MPINJI: [ˈmpin/tʃ/i] “mpintchee”: a close friend or companion, often used in a casual and informal context in Zulu.
Why Do We Do It?
We see all our travellers as friends; for the singular reason that we will introduce you to all of our friends. These friends are movers and shakers, change-makers, and taste-makers in their respective spaces. At Mpinji, we serve as your facilitator to further, to more.
We (a South African wine-maker and culture-forward tastemaker, and a half American half South African travel industry buff) started Mpinji to address the rising requirements of black diaspora and inclusivity-minded travellers. We found that companies in the space are not catering to this want and need, and what makes you excited, feel safe, feel heard, and understood, in your travel arrangements. We exist to promote diversity of people, experiences, and voices, in all the destinations we operate in. We prioritise booking sustainability-minded suppliers, those who take this commitment seriously and who are attuned to or wanting to grow their diversity of guests.
We work extremely closely with local experts and tastemakers (artists, wine-makers, fashion designers, chefs, creatives, pilots, hotel-owners, craftspeople, etc) to design all our experiences. These magical humans interact with our guests across the experiences, making them by definition experiential. We are cautious of the term “immersive”, as we will never manufacture what you think “Africa should be”; but we believe in the ethos of feeling connected and learning from those on the ground. We design it all to feel Inclusive, Considered, and Visceral. All your “guides” will be lead by story-telling; bringing places and interests to life. We are driven by true upliftment, one that serves with dignity and long-term vision. We only go into places and interact with spaces that we can leave better as a result of your presence.
If this is for you, we can’t wait to hear from you.
If you’re not sure, see who we design for below.
Who Do We Do It For?
We exist as a highly specific option: do you care about whose stories are told, whether your spend benefits (and improves) the places and people you visit, do you seek having your senses come alive and feeling like you are welcomed as a new friend, not an observer, when you travel?
If the answer is yes, MPINJI has been designed with you in mind.
What does it mean?
Inclusive means curating for those typically underserved, for those who value diversity in all aspects of life (not just when it suits a narrative), for those who seek beauty in what makes us different (or seek what makes us human!). It also means curating with the receiving party, the community in situ; the persons building, hosting, creating, executing, growing, feeding, educating, innovating, and mothering locally. The rich fabric of diversity that is Africa. It means representation, engaging with multi-cultural voices, and craving meaningful connections. It means fostering belonging, understanding, curiosity, accommodation and elasticity. It means hard conversations and brutal realities. It means beauty in local and the preservation of and respect for community. It means seeing this vast continent as holding experiences for a lifetime, and you, through the ages, not a “once-in-a-lifetime safari” destination.
Considered means we choose every moment with intention. It means partners with trackable sustainability claims. It means holding our partners to our own inclusivity standards. It means connecting with the persons behind the idea, brand, or product. It means settling into African time — being in the slow moving, open, train of life, not watching the windows fly by like different lives never fully lived. Or better yet, standing still long enough for the smells to create new pathways in your brain, to hear the stories told slowly, over many generations.
Visceral means getting out from behind the glass, walking the streets, diving into the waters. It means home cooked meals, explosive flavours, touching what we buy and learning who made it, how and why. It means seeing and engaging with the hardship, listening for wildlife before you see it, heartbeats in close encounters, and true creature comforts after full days. It means trekking mountains followed by languid afternoons under swaying palms. It means “out loud” experiences that change the way you move through the world long after you've returned home. It means getting in on the action. It means asking questions, learning, and expanding. It means connecting and meeting to uncover personal journeys of struggle, elation, discovery, and expedition.
Inclusive. Considered. Visceral.
Ready to Explore?
Let us know what you’d like to experience, or which geographic areas you are interested.
Alternatively, download our LookBook to see what’s possible.