Hon Susan Nsambu Nakawuki

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Ambassador Albertus Aochamub is a Namibian diplomat, executive, communications professional and researcher whose career, spanning nearly three decades, has encompassed diplomacy, public administration, international cooperation, media, telecommunications and corporate leadership.

He currently serves as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco), where he leads one of Namibia’s key export-oriented public enterprises, with responsibility for organisational transformation, international market development and stakeholder engagement.

From 2018 to 2025, Ambassador Aochamub served as Namibia’s Ambassador to France, with concurrent accreditation to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Monaco. His multilateral responsibilities included representing Namibia at UNESCO, the OECD and UN Tourism, where he engaged on tourism, investment promotion, sustainable development and international cooperation.

Earlier, he served as Press Secretary to the President of Namibia and as Director-General of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also held senior leadership positions in Namibia’s telecommunications and technology sectors.

Ambassador Aochamub is an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration candidate at École des Ponts Business School in Paris. His academic research and publications span economic and digital diplomacy, digital transformation, public policy, trade and investment, artificial intelligence and sustainable development, with a particular focus on Africa.

His participation in the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum draws on this combination of executive leadership, diplomacy and academic research, particularly his interest in how Special Economic Zones, the AfCFTA and regional integration can mobilise investment, strengthen tourism value chains and advance Africa’s sustainable economic development.

Named as part of Forbes’ Top Travel and Tourism Leaders, one of the Most Powerful Leaders and most inspiring visionary leaders in the Middle East by Arabian Business Magazine, with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and an impeccable record of notable achievements, JS Anand is a prominent hotelier and passionate corporate leader. After earning his diploma in hotel management, he refined his hands-on management style as he advanced through senior roles in world-class hospitality companies. He has been featured on the Power 50 – Most Influential Leaders by Hotelier Middle East, Executive Power list 2023: The Most Influential Hotel Leaders in the Middle East, Most Innovative Business Leaders Inspiring the World 2022 by The Excelligent Magazine, and Most Influential Entrepreneurs From Dubai To Watch in 2022 By The Gulf Entrepreneur Magazine. 

People-centric and future-focused, JS aims to make an impact on the hospitality industry by building on the importance of employee well-being and satisfaction, creating an unforgettable service culture that gains global recognition, and being more involved in humanitarian causes around the world. Building long-lasting connections play a pivotal role in his work, especially in his mission to propel LEVA across the MENA region and Europe. 

JS is a charismatic corporate leader with a hands-on management style. He lives by the company’s core values that are firmly focused on delivering, efficiently and effectively, what was promised to its stakeholders and clients. Now he is committed to creating the best lifestyle hotels in the Middle East and beyond, becoming one of the leading hotel management companies dedicated to clarity, transparency, and delivering on its promises to clients and stakeholders.

ABOUT LEVA HOTELS

Founded in 2018 by JS Anand, recognized among Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 Travel & Tourism Leaders, LEVA Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality management company redefining the midscale to upscale hotel experience through innovative, owner-centric solutions. The company specializes in hotel management, operations, and asset repositioning, delivering design-led guest experiences and strong commercial performance.

LEVA’s diverse brand portfolio includes ZEN By LEVA (five-star lifestyle hotels) LEVA (four-star hotels), EKONO by LEVA (midscale properties), and LEVA Living, its extended-stay and serviced living concept, providing flexible solutions for owners, investors, and developers. Guided by agility, operational excellence, and personalized hospitality, LEVA creates vibrant destinations for modern travelers.

With a growing presence across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and expansion plans in Asia, LEVA partners with hotel owners and investors to maximize asset value through innovative management, sustainable growth strategies, and memorable lifestyle experiences.

Freddy Greaver is the Chairperson of the Board of the Limpopo Tourism Agency and a seasoned executive, governance practitioner and business leader with more than three decades of experience across the public and private sectors.

 His extensive leadership experience spans corporate governance, public administration, strategic communications, business development and institutional transformation. As Chairperson of the LTA Board, he provides strategic direction and governance oversight, supporting the Agency’s mandate to drive tourism growth, strengthen destination competitiveness and contribute to inclusive economic development in Limpopo.

