South Africa’s Most Influential Tourism & Travel Leaders to Watch in 2026.

Some destinations become victims of their own success. The places that capture global attention often do so through a handful of iconic images, while countless other stories remain hidden in plain sight. Southern Africa is no exception. Mention the region and most conversations quickly arrive at the same landmarks, the same wildlife experiences, and the same familiar itineraries. Yet beyond those well-trodden routes exists a far richer narrative, shaped by communities, entrepreneurs, artisans, conservationists, local guides, and cultural experiences that rarely find their way into the global spotlight. That overlooked narrative is what Jolene Finn set out to champion through Authentic South Africa. Founded with the belief that tourism should create deeper connections rather than simply fill itineraries, the organization works to elevate the voices, experiences, and businesses that often sit outside traditional tourism marketing. By bringing travellers closer to the people behind the destination, Jolene is helping reshape how Southern Africa is discovered, experienced, and remembered. Though the name points to South Africa, the mission reaches across the wider Southern African region, a group of distinct countries and cultures too often flattened into a single destination

For Jolene, tourism was never simply about destinations. It was about creating emotional connections between people and places. After studying Travel & Tourism, she spent a year au-pairing in America before returning home and beginning her career in the travel industry as a reservations consultant, selling Southern Africa to international markets. Over the next two decades, she developed a deep understanding of the region's tourism landscape, building relationships across Southern Africa while gaining expertise in sales, commercial strategy, and negotiation. Her transition into a commercial leadership role shortly before the pandemic proved to be a defining chapter, broadening her understanding of the industry and strengthening her network across the sector. Yet the most significant turning point came during the SATSA 2025 conference. Listening to repeated calls for greater collaboration and action within tourism, Jolene left with a simple but powerful question: *What can I do?* Rather than waiting for change, she envisioned a new approach to destination marketing, one that would allow potential travellers to experience the spirit of Southern Africa long before booking a trip. That vision became Authentic South Africa. For Jolene, the mission is not merely to promote destinations but to inspire genuine emotional connections that encourage travellers to choose Southern Africa because they have fallen in love with its stories, people, cultures, and experiences.

The idea behind Authentic South Africa emerged from a challenge that Jolene felt the industry had not fully addressed. Following the pandemic, she observed how destinations such as Australia appeared to recover more rapidly than many Southern African destinations despite the region's exceptional tourism offering. With world-class beaches, wildlife, adventure experiences, food, wine, and cultural richness, Southern Africa had every ingredient necessary to attract global travelers. The issue, in her view, was not the quality of the tourism product but the emotional connection with potential visitors. Tourism marketing often focuses on travellers after they have already decided to travel and started researching destinations. Jolene saw an opportunity much earlier in that journey. Authentic South Africa was created to inspire people before they begin planning a holiday. The concept is intentionally different from traditional tourism marketing. Even some of the most experienced travel professionals she speaks to have never encountered destination marketing approached in quite this way. "We are not trying to replace what already exists, nor compete with the organizations that have been promoting Southern Africa for years," she explains. "We are trying to add another layer — to create the desire for Southern Africa before the holiday is even being planned." Rather than competing with destination management companies, online travel agencies, travel advisors, or tourism authorities, Authentic South Africa aims to influence travelers before those channels become relevant. The goal is to create an emotional connection first, allowing people to discover Southern Africa through its stories, people, food, culture, and communities long before they begin comparing itineraries or booking flights. Jolene believes there is enormous power in allowing someone in London, New York, or Sydney to experience a small piece of Southern Africa before ever setting foot in the region. "If we can make someone fall in love with Southern Africa first, they are no longer simply choosing a holiday destination. They are choosing a place they already feel connected to." Once that connection has been established, Authentic South Africa seeks to give travelers a greater voice in shaping their journey, from the experiences they choose to the communities, businesses, and initiatives they ultimately support through their visit. For Jolene, the future of tourism lies not only in attracting visitors but in helping them build meaningful relationships with destinations before they arrive. Authentic South Africa was created to fill that gap by turning curiosity into connection and connection into purposeful travel.

While Authentic South Africa operates as a business, Jolene has always viewed it as something larger than a commercial venture. At its core, the organization is designed to build a community around shared curiosity, cultural discovery, and meaningful impact. Through the Traveler Network, members gain access to insider knowledge, local perspectives, and authentic experiences that go beyond traditional guidebooks. The organization also supports Global Allies—travel advisors and international tour operators who are passionate about Southern Africa and want deeper access to local expertise, connections, and opportunities within the region. What makes the model particularly distinctive is its commitment to giving back. A portion of every membership fee is directed toward charitable causes and community initiatives chosen by members themselves. Whether supporting cultural preservation, environmental conservation, community guides, or local development projects, the objective is to ensure that tourism contributes positively to the places and people that make Southern Africa unique. For Jolene, this approach transforms travelers from passive consumers into active participants in creating a stronger and more sustainable tourism ecosystem.

