From a South African architect shaping the city’s skyline to African entrepreneurs making their mark in food, media and hospitality, Dubai is putting the spotlight on the people helping shape its multicultural identity.

Putting African Stories at the Centre

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has launched Beat of My Dubai, a storytelling project celebrating African talent, creativity and entrepreneurship while highlighting the growing connections between Dubai and African markets.

The project features six African professionals from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, offering a glimpse into their careers, personal journeys and connections to the United Arab Emirates city. Through short films, portraits and snapshots of everyday life, the campaign shifts the focus from Dubai’s famous attractions and skyline to the people who live, work and create there.

According to DET, Dubai welcomed 897,000 visitors from Africa in 2025, accounting for five per cent of the city’s 19.59 million international overnight visitors. The campaign will be shared across DET’s social media platforms through collaborative posts with the featured personalities.

Meet the Africans Making Their Mark in Dubai

The six participants represent different sectors, including culinary arts, hospitality, architecture, media and events. They are South African-born chef Kelvin Kelly, restaurant manager Ashley Jane Rosenberg, hospitality professional Roux Willem Hattingh, architect Shaun Killa, Zimbabwean media entrepreneur Yvonne Mtengwa and Kenyan events organiser Elizabeth Wambui.

For Kelly, founder of OneLife Kitchen & Cafe, Dubai has provided room to develop his culinary identity since moving there in 2015.

“Dubai has given me the space to grow, to experiment and to build something that feels truly mine,” he says, adding that he enjoys bringing elements of his South African background into the city’s diverse food culture.

Killa, meanwhile, has spent nearly three decades contributing to Dubai’s architectural landscape. His portfolio includes the Museum of the Future, Dubai Opera and Address Beach Resort. He established Killa Design in 2015, focusing on innovative and sustainable architecture.

From Hospitality to Media and Events

The project also highlights the experiences of African professionals working behind the scenes. Hattingh welcomes visitors at Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai, while Rosenberg manages operations at restaurant Moonrise. Wambui works as an events organiser at the Museum of the Future.

Mtengwa, who was born in Zimbabwe and has lived in the UAE for more than a decade, has built a career connecting African tourism and hospitality opportunities with international audiences. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Travel Essence Magazine and also runs a communications consultancy.

Their stories explore the opportunities Dubai offers international professionals while showing how they bring their own cultural backgrounds and experiences into the city’s working environment.

South African Photographer Captures the Stories

The campaign’s visual storytelling is led by South African photographer Siphiwe Mhlambi, whose work spans portraiture, fashion and documentary photography.

Having started his career as a teenager in Soweto, Johannesburg, Mhlambi has worked with South African publications including Sowetan, City Press and True Love.

For Beat of My Dubai, he captures the featured personalities alongside the everyday scenes that reflect their lives in the city, connecting their African roots with the places they now call home.

Strengthening Dubai’s Connections With Africa

Khalaf Alaleeli, Assistant Manager of International Operations at the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, says African communities contribute to the city’s economy, creativity and cultural diversity.

Through Beat of My Dubai, DET aims to showcase the people behind the destination while strengthening its connections with African markets.

The project offers audiences a more personal perspective on Dubai, highlighting how people from different backgrounds build careers, create businesses and contribute to a city shaped by cultures from around the world.

Scene Feed thought

A city is more than its landmarks. It is also the people who build businesses, create experiences and bring their own cultures into its everyday life.

By putting African professionals at the centre of Beat of My Dubai, the campaign offers a reminder that African talent is contributing to stories being told far beyond the continent.

And sometimes, the most interesting way to discover a destination is through the people who call it home.