Mr Greaver previously served as Executive Mayor of the City of Polokwane and has held senior leadership positions across government and the private sector. He
currently serves as Chairperson of the Lanseria Airport City Development Company and as a Board Member of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

 A strong advocate for ethical leadership, accountability and collaboration, Mr Greaver champions strategic partnerships between government, the private sector and communities. Through his leadership at LTA, he remains committed to positioning Limpopo as a competitive and sustainable destination for tourism, investment andbusiness events

Elena Constantinou is the Regional Advisor for Culture at the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa. She is an anthropologist with 25 years of experience supporting the protection and promotion of culture in all its forms. Elena holds a master’s degree in Applied Anthropology, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences.

In her current role, Elena works closely with Member States and partners across Southern Africa to advance UNESCO’s cultural agenda, including the protection of cultural heritage, the promotion of the creative economy, and the strengthening of cultural policies. A key focus area in the region is the promotion of culture and heritage-based tourism as a driver of sustainable development, community empowerment, and economic growth, while safeguarding the region’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.

Before joining the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA), Elena led the Culture Team at the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, covering Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. During her tenure in Beirut, she focused on assisting national stakeholders in the revival, protection, and promotion of culture in the aftermath of disasters and armed conflicts, as well as supporting the development of risk mitigation and preparedness strategies.

Elena’s career at UNESCO began as a Young Professional in the Executive Office of the Culture Sector. Subsequently, she joined UNESCO’s Living Heritage Entity as Programme Specialist, during which time she coordinated, among other activities, the organization of Intergovernmental Committee meetings in Azerbaijan, Namibia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, the Republic of Korea, and Colombia. Elena has overseen seven cycles of nominations to the lists of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and has contributed extensively to international efforts aimed at safeguarding living heritage and strengthening cultural cooperation.

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa. Tshifhiwa is a strategic, versatile and innovative marketing, tourism, communications and business executive. His experience spans 20 years, with a track record of visionary leadership, strategic project development and execution, travel and tourism events management and communications.

Tshifhiwa holds an MSc in International Business, Leadership, and Management from the University of York, Bachelor of Business Administration on Marketing Communications (Institute of Marketing Management) Diploma in Marketing (Institute of Marketing Management) and a National Diploma in Tourism Management (University of Johannesburg).

In the 20 years since his first foray into the world of work, Tshifhiwa has worked for various companies in the tourism value chain including South African Tourism, Myriad Marketing, FEDHASA, Rennies Travel, SARS and others. He has also consulted for various companies.

Tshifhiwa has also served as a member of Tourism Transformation Council, Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, and currently serves on the global Board of Advisors for “The Sigmund Project” which supports innovation and collaboration in Tourism across the globe.

Tshifhiwa has positioned himself as a thought leader and advocate for the South African tourism sector. He is an ambassador for tourism development in South Africa and Africa. He regularly writes, debates and comments on tourism development and growth in South Africa.

Abigail Shansonga is Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA), bringing over seven years of C-suite leadership experience across tourism, regulation, governance and institutional management. Substantively Chief Standards Officer and a legal practitioner admitted to the Bar in Zambia, she brings a distinctive governance and regulatory perspective to destination development. Abigail champions quality-led, sustainable tourism growth, strategic partnerships and innovation as foundations for global competitiveness. She is passionate about strengthening institutions, enabling investment and advancing public-private collaboration to unlock tourism’s economic potential, while positioning Zambia as a distinctive, competitive and globally compelling destination within Africa’s evolving tourism landscape.

Bronwen Auret is a seasoned tourism and marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience driving destination growth, brand development, and tourism competitiveness. As Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism, she uniquely combines strategic marketing excellence with tourism leadership, leading the national Tourist Experience Programme and the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). Her work focuses on strengthening South Africa’s tourism norms and standards, enhancing visitor experiences, and positioning the destination for sustainable growth through quality assurance, destination development, and market-led strategies. Bronwen has a proven track record of aligning customer experience, brand positioning, trade engagement, and tourism quality to create compelling destination value propositions that drive demand, improve traveller satisfaction, and elevate South Africa’s global reputation as a world-class tourism destination.

Africa Connects Promotion Piece

Africa Connect leadership Conference

Promote sustainable growth in Africa and intra-Africa travel through innovative leadership, dialogue and collaboration.

• To provide a Pan-African event, ATLF and awards is used by tourism industry leaders as a platform for advocacy learning, sharing of experiences and knowledge, and ultimately devising firm implementable actions to stimulate intra-Africa travel growth and development.

