If you've ever dismissed the idea of visiting South Africa on vacation because you assumed that safari was the main attraction or the continent was incapable of meeting western expectations of luxury and opulence, then pack your bags and get ready to have your mind blown. Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel, Inc., has earned his reputation for transforming tourists who have never considered vacationing in Africa into raving fans. A leading figure in the African travel industry, Banda, along with a team of LGBTQ professionals in both Africa and the U.S., has been creating unique African experiences for decades while delighting in the surprise of clients seeing Africa for the first time through a new lens. "Picture: The Four Seasons in The Bush. Picture: The Ritz Carlton, but on steroids," says Banda. After Johannesburg, Cape Town (the country's second-most populous city) is considered by many to be Africa's queer capital, having safeguarded sexual orientation as a human right in its Constitution in 1994 and legalizing marriage equality in 2006, years before full equality was granted to LGBTQ Americans. "When people think of inclusivity, the context is America, but that inclusivity, legislatively, was only recognized recently compared to what has been discovered in South Africa," says Banda. It's one reason he promotes travel to South Africa for LGBTQ tourists as a must-visit travel destination, not only for the beauty and one-of-a-kind experiences the city offers but for the freedom and safety that LGBTQ tourists experience. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ???️‍? (?️: Darian Aaron / @darianoutloud / ?: Getty / Cape Town)

If you've ever dismissed the idea of visiting South Africa on vacation because you assumed that safari was the main attraction or the continent was incapable of meeting western expectations of luxury and opulence, then pack your bags and get ready to have your mind blown. Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel, Inc., has earned his reputation for transforming tourists who have never considered vacationing in Africa into raving fans. A leading figure in the African travel industry, Banda, along with a team of LGBTQ professionals in both Africa and the U.S., has been creating unique African experiences for decades while delighting in the surprise of clients seeing Africa for the first time through a new lens. "Picture: The Four Seasons in The Bush. Picture: The Ritz Carlton, but on steroids," says Banda. After Johannesburg, Cape Town (the country's second-most populous city) is considered by many to be Africa's queer capital, having safeguarded sexual orientation as a human right in its Constitution in 1994 and legalizing marriage equality in 2006, years before full equality was granted to LGBTQ Americans. "When people think of inclusivity, the context is America, but that inclusivity, legislatively, was only recognized recently compared to what has been discovered in South Africa," says Banda. It's one reason he promotes travel to South Africa for LGBTQ tourists as a must-visit travel destination, not only for the beauty and one-of-a-kind experiences the city offers but for the freedom and safety that LGBTQ tourists experience. Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ???️‍? (?️: Darian Aaron / @darianoutloud / ?: Getty / Cape Town)