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UAE hustle: Dubai-based PR Consultant Yvonne Mtengwa second job is designing exclusive African safari tours
For Yvonne Mtengwa, a ‘side hustle’ looks a lot like jet-setting across Africa, curating luxe safaris, and turning travel dreams into high-end, camera-ready reality
- PUBLISHED: Fri 7 Mar 2025, 2:42 PM
It’s almost too glamorous to call it a side hustle, yet that’s what it is. Yvonne Mtengwa, the owner of a boutique PR consultancy in Dubai, also organises curated luxury safari tours across Africa for individuals or small groups of travellers.
Her journey into the world of bespoke travel experiences began organically, as her constant travels to Africa for client work (her main job) sparked growing interest from her social media followers. “People would see the content I was creating and say, ‘When is your next trip to South Africa? Can we join you?’” Mtengwa recalls. “It just became this low-hanging fruit that I couldn’t ignore.”
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Mtengwa’s focus is on showcasing the hidden gems — boutique lodges, luxury camps, and off-the-beaten-path destinations that capture the true essence of Africa. “I only work with brands that I’ve experienced myself,” Mtengwa emphasises. “If I’m not there to oversee it, I need to know my clients will be well-taken care of. The level of service and attention to detail is paramount.”
This commitment to quality has earned her a loyal following, particularly among Dubai’s expat community. Her curated safaris, hiking adventures, and wellness retreats range from $2,500 to $7,000 (Dh9,181 to Dh25,708) per person for all-inclusive, multi-day experiences. Her company, Travel Essence Getaways, schedules customised trips. “If I have a destination and a budget, I can tailor an end-to-end experience that’s as exhilarating as much as it is transformative.”
If I have a destination and a budget, I can tailor an end-to-end experience that’s as exhilarating as much as it is transformative"
Yvonne Mtengwa
One recent example was a trip Mtengwa organised for a Dubai-based entrepreneur who owns a popular African restaurant in the city. The brief was simple: incorporate the owner’s love of golf into a safari experience in Zimbabwe.
So, she curated a seven-day itinerary that included drives in Hwange National Park, rounds of golf, a sightseeing trip to Victoria Falls and immersive cultural experiences — all captured by a professional film crew to create content for the client’s social media. “It was a win-win. The client had an unforgettable trip, and I was able to leverage my network and storytelling skills to produce high-quality content that showcased the destination,” adds Mtengwa. “Social media is a big part of what I do. It’s not enough to just have a licensed business these days — you have to know how to package and promote yourself.”
She sees her travel side hustle evolving to perhaps become her main hustle one day. “I built this as a lifestyle business, and it’s really starting to take on a life of its own,” she muses. “The goal is to keep expanding my network, curating more unique experiences, and sharing the magic of Africa with as many people as possible.”
Her target regions are eastern and southern Africa, where she has toured extensively and built strong relationships. These include Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia. “These are your hotspots in terms of safari experiences, and your hotspots in terms of luxury travel.”
When it comes to the luxury travel market, standards are understandably high, and so too are the expectations. This traveller wants abundance, attention to detail, a seamless experience from start to finish and the element of surprise, but it can’t be overbearing. “They like options,” Mtengwa explains. “So, if you’re going to say where we’re eating breakfast, they want to be given 10 options — they can have breakfast at the beach, at the riverside, on their deck, by the pool, or in a tree.”
Along with Africa, she also sees a strong demand for tours in the UAE. “If you’re going glamping, there are some amazing glamping sites and products that surround that theme that weren’t here 10 years ago.” But the product (the luxury boutique hotel or venue) is not enough on its own. “You have to consider service and staff training.”
Mtengwa, who has lived in the UAE for 12 years, had just landed in Dubai from a trip to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve (taking four flights to return home), and was flying off to Zimbabwe a few days later when I interviewed her. Now that’s what you call jet-setting.