Ben Anane-Nsiah is a Deputy Chief Executive Officer, General Services of the Ghana Tourism Authority based at its Head Office in Accra. He has had extensive experience stretching over two decades in tourism operations and management and has previously handled the Ashanti Region, Marketing, Special Events and Product Development and Investment Departments of the Authority.

His current schedules as Deputy Chief Executive Officer requires that he provides strategic leadership, technical, and administrative support for effective management of resources for the achievement of the mandate of the Authority including the coordination of the development of medium to long term strategic plan for the organization.

He is bilingual (French/English) and holds a Bachelors of Arts, French and Economics Degree from the University of Ghana, Legon. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and a Diploma from the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

He has been actively involved in the planning and execution of strategies designed to propel the development of Tourism in Ghana these last few years and is a keen advocate of enhanced Intra-Africa Regional Tourism.

As the Director of Market Intelligence and Insights at Amadeus, Olivier Ponti is one of the world’s most authoritative experts in travel research and destination marketing. He gives dozens of conference presentations and media interviews a year, cross-referencing Amadeus’ considerable data with numerous other sources, to identify new travel trends; forecast future travel patterns; reveal the impact of events on travel and provide deep insights into the travellers of tomorrow.

With over two decades of experience, Olivier is a seasoned professional in business intelligence and tourism. He was educated at Sciences‐Po in Paris where he gained a Master’s Degree in Economics, and at the Sorbonne University where he gained a Master’s Degree in Tourism Development. His connection to academia continues, as he teaches Market Intelligence at the Sorbonne.

Deborah O’Connor is a sustainability and ESG leader with more than 20 years of experience helping organisations create environmental, social and economic value across Africa and the Middle East. She currently leads sustainability and climate advisory services at BDO South Africa, supporting clients across sectors including hospitality, tourism, infrastructure, financial services and the public sector.

Deborah’s career uniquely combines hands-on hospitality and ecotourism operations experience with executive-level sustainability advisory expertise. Having started her career managing safari and lodge operations in Botswana and the Seychelles, she developed a deep understanding of the relationship between guest experience, conservation and community development before transitioning into environmental management, sustainable development and ESG advisory. 

Today, she advises organisations on sustainability strategy, ESG integration, climate resilience, sustainable tourism, ESG due diligence, sustainability reporting and nature-positive development. Her work focuses on helping organisations translate sustainability ambitions into practical strategies that strengthen resilience, enhance stakeholder value and drive long-term business success. 

Deborah is particularly passionate about the role of hospitality and tourism in supporting conservation outcomes, community development and sustainable economic growth, and is recognised for bringing a practical, commercially focused perspective to sustainability challenges.

Justice Ofentse, a 51-year-old man plying his trade at Botswana Tourism Organization with a 25-year proven track record in Business Leadership, Business Ethics, Business Risk Management, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management, Corporate Strategy, Natural resources management and Tourism.

He holds a Master of Management, Sustainable Business, and a Degree in Environmental Science, together with a string of professional certificates in the field of Sustainable Tourism, Justice is currently completing Doctor of Business Leadership (UNISA, SBL).

Justice is also a DQS – ISO certified systems Lead Auditor for integrated ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 based management systems.

He has served in the board of Botswana Network People living with HIV – AIDS (BONEPWA+) an organization at the forefront of the war against HIV/AIDS since President Festus Mogae’s declaration for a fight against HIV/AIDS in 2001 and in the board of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

He has experience in mining, tourism, petrochemical, and development projects. Mr. Ofentse is a sustainability purist; he brings a very practical, experience-based perspective on business sustainability.

Mr. Ofentse currently works as Acting Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Tourism Organization.

Kwakye is the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), a Pan African tourism advisory firm and a UN Tourism award-winning firm. He serves as a tourism expert advisor for AfCFTA, Qatar Tourism and Airbnb on African Policy Development.

He is a renowned Pan-African strategist and expert in areas of Investment Facilitation and Promotions, 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.

Inga Mtolo is a Senior Consultant at BDO South Africa with over nine years of experience in economic and development advisory, research, and strategic consulting. She specializes in the delivery of feasibility studies, tourism strategies, economic impact assessments, financial and market evaluations, and market research across a diverse range of sectors.
Inga possesses strong expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, economic analysis, data analytics, strategy development, project management, and stakeholder engagement. She is particularly skilled at translating complex data and research findings into practical, evidence-based recommendations that support decision-making and unlock development opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Master of Commerce in Economics
BCom (Honours) in Financial Markets
BA (Development Studies)

Gerrit Davids is a procurement, governance, ESG, and business advisory specialist with extensive experience in public and private sector compliance, strategic advisory services, policy implementation, and organisational development.

