Brighton-led collaboration supports young tourism innovators in Africa

Six tourism students from Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are the first entrepreneurs to receive funding as part of the project, receiving a boost to further develop a diverse set of climate smart and digital innovative businesses that will generate sustainable tourism benefits to their respective countries.

The one-year Accelerating Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Tourism in Africa project - concluding this month - has been supported by the British Council’s Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Programme, building on ongoing collaborations between the University of Brighton, Strathmore University (Kenya), the University of Ghana Business School, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (Kenya) and Africa Tourism Partners (South Africa).

Winners of the IAU African tourism funding (left to right): Geniffer Mathebula, Susan Waweru, Carolyn Sekyi-Addo, Sylvia Largeh Tettey.

Professor Marina Novelli

The project aims to tap into the significant economic potential for local tourism to bolster various sectors across Africa – not just employment but also biodiversity conservation, inclusive economic growth, and improving local livelihoods.

Professor Marina Novelli, Professor of Tourism and International Development at the University of Brighton, said: “The University of Brighton is leading this groundbreaking partnership with experts from the African continent, designed to foster a culture of youth-led sustainable tourism entrepreneurship as a great way to regain confidence in a sector badly hit by COVID. It has been a steep learning curve for all involved, but students have shown huge commitment and professional attitude to the project, and produced a set of outstanding new business ideas as testimony of an unprecedented joint effort.”

Four of the young entrepreneurs to receive the first round of funding are women: one each from South Africa and Kenya, and two from Ghana.

South African Gennifer Mathebula from Tshwane University of Technology was awarded funds for her Discover Ekasi app, which aims to take users on digital tours through Tembisa township in Johannesburg.

“The app is a platform that allows local, ‘going green’ tourism businesses from my town to gain exposure, and it also allows tourists to book accommodation. What distinguishes me from others is that I offer sustainability with my partnerships. Only ‘going green’ establishments are published on the app,” Mathebula said.

The Kenyan winner was Susan Waweru from Strathmore University, with her Zoya digital platform, a website that aims to be a one-stop shop for cultural heritage tours in Kenya, incorporating a map of major cultural sites and experiences, a calendar of upcoming cultural events, and a list of accommodation establishments. Waweru said: "My project will be implemented throughout cultural spots in Kenya, and it will draw its content from our local communities in multiple tourism destinations."

Ahmed Musah

Cameron Abbey - co-creator of Shopfrika online cultural hub

The first of two pairs of Ghanaian winners were the team formed by Carolyn Sekyi-Addo and Sylvia Tettey from University of Ghana. While Carolyn and Sylvia’s Ghana Eats app is designed to provide information about Ghanaian cuisines "by including a dietician, a chef and a menu planner to help tourists who seek to know more about Ghanaian local cuisine and for those who have an interest in consuming Ghanaian local dishes".

There was also funding for University of Ghana business students Ahmed Musah and Cameron Abbey’s Shopfrika online cultural hub. This aims to provide a bridge from producers and suppliers of indigenous Ghanaian artefacts to potential buyers - primarily tourists.

The duo said: “Our goal is to help tourists get easy access to souvenirs and artefacts which will serve as a memento to them when they return to their native countries. We also seek to educate visitors about Ghanaian culture by vividly explaining what the indigenous artefacts we sell signify. There are plans to extend Shopfrika to buyers in countries such as the UK and USA.”

In 2019, pre-pandemic tourism contributed 7% of Africa’s GDP and employed 21 million Africans, amounting to around 1 in 14 jobs across the continent. Research in major African nations like Kenya, Ghana and South Africa has shown that, while the majority of the tourism workforce are young people, only 40% of young people of working age across Sub Saharan Africa are in any form of paid employment - with young women the most affected.

This University of Brighton-led project has brought together key experts from the partnering institutions to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange working with 45 tourism students - 15 from Kenya, 15 from Ghana and 15 from South Africa – as well as academic and industry coaches in tourism entrepreneurship.

The University of Brighton devised the INSPIRE programme for the students through its Centre for Change, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (CENTRIM) within its School of Business and Law, providing them with workshops, masterclasses, and one-to-one mentorship sessions to support participants in developing novel local sustainable tourism business ideas.

“By bringing together universities from the UK and sub-Saharan Africa with organisations supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the region, we can facilitate an exchange of learning, ideas, knowledge and connections to enable universities to become key champions for innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Moses Anibaba, the British Council’s Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa.

Feedback from participants in the programme has been overwhelmingly positive. One student from South Africa said: “I have been able to come up with an innovative idea that will not only be beneficial for me but will help communities grow and create generational wealth.”

Another from Kenya said: “I have been able to learn how to create a business out of an idea and get help from people rather than just relying on myself. I have met potential partners who are free to share their experiences in the industry”. A student from Ghana added: “I have developed a great business idea, and am seeing a positive future ahead”.

Other students highlighted the benefits of obtaining certified professional industry training, meeting high profile tourism experts and potential business partners, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange with other young entrepreneurs, and the importance of comprehending market needs.