Clara Okoro is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of My Beautiful Africa, a travel tech company leveraging digital innovation to deliver travel experiences across Africa. She is the brain behind Travel Tech Africa Alliance (TTAA), a pan-African membership and social impact organisation dedicated to accelerating the digital transformation of Africa’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. She is also the Executive Producer at Brandworld Media. An accomplished TV host, international resource speaker, multi-award-winning entrepreneur, and media innovator, she is a member of Women in Hospitality Nigeria and has been recognised as one of African Women in Tourism to Watch. She talks about her initiative TTAA and more in this interview.
What is Travel Tech Africa Alliance all about?
Travel Tech Africa Alliance is a social impact platform dedicated to bridging the gap between Africa’s tourism industry and the rapidly evolving world of technology. We exist to create opportunities for Africans working in travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, culture, and related sectors to embrace innovation, build digital skills, access global opportunities, and become active participants in shaping the future of travel. At its core, Travel Tech Africa Alliance is about people. It is about empowering professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and communities across the continent to leverage technology as a tool for growth, inclusion, sustainability, and economic transformation.
How long has it been in existence and what success stories have you recorded so far?
Travel Tech Africa Alliance was founded two years ago out of a recognition that while technology was transforming travel globally, many African tourism stakeholders were being left behind in the conversation. Since its inception, we have focused on building awareness, creating networks, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and connecting professionals across borders. One of our proudest achievements has been bringing together individuals from different African countries who may never have connected otherwise and creating a platform where collaboration can flourish. We have successfully built growing communities of tourism professionals, technology enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who are passionate about the future of African travel. We have also championed conversations around innovation, digital transformation, skills development, and the role of technology in driving sustainable tourism growth across Africa. For us, success is measured not only by numbers but by the impact we create, the partnerships we foster, and the opportunities we help unlock for individuals and organizations across the continent.
Are you working on any new projects?
Yes, we are currently expanding our community engagement initiatives and developing new programmes focused on capacity building, digital skills, innovation, and leadership within Africa’s travel and tourism ecosystem. We are particularly excited about creating stronger platforms for women, young professionals, and emerging tourism entrepreneurs to access mentorship, industry networks, and opportunities for growth. We are also exploring strategic collaborations that will strengthen Africa’s position within the global travel technology landscape while ensuring that local voices remain at the center of innovation. The future of African tourism will be shaped by collaboration, and we are committed to being part of that journey.
What’s your advice to younger ones trying to navigate life?
My advice is simple: stay curious, stay resilient, and never stop learning. The world is changing faster than ever, and many of the opportunities that will define the future do not even exist today. Don’t be afraid to start small. Focus on building skills, creating meaningful relationships, and being open to new experiences. Success is rarely a straight line. There will be setbacks, disappointments, and moments of uncertainty, but every challenge carries a lesson. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” ask, “What is this teaching me?” Most importantly, believe in the value of your voice and your contribution. Africa needs young people who are willing to dream boldly, think differently, and create solutions that will transform their communities and the continent. The future belongs to those who are prepared to build it.
What’s your take on women in the technology, travel, and tourism industries?
My take is that women are no longer just participants in these industries; they are the architects of its future. For a long time, both technology and travel were viewed through very rigid, traditional lenses. But when you look closely at Africa’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem, women have always been the backbone managing the experiences, preserving the culture, and keeping the hospitality alive. By building a nexus in travel and tourism with technology, we are finally giving women the tools to scale their impact. Technology acts as the ultimate equalizer. When women take the lead in travel tech, they don’t just build platforms; they design ecosystems that are more collaborative, more inclusive, and deeply intuitive. We are seeing a shift from fragmented, old-school tourism models to “Smart Tourism” initiatives driven by female founders who understand that technology is the bridge to unlocking Africa’s soft power in the travel and tourism industry.
What’s your message to women looking to enter the technology sector?
Do not wait for a seat at the table, and absolutely do not spend your energy trying to fit into pre-existing global or male-dominated molds. Build your own table. The technology sector can often feel intimidating, structured around frameworks that weren’t originally designed with us in mind. My deepest advice is to have the audacity to trust your unique perspective. The world doesn’t just need more code; it needs empathy, cultural context, and home-grown solutions to real-world problems. Bring your full identity into the room. If you see a gap in the market, whether it’s in travel tech, data, or AI, fill it with a solution nurtured by your own experiences. It takes a heavy dose of courage to start and an immense amount of patience to scale, but your voice is exactly what the digital transformation of our continent requires. Stand firm in your vision, protect your passion fiercely, and remember that when one woman breaks a barrier in tech, she opens the door for an entire generation of women to walk through.
What lessons has life taught you?
When I look back at the path I’ve walked, life has taught me that true impact is never about waiting for permission, it is about having the audacity to build what doesn’t yet exist. I have learned that through transforming any space I have operated in. You have to believe so deeply in your vision that you can protect your passion, even when navigating complex structures that may look like stumbling blocks in life.
