Business

Local entrepreneur seeks to impact African tourism

THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE — A young entrepreneur is seeking to make inroads in Africa’s burgeoning travel industry. Tapiwa Kingsley Ndlovu is the co-founder and CEO of Kumba Africa, an online travel agency that offers travelers authentic experiences — tours and hikes with local guides, safaris, home stays — across the continent.

Published

7 years ago

April 15, 2019

ALONZO KITTRELS

By Ayana Jones

A young entrepreneur is seeking to make inroads in Africa’s burgeoning travel industry.

Tapiwa Kingsley Ndlovu is the co-founder and CEO of Kumba Africa, an online travel agency that offers travelers authentic experiences — tours and hikes with local guides, safaris, home stays — across the continent.

Ndlovu decided to start the platform after he spent six months in Stellenbosch University’s LaunchLab incubator program in South Africa. He visited the country in 2017 while working on his first business venture, Kasoma Africa, a now defunct website where people read, wrote and shared their African stories.

“I wanted to be locally immersed in the culture,” Ndlovu said, reflecting on his time in Cape Town, South Africa.

Ndlovu encountered issues when he sought to experience Cape Town in a local, authentic way and reflected on what it must be like for people traveling to Africa from the United States or other countries.

“So I then decided to build a platform where we aim to connect travelers to authentic travel experiences across Africa … with the twist that whenever someone books something on our platform, whatever they book has some sort of authentic feel to it — whether it’s interacting with a local, having a homemade dinner — something besides just going to a famous landmark,” said Ndlovu, who is 25 and now lives in Philadelphia.

Ndlovu incorporated his company in May and graduated from Drexel University with a dual degree in chemical engineering around the same time.

The company’s name is a nod to Ndlovu’s native land of Zimbabwe. Kumba means “home” in the country’s Shona language.

“We want to make sure that people feel like Africa is home for them and that’s why we named it Kumba Africa,” Ndlovu explained.

Ndlovu is tapping into the travel sector at a time when Africa’s tourism industry is poised for significant growth. Tourism is expected to contribute $269 billion to the continent and create 29 million new jobs by 2026, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Ndlovu often travels throughout Africa to build partnerships with hotels, tour guides, tour operators and other key suppliers. So far, he has partnered with more than 180 local tour guides and tour operating companies in 14 African countries — Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Kumba Africa site features numerous listings, including culinary tours, desert rides, trail hikes, traditional dance classes, tours of historical sites and wine tastings.

The site has been in a beta testing phase for the past year. The marketplace (www.kumbafrica.co) officially launches next week with the rollout of a new Android application.

“We wanted to make sure that we had both the web and the Android mobile app working before we said to the world here we are, but people know about us and have been using our product,” Ndlovu said.

“We want to be the number one travel company in Africa.”

This article originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC