Few travel personalities manage to turn a love for discovering places into a career that combines television, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and destination marketing. Zahirah Marty is one such South African-born media professional who has built an international career from Dubai while working across travel, communications, and tourism. Her professional journey includes television presenting, executive production, public relations, brand strategy, and destination marketing. She has also hosted travel programming that has taken her across Africa and other parts of the world. Public profiles and interviews describe her as an entrepreneur, mother, presenter, producer, and branding specialist.
This article covers her early life, education, move to Dubai, television career, business ventures, travel shows, family life, achievements, and professional influence. It also separates publicly documented facts from information that remains private, helping readers get a clearer and more reliable picture of her career.
Quick Facts About Zahirah Marty 2026
| Category | Details |
| Full/Professional Name | Zahirah Variawa Marty |
| Known As | Zahirah Marty |
| Birthplace | Durban, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Base | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Profession | TV presenter, producer, entrepreneur, destination marketing specialist |
| Industry | Travel, media, marketing, communications |
| Known For | Travel television, destination storytelling and brand strategy |
| Major Show | Great Getaways |
| Other Travel Work | My Travel Diary |
| Businesses | Think Liquorice Marketing Management and The Destination Institute |
| Family | Married and mother of a son |
| Career Regions | Africa, Middle East, United States and international markets |
Early Life and South African Background
Born and raised in South Africa, Zahirah developed an interest in travel long before it became part of her profession. In an interview with Business Traveller, she recalled family road trips across South Africa during school holidays, including journeys along the Garden Route and through areas that helped deepen her appreciation for the country. She has often connected those early experiences with her later passion for discovering cultures, communities and destinations.
Her childhood experiences also helped shape the way she approaches travel storytelling. Rather than presenting destinations simply as attractive locations, her work frequently focuses on people, food, culture and local experiences. Her background therefore became an important foundation for the career she eventually developed in television and destination marketing.
Education and First Career Steps
Geography was reportedly her favorite subject at school, largely because an inspiring teacher helped her see the world differently. Instead of immediately following a conventional academic route, she began exploring creative and professional opportunities. Emirates Woman reports that while many of her classmates took ordinary weekend jobs, she spent her Year Ten weekends and evenings completing a makeup course.
Her first major media opportunity came unexpectedly when a friend submitted her name for a presenter search competition connected to a South African lifestyle program. She reached the final 12 contestants. Although she did not win, the exposure helped open doors into television presenting and eventually led to opportunities connected with South Africa’s well-known lifestyle television scene.
Television Career and Top Billing
One of the most important early chapters of her career was her association with South African television. After the presenter competition, she was invited to work with Top Billing, a program she had reportedly dreamed of appearing on. She later became involved with its travel-focused spin-off, Top Travel.
The transition was not completely effortless. She has spoken openly about feeling inexperienced and experiencing imposter syndrome while presenting travel television. That experience became valuable because it pushed her to develop stronger communication, production and storytelling skills. Her early television work ultimately became the foundation for a much broader international career.
Why She Moved to Dubai
Dubai became a major turning point in her professional life. She moved to the UAE at the age of 22 and initially focused on marketing and communications rather than television. She had already visited Dubai with her family and had developed an appreciation for its multicultural environment, modern infrastructure and international outlook.
Her decision was significant because she had reportedly received a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom but ultimately chose to enter the working world in the UAE. What began as a career decision eventually became a long-term professional base. Today, Dubai remains closely connected to her work in marketing, media, tourism and international brand development.
Marketing, PR and Entrepreneurship
Before returning to television, she built substantial experience in marketing and public relations. Her work included restaurants, nightlife, brands and communications, allowing her to develop practical knowledge about audience engagement and brand positioning. Over time, those skills became the foundation for her entrepreneurial ventures.
She became associated with Think Liquorice Marketing Management, a Dubai-based agency focused on brand building and communications. Her professional profile later expanded into destination marketing through The Destination Institute. The combination of media experience and marketing expertise gives her a distinctive position within the travel industry because she understands both content creation and the commercial strategy behind it.
Great Getaways and International Recognition
A major career comeback came when she was invited to host a travel program for Allen Media Group. She joined the project in 2022, and Great Getaways became an important part of her international television profile. The program allowed her to combine travel journalism, destination storytelling and cultural exploration.
The show later received major recognition at the Taste Awards in Los Angeles. Great Getaways won Best International Programme, an achievement that highlighted the work of the presenter, production team and creative partners. The award also strengthened her reputation as an international travel host rather than simply a regional television personality.
My Travel Diary and Destination Storytelling
Another important part of her media work is My Travel Diary, a global travel series associated with her work as a host and executive producer. Profiles describe the series as having explored more than 25 destinations across regions including Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This international reach reflects the broader direction of her career.
Her approach to travel content is built around more than sightseeing. She has repeatedly emphasized the importance of understanding cultures, meeting people and learning from local communities. That philosophy gives her content a storytelling dimension that goes beyond conventional travel promotion and helps explain why destination marketing has become such a central part of her professional identity.
Destination Marketing and The Destination Institute
The Destination Institute represents the intersection of her media and marketing experience. The organization focuses on destination marketing, storytelling, communication and brand development. Its work reflects the growing importance of digital content, influencer partnerships and authentic destination narratives in the tourism industry.
Her professional expertise is especially connected to emerging markets, Africa and the Middle East. The Franschhoek Literary Festival notes that she works with tourism boards, luxury travel brands and corporate clients, helping organizations improve brand positioning and audience engagement. This demonstrates how her career has evolved from television presenting into a broader consulting and leadership role.
