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Kwakye Donkor has a dream for Africa
Kwakye Donkor has a dream for Africa
Kwakye Donkor, 54, chief executive of Africa Tourism Partners, is passionate about Africa and the business events sector. He has over 25 years combined experience in a wide range of environments but his commitment is to intra-Africa travel and skills development.
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“ Business events is the backbone of the entire tourism industry as it is a high value business, and cuts across all sectors of the economy. I see a more collaborative approach in sustaining and growing the contribution of business events to the South African economy,” Mr Donkor said.
Africa Tourism Partners is a South African-based international tourism, strategic marketing, tourism development and business advisory agency with offices and alliance partners in Angola, Botswana, China, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Singapore, Scotland, UK, US and Zimbabwe.
Mr Donkor is also the president of the African Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (AITE) and founder of Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards; Africa MICE & Business Tourism Master Class series; Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Africa Women in Tourism Summit. These are the core social enterprise projects of the organisation, as its commitment and contribution to stimulate intra- Africa travel and skills development.
Prior to becoming the chief executive officer of Africa Tourism Partners, Mr Donkor worked at executive management levels at the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA).
He is actively involved in brand Africa’s equity enhancement and has delivered destination marketing, MICE and tourism development capacity building and strategy development across all 15 SADC members, and a number of East and West African countries. Mr Donkor is also a guest lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology Business School in South Africa.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Kumasi, Ghana, and had my primary, secondary and pre-university education there. Part of my undergraduate studies were in the UK and South Africa, and post-graduate studies (MBA) in the UK & the Netherlands. I started my PhD with University of Pretoria in 2003, completed my course, but could not complete my thesis due to work pressure.
Where did you start your career? At an agency of Lever Brothers, now Unilever, in Ghana as sales and research assistant.
How long have you been in the sector? 20 years, but I have been responsible for corporate events as senior marketing executive for 25 years.
What do you enjoy most about it? Meeting people and learning every day.
What has been the biggest change you’ve seen in this sector? Government and policmakers are now considering the sector as a priority economic sector, thereby starting to give it the attention that it deserves.
Are you married? Yes, to Nokwanda.
What role does your family play in your life? Support.
Who is your favourite sportsman/woman? Golf is my favourite sport – Tiger Woods.
What do you do for leisure? Playing golf and jogging.
What is your secret to success? Hard work, respect and honesty.
What has been the most embarrassing moment for our industry? Youth development and empowerment.
What has been your biggest challenge in this sector? Lack of collaboration and succession planning.
What is your pet hate? People who display arrogance and disrespect towards others.
What is your favourite city? Boston, Massachusetts.
What is your favourite book, film, TV programme? Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Film: The Bucket List. TV Programme: CNN African Voices and BBC Focus on Africa.
How do you relax? By playing golf.
What is your favourite food? Simple rice and potatoes with vegetables.
Who is your favourite movie star? Morgan Freeman.
What is the most impulsive thing you have ever done? Buying my first car.
Who is your role model? My parents – they were very hardworking, had great sense of responsibility and caring. They taught me to be responsible, kind and grateful for every single moment in life.
What advice do you have for anyone starting out in this industry? Be open-minded, cultivate leadership skills and learn as much as you can.
What is your dream for the future? To see African countries working together on all fronts.