One of Jolene's strongest convictions is that some of Southern Africa's most remarkable tourism experiences remain largely undiscovered simply because they lack the marketing resources of larger operators. She points to destinations such as Manyoni Private Game Reserve as examples of extraordinary experiences that often receive less international attention despite offering world-class wildlife encounters and meaningful conservation initiatives. Across the region, she sees countless local guides, artisans, cultural operators, community-based enterprises, and boutique tourism businesses that possess extraordinary stories and experiences but struggle to compete for visibility in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Rather than encouraging these businesses to compete for attention individually, Jolene believes the answer lies in collective visibility and collaboration. By creating a platform where diverse voices can be heard together, she hopes to broaden the global perception of Southern Africa beyond its most familiar destinations. Through Authentic South Africa, she is working to ensure that tourism conversations include not only iconic attractions but also the people, communities, and hidden gems that contribute to the region's rich and authentic identity.

At its heart, Authentic South Africa reflects Jolene's belief that tourism should be driven by inspiration rather than transactions. After more than twenty years in the industry, she has developed a profound appreciation for what makes Southern Africa extraordinary. Her mission is not to tell travelers where they should go, but to open doors to experiences that resonate with them personally. By bringing together travelers, tourism professionals, communities, and local businesses, she hopes to create a movement that encourages deeper exploration, greater cultural understanding, and stronger connections across the region. For Jolene, success is not measured solely by bookings or visitor numbers. It is measured by the moment someone, somewhere in the world, discovers Southern Africa and decides they simply have to experience it for themselves.

Jolene believes traveler expectations are evolving rapidly, driven by a growing desire for meaningful and authentic experiences. Modern travelers are no longer satisfied with simply ticking destinations off a list; they want to understand the places they visit, connect with local people, and return home with stories that reflect genuine cultural encounters. For her, authenticity lies in experiences that feel real and personal, whether that means sharing a meal with a local family, learning directly from community members, or spending time in places that have not been created solely for tourism. She has also observed a significant shift in how travellers think about sustainability. Increasingly, visitors want to know where their money goes, who benefits from their presence, and whether tourism contributes positively to communities, wildlife conservation, and cultural preservation. Jolene firmly believes responsible tourism should enhance a travel experience rather than feel like a compromise. In her view, the most rewarding journeys are often those that create the greatest positive impact. Through Authentic South Africa, she hopes to encourage travellers to move beyond asking what they can see and instead consider who they can meet, what they can learn, and how their visit can make a meaningful difference.

Years of navigating challenges within the tourism industry have shaped Jolene's perspective on resilience. From the global disruption caused by COVID-19 to ongoing challenges such as load shedding, water shortages, economic pressures, and climate-related events, she has witnessed firsthand how Southern Africa's tourism sector has repeatedly adapted and found ways to move forward. These experiences inspired her belief that resilience has become one of tourism's most valuable assets. While luxury has traditionally been associated with premium accommodation and exclusive experiences, Jolene sees equal value in knowing that the people behind a journey can adapt quickly when circumstances change. She advocates for a more diverse and inclusive tourism ecosystem that supports smaller businesses, emerging destinations, and local communities. COVID-19 highlighted how easily valuable expertise, relationships, and specialist knowledge can be lost when businesses struggle to survive. As a result, she believes the future of tourism depends on building stronger networks, investing in people, and creating a more resilient industry capable of responding to future disruptions.

According to Jolene, Southern Africa's greatest advantage lies in its ability to offer far more than a traditional holiday experience. The region combines wildlife, beaches, mountains, food, wine, adventure, culture, and history within a single journey, creating experiences that are difficult to replicate elsewhere. Yet beyond its natural attractions, she believes it is the warmth and generosity of its people that truly distinguish the region from other long-haul destinations. She also feels that Southern Africa sometimes underestimates its own value proposition. While travelling to the region may represent a significant investment for international visitors, the quality of hospitality, favorable exchange rates, and breadth of experiences available offer exceptional value once travelers arrive. Looking ahead, Jolene sees a major opportunity to reposition Southern Africa not as a collection of destinations but as a collection of stories. By moving beyond the well-known tourism routes and shining a spotlight on lesser-known places, communities, and experiences, she believes the region can inspire deeper curiosity and attract a broader audience of global travelers.

