Ahead of this year's Africa Showcase Australasia, Margi Jansma, Managing Director of Luxury Travel Marketing, a partner of the event, says Africa's growing appeal among Australasian travellers makes this year's showcase especially important. She notes that the event provides a valuable platform for African suppliers, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), and tourism stakeholders to engage with the market, better understand evolving traveller preferences, and tailor their destination offerings accordingly.

Margi Jansma, Managing Director of Luxury Travel Marketing is no stranger to the travel industry, and her vast experience spans over the past 30 years which includes tenures with South African Airways, Swiss, & Western Airlines now Delta.

Margi’s 15 years prior to founding the company, were spent gaining a thorough knowledge of the hospitality industry, heading up International Sales & Marketing for Southern Sun Hotels & Resorts and following her move to Australia, Group Director of Sales & Marketing for the exclusive brand, Karma Resorts, where she was responsible for the opening of the world renowned Karma Kandara property.

Travel is her passion, and she fully understands the needs of premium customers, and the product and sales training required to achieve results in the current operating environment. She is renowned for her ability to build and maintain long term strategic relationships in the industry. Margi holds an International Marketing Management degree and maintains incredibly strong relationships with the key operators, and upmarket retail travel trade in Australia and New Zealand.

From the bustling corridors of corporate boardrooms to the tranquil luxury of Mbano Manor Hotel, Dr. Mati Martha Nyazema’s journey is one of vision, resilience, and an enduring connection to tourism. In this episode, the renowned Zimbabwean hospitality executive and entrepreneur reflects on a career that has spanned journalism, destination marketing, aviation, international hotel management, and ultimately the creation of one of Victoria Falls’ most celebrated boutique luxury properties. Affectionately known in the industry as “Doc Mati,” Dr. Nyazema shares the deeply personal story behind the founding of Mbano Manor Hotel, tracing her lifelong bond with Victoria Falls back to childhood visits that quietly planted the seeds for a remarkable tourism success story decades later.

Ahead of the Africa Showcase Nordics roadshow taking place from 21–23 April in Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, I spoke with industry experts Gerald Amoudruz, CEO of World of Destinations, and Gustav Hanson, Sales Director at World of Destinations and Founder of Allternativa. They share insights on the growing appeal of Africa in the Nordic market and explain why this showcase is a rare and valuable opportunity to drive travel demand to the continent.