As Lead Advisor at TaranisCo Advisory, he assists organisations with research, capacity building, procurement reform, ESG integration, social media intelligence, and strategic decision-making.

He is a sought-after speaker and facilitator on topics including public and private sector procurement, preferential procurement, governance, sustainability, and supplier development.

In addition, Gerrit has developed expertise in AI (All Intelligence), focusing on the practical application of artificial intelligence, data analytics, automation, and digital transformation to improve organisational performance, decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and business competitiveness.

His work combines policy insight, emerging technologies, and innovation to help organisations navigate complex challenges and unlock new growth opportunities in an increasingly digital world.

Hafsa Mbamba is a seasoned CEO specializing in tourism and creative consultancy, boasting nearly two decades of experience in the industry. She excels in business development, communication management, and tourism management. Fluent in Danish, English, and Kiswahili, Hafsa has held several key positions, including her current role as Executive Secretary at the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, and as the Founder and Managing Director of a destination travel company. 

Her extensive consultancy work underscores her expertise in sustainable tourism, communication, and event management. Hafsa is deeply committed to promoting the cultural and natural attributes of destinations, leveraging her skills to enhance and sustain their unique qualities.

Dr George Wambura (PhD) is an environmental scientist and Programme Officer for Wildlife at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. He leads strategic initiatives and coordinates policy implementation across 16 SADC member states to promote regional wildlife conservation and sustainable resource management. 

Dr Wambura specialises in community-based natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade. He aligns regional frameworks to support wildlife-based economic transformation. By harmonising policies, he integrates community land and water stewardship with regional sustainability goals

Media Practitioner

Naledi Moleo has over 20 years of experience in broadcast media, covering news,
current affairs, and storytelling across multiple platforms including television and radio.

As the former Head of News at Alex FM, Naledi Moleo honed her skills in training and
mentoring journalists, equipping them to tell powerful community stories while
maintaining the highest quality of journalism.

As the leading news anchor on Newzroom Afrika’s AMReport, Naledi Moleo brings
intellectual depth and engaging analysis to her comprehensive coverage of both
national and global current affairs.

With a proven track record in producing powerful media content, Naledi Moleo has led
the creation of influential shows like “Youth Expression” and globally recognized UNAids
documentaries.

As the host of SAfm’s “The Talk Shop” and “In Tune,” Naledi Moleo captivated listeners
with her thoughtful and insightful discussions on politics, economics, and culture,
showcasing her deep understanding, with her warm presence and exceptional
communication skills, Naledi Moleo is a natural choice for facilitating conferences and

creating engaging platforms for dialogue. She specializes in fostering understanding
across diversity,

Rodney Bunhiko is a Project Coordinator with UNESCO’s Regional Office for Southern Africa, working at the intersection of culture, heritage and sustainable tourism. He currently coordinates a regional initiative promoting culture and heritage-based sustainable tourism across Southern African countries. His experience spans heritage management, destination development, cultural policy, project management, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building. Rodney is particularly interested in how Africa’s cultural and heritage assets can contribute to stronger destinations, meaningful visitor experiences and sustainable livelihoods for local communities. He holds qualifications in Public Policy and Governance, Heritage Management, Sociology, Information Science, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Intellectual Property

Scott Lovett is a Partner in Project & Infrastructure Advisory at BDO Australia, where he advises governments, industry bodies and private sector organisations on major projects, infrastructure investment, tourism development and economic growth initiatives. With more than 20 years’ experience across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, Scott has led strategic advisory engagements spanning tourism, transport, defence, energy, regional development and place-based investment. 

Scott specialises in helping destinations and governments unlock economic opportunities through evidence-based strategy, public-private partnerships, infrastructure planning and stakeholder engagement. He has worked extensively with tourism organisations, government agencies and industry associations to develop investment strategies, destination plansAs a recognised advisor in regional development and tourism investment, Scott brings practical insights into how collaboration between government, industry and communities can unlock emerging tourism markets and create long-term value.  and transformational projects that drive sustainable economic and community outcomes

Margareth currently serves as Interim CEO of Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR).As a communications and brand strategist, Gustavo previously served as Executive for Competitiveness and Branding at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), where she led global nation-branding initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master’s in Business Leadership, and has extensive experience in public-private sector economic development.