Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Fortunatus Advisory LLC
Founder, Facilit8, Namibia
Tourism & SMME Development Consultant, Botswana
Lead Consultant, Bedouin Group, Nigeria
Lecturer of Tourism Management, The Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia
Hotel Manager, Hotel School, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia
Tourism & SMME Development Consultant, Botswana
Product Manager/Product Owner, Bedouin Group, Nigeria
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Fortunatus Advisory LLC, Safiyya Akoojee is an astute legal & private advisor based in Dubai. She is a qualified South African Attorney maintaining her status on the High Court Bar in South Africa. She has
worked as an advisory professional, completing transactions on Foreign Direct Investments into Africa, offshore corporate strategy, legal counsel, UAE company establishment and a complete suite of advisory services.
Safiyya serves as the International Director for Thomson Wilks Inc., where she has practiced for 14 years, focusing on Middle East strategy & legal consulting. She advises a multitude of international clients both in the Middle East and the African continent. She has also served as President of the South African Business Council,
Dubai U.A.E and represented South Africa in procuring foreign direct investment.
Having held leadership posts in multiple businesses and providing global expertise with legal insights to advise corporations, companies, and executives alike. Safiyya has an acute business acumen and foresight allowing her to advise her clients on the intricacies of cross border transactions whilst providing access to laws and regulations. Safiyya has mandates representing clients across various businesses &
industry sectors, including oil, gas & energy; travel, tourism & hospitality; food manufacturing; real estate & construction, automotive and technology sectors.
She speaks regularly at conferences on international investments and the international legal environment providing insights to regulations and supporting business opportunities, whilst overcoming cross border and governmental challenges.
Safiyya holds degrees in Bachelor of Arts (Law, International Relations, English), University of Witwatersrand; Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of South Africa; Post Graduate Certificate, Commercial & Corporate Law, University of London (awarded merit*); Post Graduate Diploma, Banking & Finance Law, University of London (awarded merit*); Masters of Law (LLM), Banking, Finance & Corporate Law,
University of London.
Nrupesh Soni stands at the forefront of the rapidly evolving Namibian digitalization sector, blending innovation with impactful digital and marketing strategies to drive the industries forward. As the founder of Facilit8 Namibia, Nrupesh has distinguished himself as a digital strategist, entrepreneur, and disruptor, dedicating his expertise to the business development of companies and the overall enhancement of Namibia’s emerging industries infrastructure.
In the tourism sector, his efforts have not only provided robust solutions to contemporary challenges but have also laid the groundwork for the transformative Namibia Travel & Tourism Forum platform, significantly improving local engagement and business outcomes in a short span. Nrupesh’s approach to mentorship in the tourism industry is holistic, focusing on leveraging technology and strategic insights to elevate the employability and entrepreneurial skills of Africa’s youth.
At the Africa Youth In Tourism Summit, Nrupesh’s role in the “Mentorship Festival & Employability Clinic – Spotlight” segment highlights his commitment to nurturing future leaders through personalized consultations and strategic advice, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate and succeed in the dynamic tourism landscape.
Evah is a seasoned Business Consultant, Accredited Trainer, and Coach with broad knowledge of business and entrepreneurship ecosystems, enterprise development and specialised expertise in the Tourism and Hospitality industry and its value chains. Evah brings over a decade of experience working in the private sector(hotels), academia, and the public sector.
As a certified Tourism And Hospitality Analytics (CHIA, CAHTA) professional, her core areas of expertise in Tourism include full spectrum Tourism Consulting & Advisory, Tourism Impact Analysis & Economic Measurement, Tourism Policy, Planning & Development, Hotel Investment Analysis, and Sustainable Enterprising among others. Ms Evah is often deployed in national projects for tourism and related industries, sits on several tourism technical committees and provides expert representation in various regional and continental organizations such as Market Players, Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA) and African Organization of Standardization (ARSO)
Beyond her roles as a full-time Consultant, with a track record of mentoring SMMEs across different industries to success, Ms Mosetlhane continues to actively contribute to the entrepreneurship community in different capacities. She serves as a start-up mentor for the University of Botswana Open Innovation Programme (OIP), a facilitator in the Tourism Business Coaching and Mentorship Program (TBCMP), a coach for the Women In Trade Programme by Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA) as well as Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) among other roles where hundreds of businesses have been impacted. With her diverse engagement in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, she is adept at developing and implementing programmes to start, grow and achieve sustainable enterprises.
Ms Mosetlhane is mostly passionate about inclusivity and sustainability in the business landscape with a special interest in social entrepreneurship, youth and women entrepreneurship, community-driven ventures etc., in essence developing entrepreneurial solutions for sustainable development. She dedicates her free time to mentoring youth in and outside the tourism sector to navigate both their employment or entrepreneurship paths.
Ayoola Gbade-Bello is a dynamic professional with over 15 years of experience in
communication design, product management, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
With a degree in Design from the University of Lagos, Ayoola embarked on a career journey in the Advertising and Marketing Communications industries before transitioning into Information Technology as a Product Manager/Product Owner through his own company, Bedouin Group, in 2013.
Inspired by the visionary Steve Jobs, Ayoola and his team at Bedouin harness the power of design and technology to simplify living. Their innovative products, such as Printstop NG and Kintrace AI, are at the forefront of driving digital transformation, enhancing user experiences, and solving real-world challenges.
Beyond his exceptional product offerings, Ayoola’s passion for making an impact extends to organizing impactful events and fostering entrepreneurship. Through initiatives like Hack for Tomorrow, Ayoola empowers young tech professionals and creates opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs across Africa.
The program has notched significant milestones, including supporting 15 startups and empowering over 150 skilled tech entrepreneurs in the travel and hospitality industry through its annual Tourism Hackathon. Its prowess was further underscored by its recognition at the G20 India Summit for its pivotal role in driving digitalization in sustainable tourism on the continent.
Lecturer of Tourism Management, The Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia
Ethilde Tulimuwo Kuwa is a Lecturer of Tourism Management at the Namibia University of Science
and Technology. She holds a BTech degree in Tourism Management, a master’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management as well as a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in International Business. Her research areas are Eco-tourism and Community-based tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Heritage and Cultural Tourism, Air transportation, Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism including (Experience economy, Consumer behavior) Customer service, and Destination management. Ethilde
has over 20 years of tourism and hospitality industry experience.
Hotel Manager, Hotel School, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia
