winner Africa Youth in Tourism innovation- ATLF- UNWTO 2021, Ghana
Eugene Allotey has over 7 years of experience in the IT field. He has spent most of his career working at Creative Bibini managing IT-related project portfolios as well as managing large, complex multi-use development projects. He began his career as a Project Manager and is now the Chief Operations Officer for the company.
As Creative Bibini’s Co-Founder, COO and Senior Project Manager, Eugene is responsible for defining and implementing a state-of-the-art information technology architecture, developing and implementing governance, project management processes while ensuring the successful deployment of services that meet Creative Bibini’s mission and client requirements. As a Senior Project Manager at Creative Bibini, Eugene approaches all projects with a strong strategic focus and an emphasis on team building while always maintaining a clear path towards achieving project goals. He is a true believer in building solutions that follow values and agile practices, mentoring and motivating teams to improve processes, eliminating team impediments, and facilitating meetings and decision-making processes.
Eugene is a Co-Founder and Development partner at FOCAS, a real-time customer service feedback software that won the Africa Youth in Innovation Challenge Award in 2021.
Eugene holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing Strategy from the University of Ghana Business School. He is also a Member of the Project Management Institute (Global and Ghana Chapter) as well as a certified Digital Marketer from Google.
Owner & Founder, Merchantry Worldwide, South Africa
Inspired by Madam CJ Walker, and a strong advocate for Schumpeter’s school of thought. Gcina Nomsa Dlamini was named one of the Mail& Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans 2021, a winner in the category of Tourism & Hospitality. She is no stranger to the International community. While working in Washington DC, she received a scholarship from Howard University, Advance IT Women In STEM to further her studies in Econometrics & International Business. Her passion for travel started at the tender age of 14, on a visit to Dakar, Senegal. She has hosted multiple delegations and international celebrities both in South Africa and the abroad, who have a direct interest in investing in South Africa.
Her company Merchantry Worldwide, which means trade was founded on the basis of using travel as a catalyst for business and investment. She has contributed to the South African tourism industry, by exposing international visitors to the rich culture, history and diversity in the rural parts of the Country also known as ‘hidden gems. She is the Senior International Manager for Europe & the UK at Wesgro, and was the runner up for the Africa Youth innovation challenge for 2021 in Kigali Rwanda.
Gcina Nomsa Dlamini is also a recipient of the grassroots technology innovation agency award, an initiative together with the Department of tourism for digitalization of the tourism industry.
Aline Murekatete is Destination management specialist and certified Project manager. With 3+ years of experience in destination (Rwanda) marketing and destination consultancy, she takes pride in bringing the destination management services to the destination management services next level.
She has been selected as one of Rwanda’s top 12 Tourism Incubation women-only cohorts and was the winner of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Competition 2020.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Travel and Tourism Management from Kenya Utalli College, in collaboration with the University of Nairobi.one of the world’s most prestigious hospitality schools.
Serial entrepreneur, innovator, and tech enthusiast, Jean is the powerhouse behind Jems Marketing & Events and Eccentric Service. A passionate brand elevator, she leverages strategic marketing and cutting-edge digital solutions to propel businesses to new heights. Her mobile app for hospitality establishments, born from her 1st runner-up finish at the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Challenge 2020, is a testament to her talent for disrupting and optimizing industries. With a Bachelors in Business Administration fuelling her fire, Jean is a force to be reckoned with in the world of marketing and hospitality tech. 🚀
PayChap is a smart, innovative and cashless payment platform in Tanzania. It is built around the need of Tanzanian consumer that incorporates peer to peer transactions, merchant payment services, bill payments, recharge feature and a range of other social and lifestyle feature favouring a growing network of users and retail partners in Tanzania.