When deciding which tourism experiences deserve greater visibility, Jolene is guided by one fundamental principle: authenticity. For her, authenticity has little to do with whether a destination is remote, undiscovered, or unconventional. Instead, it is defined by the depth of the story behind it. She is particularly drawn to individuals and initiatives whose work reflects passion, purpose, and genuine community connection. This could be a guide with lifelong knowledge of the land, a family-run lodge deeply rooted in its surroundings, an artisan preserving traditional craftsmanship, or a conservation project creating meaningful impact despite limited marketing resources. Jolene is especially inspired by stories that evoke an emotional response. If an experience immediately sparks curiosity and makes her want to meet the people behind it, understand its history, or experience it firsthand, she believes it deserves to be shared with a wider audience. Rather than manufacturing authenticity, her goal is to discover it, amplify it, and introduce it to travelers who may never have encountered it otherwise.

Building Authentic South Africa has required significant personal commitment and resilience. Jolene acknowledges that entrepreneurship often involves stepping into uncertainty, making difficult decisions, and pursuing a vision without any guarantee of success. Throughout the journey, she has invested not only financial resources but also considerable time, energy, and emotional commitment into bringing the organization to life. She credits much of her ability to persevere to the support of her family and the conviction that the mission is worth pursuing. While there have been moments of doubt, those challenges have reinforced her belief in what she is building and strengthened her determination to continue moving forward. One of the most important lessons she has learned as a founder is that waiting for the perfect moment rarely works. Progress often requires taking the leap before every answer is known. For Jolene, entrepreneurship is a continual process of learning, adapting, and growing. It demands the courage to begin, the resilience to overcome setbacks, and the humility to learn from every experience along the way.

Jolene believes one of the most important lessons she has learned is that leadership is not about having all the answers. Instead, it is about listening, learning, and having the confidence to admit when more understanding is needed. Working in a relationship-driven industry has reinforced her belief that trust is the foundation of meaningful business success. Over the years, she has built strong professional relationships that she considers among her greatest assets, while recognizing that genuine partnerships must be nurtured and earned. As a woman working within a traditionally male-dominated commercial environment, Jolene has learned that kindness should never be mistaken for weakness. She believes it is possible to remain collaborative and approachable while confidently standing firm on one's values and worth. Her approach to negotiation focuses less on securing the lowest price and more on creating outcomes where all parties feel they have gained something valuable. Building Authentic South Africa has further strengthened her belief in the power of collaboration. She seeks partnerships rooted in shared values, mutual support, and collective growth. Above all, resilience has become one of her defining leadership principles, helping her continue moving forward even when challenges arise.

Jolene views technology as one of the most powerful forces shaping the future of travel. While social media and artificial intelligence are transforming how travelers research destinations and plan journeys, she believes technology should enhance rather than replace human connection. For her, technology serves as a doorway to discovery. It can introduce travelers to destinations, stories, and experiences they may never have encountered otherwise. However, it cannot replicate the emotional moments that make travel truly memorable, such as sharing a meal with a local family, listening to cultural stories firsthand, or receiving recommendations from people who genuinely know a place. She also sees tremendous opportunity for technology to amplify the voices of smaller tourism businesses, community operators, and local storytellers who may not have access to large marketing budgets. At the same time, she believes the industry must be careful not to allow technology to make travel overly polished or predictable. The true magic of travel, in her view, lies in unexpected discoveries and authentic human experiences.

For aspiring women entrepreneurs, Jolene's advice is simple: back yourself, even before you feel fully prepared. She acknowledges that she did not have every answer when she launched Authentic South Africa and believes waiting for perfect certainty often prevents people from ever getting started. She emphasizes that purpose and profitability must work together. While a meaningful mission is essential, long-term impact can only be achieved when a business is commercially sustainable. In her view, making a difference and building a successful business are not opposing goals but complementary ones. Jolene also encourages entrepreneurs to challenge conventional thinking, surround themselves with people who share their values, and remain willing to walk away from relationships that no longer align with their vision. Above all, she believes success requires both courage and persistence, especially during moments of uncertainty.

Looking ahead, Jolene envisions Authentic South Africa becoming a leading voice for inbound tourism across Southern Africa. Her goal is to inspire travelers to choose the region before they even begin deciding on specific destinations or itineraries. Through international activations that showcase Southern Africa's food, cultures, people, and stories, she hopes to spark curiosity and deepen emotional connections with the region. Success, in her view, will not be measured solely by business growth, but by the opportunities created for local communities, guides, small tourism operators, and conservation initiatives. Ultimately, she wants travelers to look beyond familiar routes and discover the extraordinary diversity that exists across Southern Africa, experiencing the region not as a single destination, but as a collection of authentic stories, cultures, and communities waiting to be explored.

Company Website: Authentic South Africa – Official Website Your LinkedIn Profile: Jolene Finn on LinkedIn

"Authentic South Africa was born from a simple question: What can we do to make people fall in love with this region?" "Some of the most extraordinary places remain undiscovered simply because they don't have the loudest voice." "Tourism becomes stronger when more people have a seat at the table, and more stories have a chance to be told." "I want travelers to meet the people behind our destinations, hear their stories, and experience cultures they may never have discovered through a traditional itinerary."