The Afrika Yetu campaign has been selected as one of 10 finalists in the UNWTO’s Inspiration Africa Branding Challenge.

The challenge received 150 proposals for a campaign to position Africa in the minds of international travellers. The winning proposal will be selected by jury members from CNN and UNWTO, and will be announced on October 16. The winners will be associated with the UNWTO Agenda for Africa, and be invited to form part of the UNWTO Innovation Network.

Afrika Yetu – meaning ‘Our Africa’ in Kiswahili – speaks to a deeply rooted culture of collective ownership, of heritage that celebrates one of the most diverse continents in the world and its custodianship across the continent.

The collaboration of tourism role players are Boundless Southern Africa; Zulu Nomad; Big Ambitions; Hallpax; Bon A267 Creative Agency; Airgiftr; Congo Conservation Company; Love Africa Marketing; Na-Beat Enterprises; and tourist guides Philani Sangweni, Moise Awonlonsou and Ally Jape.

“As the Cradle of Humankind, Africa is the beginning of our human story. The diversity of African culture, creativity, biodiversity and landscapes are the vital attributes of a continent that is witnessing its youthful population nurture and grow its heritage to ensure a better future in a fast-changing world,” said convenor of the Afrika Yetu team, Roland Vorwerk.

The Afrika Yetu campaign focuses on curating and sharing the stories of Africans conserving their heritage to inspire international travel to the continent. The collective aims to work with and empower partners across Africa to create, collate and curate content that showcases ‘Our heritage. Our Future. Our Africa’.

“We aim to make it simple for Africans to tell their heritage stories and for our partners to use that content with ease on their respective platforms to amplify the positive messaging about tourism to the continent,” said Vorwerk.