Something is shifting in Lesotho’s tourism landscape!
And for those of us who have been quietly, consistently documenting this country — often with our own resources, our own time, and a lot of belief — this moment feels different.
In 2025, the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) launched ReBontṡeLesotho campaign, loosely translating to “Show us Lesotho” — a nationwide travel influencer initiative encouraging Basotho youth to create and share content that showcases the destinations, culture and stories that make their districts unique.
This followed the Lesotho Content Creators Masterclass, headlined by Wode Maya, a prominent Ghanaian YouTuber and vlogger, recognised as one of Africa’s most influential digital creators, whose return to Lesotho reignited an important conversation: digital storytelling is not just content — it is economic participation.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels like local creators are not just an afterthought.
Let’s Be Honest About the Past
For years, Lesotho’s travel content creator space has existed — but without structure, without funding, and without serious institutional backing.
Many of us have:
- Self-funded trips
- Paid for accommodation and fuel out of pocket
- Invested in cameras and editing software without sponsorship
- Pitched to brands that did not fully understand digital Return on Investment (ROI)
While neighbouring countries — South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia — invested heavily in influencer marketing, digital tourism strategies and creator partnerships.
Tourism boards elsewhere understood early that:
If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will.
In Lesotho, progress was slower.
Some creators lost momentum.
Some pivoted.
Some gave up.
Some of us kept going.
Why ReBontṡeLesotho Matters
ReBontṡeLesotho — is more than a competition.
It is an acknowledgement.
Content creators selected as official tourism influencers will receive financial support, including equipment funding. That may sound as basic, but for a young creator in a country battling high youth unemployment (declared a national disaster in 2025), it is significant.
Travel content creation is expensive:
- Transport
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Production gear
- Editing time
- Sometimes even new outfits like hiking gear, depending on where you are going
Without support, passion alone cannot sustain it.
This campaign signals something important:
Storytelling is economic infrastructure.
The “Adopt a District” Model: A Step in the Right Direction
The introduction of the “Adopt a District” sponsorship model is a brilliant move. “Adopt a District” is where brands partner with LTDC under the ReBontṡeLesotho campaign to sponsor and promote a specific district’s tourism through supporting local content creators and showcasing its attractions.
To date:
- Quthing – LNIG Hollard
- Maseru – Mmelesi Lodge
- Leribe – Alliance Insurance Company
- Butha-Buthe – Standard Lesotho Bank
This model decentralises opportunity. It recognises that tourism does not live only in the capital.
And it creates room for public-private collaboration.
This is progress.
But Here Is the Important Part
We must ensure this is not a tick-box exercise.
Not a once-off campaign.
Not a seasonal hashtag.
Not a PR headline.
If Lesotho is serious about tourism growth, digital storytelling must become a strategy — not event marketing.
Intentional investment means:
- Long-term creator partnerships
- Structured content pipelines
- Data tracking and measurable ROI
- Skills development and production support
- Cross-border digital visibility
If we continue to rely primarily on international creators to validate our beauty, we risk outsourcing our narrative.
And Lesotho’s story deserves to be told by Basotho — with nuance, context and lived experience.
Where Escapes with TKay Fits In
For years, through Escapes with TKay, I have intentionally documented Lesotho with depth — not just aesthetic beauty, but context, cost, culture and experience.
I have:
- Travelled across districts
- Collaborated with lodges and tourism brands
- Integrated finance with travel storytelling
- Positioned Lesotho not just as a destination, but as an experience worth investing in
Because tourism is not only about scenery.
It is about economic ecosystems.
It is about jobs.
It is about perception.
It is about pride.
And it is about sustainability.
Escapes with TKay exists at the intersection of finance, travel and intentional living — and that lens matters in shaping how we tell our country’s story.
Celebrating the Moment — Without Staying in the Past
This is not a complaint piece. It is a recognition piece.
A celebration of momentum.
A recognition of growth.
A call for intentionality.
I applaud the LTDC and the private sector partners for taking this bold step.
But more than applause, I hope this marks the beginning of:
A sustained digital tourism strategy.
An empowered creator economy.
A globally competitive Lesotho brand.
To the creators participating:
Tell the stories boldly.
Show the landscapes truthfully.
Elevate the culture respectfully.
The world is watching.
And this time, we are ready.
Until then — stay trailblazing!
