Celebrating 15 years of Crafted Africa
What started as a ‘one-man band’, known then as Malawi in Style, has grown into Crafted Africa – a thriving, passion-driven company bringing travellers closer to the wild, authentic, and untamed corners of Southern Africa. Beginning in Malawi, Mike navigated early challenges, built a loyal and talented team, and gradually expanded into Mozambique, Zambia and more recently, Zimbabwe. In this Q&A, he shares the journey, the lessons learned, the triumphs, and what’s next for the company that never gives up.
What first sparked the idea to start Crafted Africa (then Malawi in Style)?
I always wanted to return to Malawi – my home. For years, friends from every corner of the planet had come to visit, and it was clear that Malawi had the WOW factor: welcoming, friendly, safe, with low-density tourism, rich diversity, and an irresistible lure. My vision was to share Malawi with others in a truly Malawian way – like a local – so they could experience for themselves why we proudly call it “the warm heart of Africa”.
Take us back — how did it all begin, how big was the team then, and where are you now?
I honestly thought Malawian Style would be a “one man band”. I did not know where to start, where to go, what an STO rate was, or how commissions worked. I started out by hosting and arranging everything on full board weekend for friends and clients, which gradually led to more direct bookings from international travellers, and eventually to working with the trade. There’s been plenty of learning along the way, but passion has always been our driving force. Today, I’m proud to have a team of 40 all of whom share that same passion, with many having grown alongside the business. It’s important to me that the team not only travel often and develop a deep knowledge of our destinations, but most importantly that they have fun. That balance has been a key ingredient in our success, and I’m incredibly proud of the exceptional service they deliver to our clients.
What was your original vision, and how has it changed over the years?
The original vision was to run small, scheduled group trips, but that model never really took off. So we soon adapted, focusing instead on personalised travel planning and partnering with the travel trade to fill their exclusive groups. Over time, we’ve also diversified our offerings and expanded our geographic reach.
Looking back, what’s your proudest achievement from these 15 years?
So many of these. I believe building and maintaining such a loyal and passionate team has been the key many of our achievements – we’ve navigated COVID by diversifying into wine and beer production, rebranding as Crafted Africa, and ultimately achieving a threefold increase in annual revenue between 2019 and 2025. None of this would have been possible without true teamwork.
How have your team, partners and community shaped your success?
Our team truly is everything — they are the reason we are who we are, and why so many people place their trust in us. Their dedication has shaped the company, growing alongside it and helping us become what we are today.
Talk about your relationship with Marketing Worldwide, when we were first involved, how we reconnected and how we have been instrumental in building the business.
Ha tough question! We first worked together around 2014, but only for a short while – at the time, we were facing major cash flow challenges and had to cut every possible expense to consolidate. I always knew I wanted to work with MWW again, though I didn’t expect it would take five years before we reconnected. When we did, we were very different people, and the timing was right. Since then, our UK market has grown into one of our strongest – if not the strongest – thanks in large part to our partnership with MWW. It’s not just about the professional gains, though; we genuinely enjoy working together, which makes it a truly fantastic partnership.
What’s the one golden rule you’ve always stood by in building success?
Never look at anything as ROI, look at everything as ROF (Return on Fun). This recipe just works.
What’s next — where do you see Crafted Africa in the next 5–10 years?
Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique are doing incredibly well for us, but recent demand for Zimbabwe – my birthplace – has prompted us to consider further investment there. This year, our focus is very much on Zim. We’ve updated our website and agent portal and are excited about new collaborations, including This World of Wonders. At the same time, we’re working closely with Imvelo, our MWW partners, to deliver even more engaging content to our audience. Looking ahead, our aim is to be the first-choice specialists for remote, wild, authentic, and affordable Africa in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
How will you be celebrating 15 years?
We are excited to welcome over 40 international travel partners to our remote corner of the globe, showcasing our magical destinations. There is no better way to build relationships than spending time together in the bush. We will all come together for a 15-year celebration with many of our local partners on November 1st. Exciting times.
Finally, if you had to sum up Crafted Africa in just three words, what would they be?
Never give up.
