South Africans help set the rhythm in Dubai’s new ‘Beat of My Dubai’ campaign
- Dubai’s Beat of My Dubai project spotlights six African creatives and professionals, including four South Africans shaping life across the city
- Architect Shaun Killa, chef Kelvin Kelly and other South Africans share how Dubai has influenced their careers and sense of belonging
- South African photographer Siphiwe Mhlambi captures the personalities’ African roots and connections to the city they now call home
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Dubai is turning the spotlight on the Africans who live, work and create in the city – and South Africans are at the heart of the story.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has launched Beat of My Dubai, a storytelling project that celebrates African talent through short films, portraits and city snapshots. It features six personalities from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, capturing their everyday lives, careers and personal connections to a city that has become home.
The project arrives as Dubai’s links with Africa continue to grow. In 2025 the city welcomed 897,000 visitors from the continent – 5% of its record 19.59 million international overnight visitors, marking a third consecutive record year.
South African talent across the city
South Africans feature prominently. Architect Shaun Killa, founder of Killa Design, arrived in Dubai from South Africa in 1998. Nearly three decades later, his portfolio includes some of the city’s most recognisable buildings: the Museum of the Future, Dubai Opera, Address Beach Resort and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab.
“Dubai has always been a city willing to challenge what is possible,” Killa says. “Coming from South Africa, I found that energy incredibly inspiring. It gave me the freedom to think bigger, to experiment and ultimately to help shape a city that is constantly reinventing itself.”
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Chef Kelvin Kelly moved to Dubai in 2015 and founded OneLife Kitchen & Cafe. His cooking focuses on quality ingredients and dishes made from scratch.
“Dubai has given me the space to grow, to experiment and to build something that feels truly mine,” he says. “The best part is that I get to bring a little bit of where I come from into a city that belongs to everyone.”
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At Moonrise, restaurant manager Ashley Jane Rosenberg brings South African energy to Dubai’s dining scene. “Dubai has this incredible energy where every day feels like you’re part of something bigger. I bring my South African spirit and determination with me every day to work,” she says. “That’s the beat of my Dubai.”
Doorman Roux Willem Hattingh works at Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai. For him, hospitality is about human connection.
“Dubai gives you the chance to meet the world every single day. I especially enjoy welcoming repeat guests and creating long-term bonds.”
Other African voices
Zimbabwean media entrepreneur Yvonne Mtengwa, founder of Travel Essence Magazine, has lived in the UAE for more than a decade. She uses Dubai as a base to connect audiences across the Gulf with African travel and tourism.
“Dubai has taught me that you don’t have to leave who you are behind to find your place somewhere new,” she says. “I carry Zimbabwe, I carry Africa, and I bring all of that with me into everything I do in this city.”
Kenyan events organiser Elizabeth Wambui works at the Museum of the Future.
“For me, Dubai is about possibilities. Every day brings a new experience, a new person and a new opportunity to create something meaningful. That is what keeps my beat moving.”
Captured through a South African lens
The visual storytelling is led by acclaimed South African photographer Siphiwe Mhlambi, who began his career as a teenager in Soweto before working with publications including Sowetan, City Press and True Love. His portraits and spontaneous city images create a dialogue between the personalities, their African roots and the Dubai they now call home.
Khalaf Alaleeli, Assistant Manager of International Operations at Visit Dubai, said African communities and visitors are an important part of Dubai’s story.
“Through Beat of My Dubai we are proud to celebrate the African talent that has chosen to live, work, create and thrive here, while welcoming visitors from across the continent to experience the city for themselves.”
From restaurant kitchens and hotel doorways to architectural studios and cultural institutions, the project shows Dubai not only through its skyline but through the people shaping its next chapter. The films and portraits are being shared across DET’s social channels and can be viewed at visitdubai.com/en/beat-of-my-dubai.
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Source: Briefly News