Read More: Jesse Jo Stark Net Worth, Age, Career, Family & Lifestyle 2026
Awards and Professional Achievements
The Taste Awards recognition is among the most visible achievements associated with her television career. Great Getaways was named Best International Programme, giving the project international industry recognition. The award also reflected the collaborative nature of travel television, involving presenters, producers, directors, crews and other creative professionals.
Her achievements extend beyond television awards. She has also appeared as a speaker at marketing and travel events and has worked with major tourism and hospitality brands. Her professional portfolio has included destination marketing, influencer partnerships, brand communication and corporate training, showing that her influence extends beyond the screen.
Family and Personal Life
Although she maintains a professional public profile, she does not disclose every aspect of her private life. Public interviews confirm that she is married and is the mother of a son. Business Traveller reported that one of the biggest challenges of her career is balancing frequent international travel with motherhood.
Earlier family-focused coverage also identified her son, Noah Hamdan Marty, and described her life as a mother alongside her work in PR and brand building. These details provide some insight into the personal side of her career, but publicly available sources do not establish every aspect of her family life.
Travel Philosophy and Content Style
Travel is not simply a subject for her; it is central to the way she communicates with audiences. Her interviews repeatedly show an interest in culture, food, languages, communities and the human stories behind destinations. She has described travel as an opportunity to learn rather than simply an opportunity to take photographs.
That philosophy is also visible in her professional storytelling. Her work combines polished destination imagery with personal observations and cultural context. This balance helps explain why she has been able to work with tourism boards, hotels, airlines and lifestyle brands while maintaining a recognizable voice as a travel storyteller.
Social Impact and Community Work
Her work has also extended into social impact storytelling. A professional profile describes her involvement with social enterprise organizations across Africa and her interest in sharing stories connected to displaced communities, resilience and opportunity. This adds another dimension to her work beyond tourism and commercial brand campaigns.
Her public professional activity also shows an emphasis on meaningful cultural exchange. In a LinkedIn post discussing a visit to Kakuma, she highlighted community resilience and the importance of supporting people and causes that matter. Such work aligns with her wider belief that travel content can create awareness and encourage a more thoughtful connection between visitors and communities.
Zahirah Marty Net Worth: What Is Known?
There is no reliably verified public figure for her current net worth. Some celebrity and biography websites may publish estimates, but those figures should not be treated as confirmed unless supported by financial records or a credible direct statement. Her income likely comes from several professional areas rather than a single salary.
Potential professional income streams include television presenting and production, marketing consultancy, destination strategy, speaking engagements, brand partnerships, corporate training and travel-related projects. Because private contracts, business revenue and personal assets are not publicly disclosed in full, assigning an exact net worth would be speculative.
What Makes Her Career Stand Out?
Her career stands out because it combines several fields that often operate separately. She moved from television into marketing, developed entrepreneurial experience, returned to travel media and eventually expanded into destination consultancy and international storytelling. That progression demonstrates how transferable skills can create new opportunities across industries.
Three elements are particularly important to her professional success:
- Media experience: Television helped develop her presenting and storytelling skills.
- Marketing expertise: PR and branding provided a strong commercial foundation.
- Travel specialization: Destination content connected her personal passion with her professional strengths.
This combination has helped her build a career that reaches audiences, brands, tourism organizations and business communities.
FAQs:
Who is Zahirah Marty?
Zahirah Marty is a South African-born TV presenter, producer, entrepreneur and destination marketing specialist based in Dubai. Her career spans television, travel media, public relations and brand strategy.
Where is Zahirah Marty from?
She is from Durban, South Africa, and has spoken about growing up in South Africa and traveling around the country with her family.
How old is Zahirah Marty?
A 2025 Khaleej Times profile described her as 36 years old. Her exact birth date is not consistently documented across authoritative public sources.
Where does Zahirah Marty live?
She is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she has built much of her marketing, media and entrepreneurial career.
What is Zahirah Marty known for?
She is best known for travel television, destination storytelling, marketing and entrepreneurship. She has worked on programs including Great Getaways and My Travel Diary.
What TV show did Zahirah Marty host?
She hosted Great Getaways for Allen Media Group and previously worked with South African television programs including Top Billing and Top Travel.
Did Zahirah Marty win a travel television award?
Yes. Great Getaways won Best International Programme at the Taste Awards in Los Angeles, an achievement publicly reported in 2023.
Is Zahirah Marty married?
Public interviews indicate that she is married. She has also spoken about balancing her international travel schedule with family responsibilities and motherhood.
Does Zahirah Marty have children?
Yes. Public family coverage identifies her as the mother of a son, Noah Hamdan Marty.
What businesses is Zahirah Marty associated with?
She is associated with Think Liquorice Marketing Management and The Destination Institute, where her work focuses on marketing, communications, destination strategy and storytelling.
Conclusion
Zahirah Marty has developed a career that reaches far beyond traditional television presenting. From her early South African media experiences to her move to Dubai, she has continually expanded her professional skills across marketing, public relations, travel production, destination storytelling and entrepreneurship. Her work on Great Getaways brought international recognition, while her consulting and business activities have strengthened her role within the tourism and communications industries.
What makes her story especially interesting is the way she transformed a personal passion for travel into a diverse international career. Rather than relying on one profession, she combined media, branding and tourism expertise to create opportunities across several markets. Her journey offers a useful example of how adaptability, storytelling and specialized knowledge can shape a long-term creative career.