Chinese direct flights to Africa have grown over 600% since 2010, there are now over 900,00 seats available annually. Africa as a whole had 67 million international arrivals in 2018, up over 7% from the previous year and a lot of this growth comes from Asian travelers. No longer are the two continents just connected by business travelers, contractors and workers, but a growing middle class from China and the rest of Asia are now driving an Asian tourist boom in Africa. But why?

To find out we sat down with Rod Wyndham, Managing Director at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa, a leading luxury, eco-friendly destination located in the 65000 hectare Sabi Sand Wildtuin (Sabi Sand Reserve) in the South-Western section of the Kruger National Park. For Rod, it’s all about experiences. Experiences are the new luxury and what drives visitors.