Yvonne S. C. Mtengwa is a force to be reckoned with in the realms of public relations, communications strategy, and travel influence. With over 18 years of experience crafting cutting-edge PR campaigns, managing celebrity hosting, and executing high-impact launch events and activations, Yvonne has mastered the art of telling compelling stories on both the client and agency sides.

Her illustrious career is marked by award-winning campaigns that resonate across industries, proving her ability to navigate the complex world of corporate and consumer-focused communications.

In this exclusive interview with My Afrika Magazine (MAM), Yvonne (YM) shares her insights, inspirations, and her vision for elevating Africa’s narrative on the global stage.

MAM: You have been trailblazing through PR and Travel for over 18 years now, how have you seen the industry evolve, particularly in the travel and tourism sectors, and how have you adapted your strategies to stay ahead?

YM: My career didn’t start in either PR or travel, but rather retail. I ventured into retail as a means to an end working several jobs to make ends meet. The desire to earn better led me to investing in a real estate course. Upon receiving my certification, I excelled hugely and in 2007, made the decision to return home to Zimbabwe from the United States after 8 years. Obviously, mine was a hard landing. 2007 was the year of the huge global financial crisis and Zimbabwe wasn’t faring any better economically. The move to destination marketing was a result of finally getting a job offer in Zimbabwe’s hospitality sector in the border town of Victoria Falls, after many months of searching. 

In many instances, we traverse varied seasons in life not knowing where they will lead us. Moving to the UAE in 2013 challenged me to think outside the box and try a hand at a career that I had amassed a host of skills across multiple industries over the years – PR.  

I knew I was pretty good at communications, building relationships, storytelling and negotiating; key ingredients for success in both PR and navigating the travel and tourism sectors. One must be adaptive, must have a keen eye for the details, be an exceptional planner and executor and be prepared to push the envelope in delivering for the client. In travel and tourism, your client is your guest. You have a duty to deliver on the experience they paid for. In PR, your client is the brand or the personality needing visibility through strategic thinking, creativity and compelling tactics. 

I look back at my combined now almost 20 years both as a professional and an entrepreneur, and I can easily outline at which point I learned a skill that today contributes to my line of work. And that is equally how I stay ahead. I build on yesterday’s wins and learn from the losses. I am not afraid to change course and strongly believe just about everything can be negotiated and one must deliver on their promise. 

MAM: As the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Travel Essence Magazine, you’ve positioned yourself as a voice for African travel and culture, and you do live up to that vibe, by the way. What inspired you to start the magazine, and how do you ensure it remains a compelling platform for showcasing Africa’s hidden gems?

YM: Our Travel Essence Magazine story began with the COVID pandemic. News headlines were prophesying doom for Africa if vaccines were not deployed quickly enough, yet continent-wide, our COVID infections were less as a continent than singular countries like the US, the UK, Italy or Brazil. Because we were all on lockdown at varied intervals, in speaking to my colleagues in the industry, I soon realised that tourism was in part, an even bigger contributor towards Africa’s economies than was openly discussed or amplified in mainstream media. 

And so I became inspired to learn how the pandemic, the border closures and limitations with movement began to impact the travel and tourism sector across Africa. With that knowledge, and firsthand conversations with friends working in the industry, I opted to channel my expertise in destination marketing to bring hope through content generation. The goal was to invoke a sense of curiosity about Africa, made easy by the fact that from the UAE where we are based, most routes were closed yet Africa remained open. 

I started reaching out to brands, asking if we could share their stories. Working in PR also made the job easier. I am well versed in making a compelling pitch. July 2020, we went live with our first Issue. January 2025 will mark our 30th Issue, a few solid awards behind us, more than 150 mid-to-high end hospitality brand collaborations across Africa, the GCC and Indian Ocean Islands, growth in brand visibility, significant media coverage in publications like Glamour SA and Elle Italia, on television channels such as Dubai One TV, local TV and radio in Zimbabwe, pan-African media coverage in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and others, as well as stories upon stories of the people behind the places to put on your travel bucket list to Africa. 

I am incredibly humbled by the support of the brands that continue to open their doors to us so we can showcase what makes their locations and experiences so remarkable and am thankful for our audiences. How do we ensure we remain a compelling platform for showcasing Africa’s hidden gems? Consistency. Publishing is tough. Content curation done right is more than pointing a phone or camera; it is sifting through the plenty to highlight what will stir people to action. We push content, and we have over the past 2-3 years, began to pack our bags and show up on location so we can draw the stories out. There, we find those less told, understand the brand ethos, show you what we’ve loved and connect with people that are part of what makes the place so exciting. 

