Msafiri Issue 175 - Oct-Nov 2022

Welcome to the October-November 2022 issue of msafiri. As we continue on a steady path to recovery, we are pleased to report that passenger revenue grew by 108 per cent during the first half of 2022, compared to the same period last year. Our focus remains to strengthen our operational resilience through innovation and diversification to deliver great and reliable services to our customers. We have transformed the airline during the pandemic, enabling us to emerge with renewed strength, underpinned by a product, network and service that customers value. According to IATA, the air cargo business is also performing well, while domestic travel is expected to return to pre-crisis levels by the end of 2022. We continue to open up Africa with partnerships such as our recent codeshare agreement with…

October and November is jacaranda flowering season and, although the trees are native to South America, some of the best places in the world to witness them in all their purple glory are the cities of southern Africa. As well as Harare, shown here, jacarandas transform the streets of Johannesburg and Pretoria into a floral spectacle every bit as transfixing as Japan’s cherry blossom or the Netherlands’ tulips. The first jacaranda trees introduced to Africa are thought to have been planted in Pretoria in the late 1880s – and they’ve been spreading ever since. A subtropical tree perfectly at home in southern Africa, it’s been declared an invasive species, but it looks like they’re here to stay. Tourists flock to witness the purple profusion of petals festooning the trees or…

Roger Miller Cameroon Often remembered for his victory dance after scoring a goal at the 1990 World Cup, Miller’s moment was particularly special because it was also the first time an African team made it to the quarter finals. The Indomitable Lions’ victory reverberated across the continent. Having been persuaded out of retirement, Miller was 38 years old (the oldest player at the World Cup). DID YOU KNOW? Three of the five African teams at the World Cup have the word ‘lion’ in their nicknames. May they roar! All five teams have made three or more appearances at previous finals. Abedi Ayew Ghana Also known as Abédi Pelé, the midfielder served as captain of the Black Stars, Ghana’s national football team. He represented Ghana in a record 73 games and…

Nzambi Matee FOUNDER, GJENGE MAKERS ● WWW.GJENGE.CO.KE About 80 per cent of Nairobi’s solid waste makes its way to Dandora, a suburb where the city’s largest dumping site is located. Here, Nzambi Matee and her team of 113 see an opportunity to recycle and turn part of the 500 tons of plastic discarded in Nairobi daily into sustainable building materials. “I quit my job as a data analyst and created a rudimentary workshop in my mother’s compound. It was such a noisy machine that neighbours gave me one year to wind down my operations or they’d call the authorities.” She has since moved her operations to the city’s industrial area and by June this year her company had recycled about 100 tons of plastic into 200,000 pavers, which are more…

01 Great travel writing It’s all about bringing a place to life – taking your experiences and feelings and then presenting them in a way that creates a vivid sense of place. You have to transport the reader there – either to move them enough to want to plan a trip themselves, or simply to experience the place through your words. But remember: exciting travel doesn’t automatically make exciting reading. You have to love the written word. You have to be fascinated by sentence construction and addicted to adjectives to prevent your words fizzling into lame clichés. 02 What’s your story? What’s your inspiration? Is it personal? Is it topical? Is it something new? Is it something you’re well qualified to write about? Passion and sales appeal… If you love…

Aliye na hamu ya kupanda juu hukesha (SWAHILI PROVERB) HE WHO DESIRES TO RISE MUST STAY AWAKE 01 THINGS DO NOT JUST FALL INTO PLACE – DISCIPLINE IS NEEDED TO STEER THEM THERE Talent, luck and money are all useless without discipline. Nothing is more deceptive than abundance in the absence of control. One minute you seem to have it all – your stars are aligned and you’re heading to a successful and fulfilling life. Then you drop your guard, assuming that your unique skills, brains, education or connections will carry you through. Several years flash by and you peep out of your cocoon wondering why you are stuck with great potential but zero progress. What happened? You lacked the discipline to keep on track. Discipline separates the dreamer…