Did you know that only 15% of African safaris are Black-owned?

Since their colonial origins in the late 19th century, the safari operations on the continent have largely been headed by white men, with local communities rarely reaping the benefits – and the profits – of ownership.

(This extends beyond safaris to luxury tourism in Africa, which has been linked to extractive practices and degradation of local habitats.)

Mitti Hicks is a travel writer and former broadcast journalist who first reported on this issue for Travel Noire.

She's spent years covering politics, sports, and elections for local and national news outlets. Today, she focuses on spotlighting underrepresented voices in travel and searching for Black stories wherever she goes.

In this episode, Mitti will share how you can choose to do safari differently, seeing wild animals while supporting local communities AND black owner operators instead.

Listen to the Episode

What you’ll hear:

  • How Mitti went from broadcast journalism to travel writing
  • What traveling in Jordan and Sierra Leone was like for Mitti
  • Connecting with Jordan's Black community
  • How you can support Black-owned safaris in Africa
  • Why Mitti seeks out Black stories wherever she goes
💡
 "We're past the point of saying, I'm just going to travel to collect the passport stamp. [It's time to] start thinking about your footprint and how you showing up in a place impacts people." – Mitti Hicks
Easily listen to Going Places in your podcast app of choice
Quickly and easily listen and subscribe to Going Places for free in your podcast app of choice.
paid member spotlight

Beth Santos is the founder of Wanderful and our Going Places paid member.

In 2028, Wanderful is organizing a women-centered trip to Tanzania in collaboration with locally-owned, female-led Still Waters Safaris.

The journey will include a visit with local Maasai women, a trip to a social enterprise cafe, and a meal at a food co-op run by widowed women.

Get more details here

Check out our interview on YouTube →

➡️
What you can do right now:
• Follow Mitti on Instagram: @mitti_megan
• Connect with Mitti on LinkedIn
• Read Mitti's story on Black-owned safaris
• Read Mitti's story on Sierra Leone
"Black stories are not just for Black travelers. They’re for everyone." – Mitti Hicks

RISE Travel Institute is our Founding Member

RISE is a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education

Interested in your organization becoming a Founding Member? Send us an email.

Radostina Boseva is our Founding Member

Radostina Boseva is a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco.

Our tech cost fund 💸

We pay $1,008 a year to host Going Places online. Help us offset this cost with a one-time tip 🙏

Leave a tip here