Lusaka has been nothing short of an awakening. @discoverzambia @visitzambia @zambiancorner @zambia_reports @creativeindustriesbusiness2026
If there is one thought that has occupied my mind since arriving here, it is this: perhaps we have not loved Africa enough. And that, quite honestly, is one of our greatest oversights.
Mention travelling abroad, & our minds instinctively wander to Europe, North America, South America, or Asia. We spend fortunes chasing distant horizons while paying far too little attention to the extraordinary treasures quietly flourishing across our own continent. In our relentless pursuit of elsewhere, we often leave Africa’s finest gems for others to discover, admire, celebrate &, ultimately, acquire.
I arrived in Lusaka with modest expectations.
To me, it was simply another Southern African capital, pleasant perhaps, but hardly remarkable. How wonderfully mistaken I was.
As though she knew what awaited me, my seatmate on the flight, a delightful young lady named Grace Chama, spoke glowingly about Zambia throughout the journey. She tried to prepare me for the experience ahead. I listened, smiled, & politely assumed patriotism had embellished her descriptions.
Then the aircraft touched down.
Within moments, I realised Grace had, if anything, understated the experience.
My introduction to Zambia began at its airport, & what an introduction it was. Elegant, contemporary & thoughtfully designed, it possesses the quiet confidence of architecture that understands its purpose. Spacious without excess, efficient without losing warmth, it immediately announces that this is a country comfortable with progress.
The Chinese who delivered the project deserve every commendation. It is an airport that makes a statement before a single word is spoken.
I was so captivated that I immediately called my dear friend, the incomparable @kelechiamadiobi, the grandmaster whose camera has immortalised some of Africa’s most iconic faces, & asked him to step out of the car to come outside simply to experience the space for himself. It was too impressive to drive past unnoticed.
The city moves with quiet confidence, allowing you to simply exist, observe, appreciate & breathe.
I am having the most wonderful time, not because Lusaka is trying to impress me, but because it doesn’t have to.
It simply is.
And perhaps that is Africa’s greatest strength.
Its beauty does not scream for attention. It waits patiently for those willing to look beyond the familiar narratives & discover the extraordinary that has been here all along.
Lusaka has reminded me that sometimes the most unforgettable journeys are not the ones that take us furthest from home.
They are the ones that bring us back to Africa, with fresh eyes, renewed admiration, & a deeper understanding that some of the world’s greatest destinations have been waiting for us on our own continent all along.
Thank you @africacreativemarketglobal founded by the incredible @sarahinyalawal & @fashionevostyle, founded by @yettyd, thank you Zambia Ministry of Youth, Sport & Arts, Kangwa Chileshe, Esther Ngambi,
National Arts Council of Zambia, for making this amazing trip possible. Salute to you both.
