In 2014, the founders of Tastemaker Africa planned a trip to Ghana that they called “December in Ghana.”
They helped get the word out about it by posting about it on Facebook and were able to fill all spots within a week. Not long after that, they made the website public.
They saw a chance to change the standard, negative story about Africa by bringing attention to the unique and interesting ways that people all over the continent live. Safaris are popular, but people don’t go on them.
They also wanted them to try the local food, listen to the local music, and learn about the local art while they are on Safaris. Their events are aimed at wealthy people, especially Millennials.
Tastemakers Africa is a company that makes a marketplace for unique vacation experiences. It’s a way for tourists to meet creative business owners in African towns. The goal of the company is to give people a taste of real African culture.
Africa has a unique list of places to visit and things to do. They work with skilled cooks, painters, musicians, and other creative business owners to give people who want a more authentic vacation experience unique opportunities. They know a lot about a lot more than just Accra, Cape Town, Dakar, and Johannesburg.
How it Works
Tastemakers get a lot of attention from Instagram. It was the thing that got them to start working with other Instagram influencers, which led to their following doubling.
They’re also committed to their mobile app, TSTMKRS, which launched in beta for iOS and has trips like a fashion designer-led art walk around Johannesburg and a DJ-led vintage shopping trip.
The app is like having a cool friend with you in all African cities and about 70% of tourists are from the United States while the rest are either people who live in the host country or tourists from that country.
Additionally, Africans from the upper class and middle class are taking more trips within their own country.
When you use Tastemakers Africa to plan your trip to Africa, you’ll show the area in a whole new way.
Tastemakers Africa will help change the way people in the West see Africa over time. Governments don’t always get it about tourism, but small businesses have the government’s back and are starting to realize how much money tourists can bring in.
Founders
Cherae Robinson
Cheraé Robinson is an entrepreneur, DJ, and Pan-Africanist. She is also the CEO and founder of Tastemakers Africa
Cheraé has combined her interests in agriculture and international development for more than a decade to raise awareness and support for large international organizations like CARE USA through fundraising, the media, and public-private partnerships.
Forbes named Cheraé one of the “10 Emerging Women Entrepreneurs in Africa,” a leading Silicon Valley trends group called her one of the “20 to Watch,” and the United Nations Foundation and Innov8tive Magazine called her a “Woman to Watch.”
She also won the first-ever “She Leads Africa” startup competition. She was named one of the “44 People Changing the Way We Travel” by Condé Nast’s Traveler magazine.
Jeremiah A. Myers
Jeremiah Myers is one of the people who came up with the idea for Tastemakers Africa.
Investors & Funding Rounds
Tastemakers Africa is a company that helps people from all over the world plan trips to Africa and its seed-round investor, Precursor Ventures, has helped it raise $1 million.
The money will be used to improve Tastemakers’ machine learning skills so that it can better connect suppliers, experiences, and customers. This will increase the number of available experiences from 200 to 10,000.
The managing partner of Precursor Ventures, Charles Hudson saw an opportunity for Tastemakers to be an early player in the niche industry of tourism.
Tastemakers are looking for business partnerships that make sense and ways to share profits.
Main Competitors
Tapu.com: This is the first website for managing properties in Turkey.
Veeve: It facilitates clients to get Farms that have a lot of character, a commitment to excellence, and Stays that are easy to remember.
ZAGENO: It is an enterprise marketplace solution that is the best in its field and connects online business and the life sciences.
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