MAM: African rooted, yet very global minded, you’ve collaborated with global brands like Etihad Airways, Ferrari World, and Katara Hospitality while remaining proudly Zimbabwean and Pan-African. How do you balance global appeal with staying true to your African heritage?

YM: I was fortunate to have an incredible portfolio of clients during my corporate years. I learned the complexities of building and maintaining a brand’s visibility, reputation, keeping their milestones in the front of mind for the media and their target audiences and responding to crises. Living and working in the UAE gives one unique exposure to a multitude of cultures, working environments and the power of innovative thinking in product development. Competition is rife here, which means brands and the people behind them are literally “Always On”. Cities like Dubai are hailed the world over as centers of excellence. It’s a pleasure living here yet equally, to succeed, there is no room for complacency. 

The staying true to my heritage part is largely about showing up authentically. We each have the opportunity to connect as people first before transcending into value systems, beliefs, preferences, differences and such. Being a minority – an African living in the Middle East and working for and with global entities – means you not only have to challenge yourself to show up authentically, but you equally have to put your biggest and best foot forward. There is no excuse to not knowing, and I approached my work life in that manner. If I don’t know something, I tap into a wide network to equip myself for the next meeting, next planning session, next event, and so on. I am also do my best to ask as many questions as I can. As a people we already have adverse narratives working against us. What this does is present an opportunity where we can each show up and advocate for the elements that make us distinctive, special, memorable. 

MAM: From hosting celebrities like Alicia Keys to leading bespoke travel events, you’ve curated exceptional experiences. Could you share a memorable moment that stands out and what makes your approach to event curation unique?

YM: That’s a hard one to tackle because I cannot single handedly take the credit for any one win. I seize opportunities but equally recognise that there are a lot of people that are a part of successfully putting together an event, an activation or a curated travel experience. With my PR remit at the forefront, I’ve hosted professional footballers and basketballers, hip hop, Amapiano and Afrobeat artists, C-Suite executives, played the role of PR spokesperson at super events, speaking at some myself, as well as running social media content for notables. The list is long. But in it all, I am grateful to have a gift of nurturing good relationships that move any one project from “mine” to “ours”. Even when working with clients, I need for them to know that I cannot win without their buy in and a win is ours together, even if I’m doing the heavy lifting. 

MAM: Mentorship is key to industry growth; and as a mentor yourself, and thought leader in PR, what advice would you give to aspiring professionals in communications and media who want to make a global impact while promoting African narratives?

YM: As I mentioned before, and I’ll say this as it relates to being African – we have got to show up authentically and with full confidence that we can tackle the mandate at hand. We all have real power to impart change while being impactful. Being in communications puts one in a position of influence, and so a big part of our work lies in listening, discerning and processing copious amounts of content so as to garner understanding. 

I believe it is critical that we appreciate that there are countless experiences and opinions that differ from our own, and that promoting African narratives, especially given the diversity of our continent and its people, is about possessing an inquiring mind and leveraging the coveted skill of nurturing relationships to draw out the angles that make a difference through documenting the positives.

MAM: Lastly, thank you for sharing this moment with us, how best can people reach you for more about your services, or perhaps, a bit more on your rich knowledge?

YM: Thank you for the opportunity to share a little about myself. I take all opportunities to do so seriously and with the humblest of hearts. I thank you. 

Through our PR and Communications Consultancy, we offer a wide range of tailored PR and communications services for African owned entities, particularly those looking to make a mark in the diaspora, including communication strategy, brand development, websites, copywriting, content creating, social media management and media relations. You can find us on www.yournarratives.com or @narrativespr across most social media platforms.

For our publication Travel Essence Magazine, do visit www.travelessencemag.com. where you’ll find a vibrant content hub that takes a brand focused approach to promoting Africa and the GCC hospitality, travel and lifestyle opportunities. Here’s you’ll also find links to some of our exclusive opportunities to travel across Africa to truly unique destinations 

And lastly, to connect with me directly, you can find me on Instagram, Threads, X and Youtube as @Quintessentially_yvonne. 

A name search under Yvonne C Mtengwa will connect us on Facebook and LinkedIn. I’m pretty good about responding to messages (that come with some measure of substance of course!) The internet is an interesting place and so while we typically give audiences an inside view of our lives, I also take care to stay vigilant in how I engage online.