We like to say that representation is key and it truly is. My passion for travel and storytelling has always pushed me to seek for other people of my gender, race and with similar cultural background who have been able to turn their passion and hobby into something more lucrative and sustainable. These five women are on top of my list of female travelers that I feel I relate to the most and I mean it when I say that they’ve truly changed the game for other Black/African female travelers.
Jessica Nabongo
Jessica is a Ugandan-American travel blogger and brand influencer. She is the first black woman to have travelled to every country in the world. As of 2016, she had already visited 60 countries. So in 2017, she decided to visit all 193 countries in the world. According to a post on her Instagram page, she arrived at the 195th country on her list on October 6, 2019 which was Seychelles. “Number one it was for the representation of black people,” Nabongo says. “Number two, it was for women, as less than 25 women have done it globally; number three, for Africans.”
Gloria Atanmo
Gloria is a digital storyteller and an online educator. She has been featured on Oprah, Forbes, BBC, Conde Nast, Essence, Black Enterprise, and more for her travel experience and work to motivate female travellers to travel solo. on her blog: TheBlogAbroad, she shares: “I’m here to inspire others through my journey of being a solo female traveler, pushing the envelope of what’s possible, and creating the life of my dreams through a relentless pursuit and downright hustle.” Gloria also has a podcast where she shares her wisdom gained from two decades of entrepreneurship.
Nathalie
Nathalie doesn’t travel solo. She travels with her family. With her two daughters and her husband, they make us all dream of living in Kigali, Rwanda and enjoy weekend getaways in the countryside. On her Instagram page, JoliTropisme and her blog, she beautifully shares her love for travel and her journey as she navigates through motherhood. She writes: “I am often surprised by the bad image people have about Rwanda ( and Africa in general), and I hope through this blog to show how far it is from the reality.”. Alongside her husband, Nathalie owns a restaurant and she will let you get a glimpse into her entrepreneurial life from time to time. Her story has been shared on several platforms like: Visiter L’afrique and Reines Des Temps Mordernes. My favorite article of hers is on the blog : How Not To Travel Like A Basic Bitch.
Cynthia Andrew
How does one go from being a New York City attorney, to traveling the world, posting breathtaking photos of beautiful destinations, and getting paid to do it? On her colourful and lively Instagram feed, Cynthia shares with us how she became a prominent travel and fashion blogger and influencer. Originally from Cameroon, and based in NYC, she has been able to travel to several countries around the globe and on her blog, you will find tons of tips and tricks from how to plan a trip to hotel reviews and more. In her interview on Of Africa, Cynthia shares her story on how she navigates being a traveler from African decent.
Asiyami Gold
Asiyami is everything but just a travel blogger. She is a freelance multi-faceted curator and creator. “Blending a passion for design, photography, and travel, she fuses these creative leanings with an effortless élan that is democratic yet defies mimicry”, we read on her blog. Of Nigerian decent, she is an amazing visual storyteller who let’s us explore the continent of Africa and beyond through her website and her majestically curated eyes. She now offers several guides and courses that range from visual storytelling and to photo editing. You can find these and more about Asiyami on her Instagram page.
Credits:
- Wikipedia
- Culture Trip
- The Successful Africans Podcast
- Pop Sugar
- Cover picture: Finding Paola
Being Duchesse 