Mark Sham, entrepreneur, public speaker, writer and content creator has always been insatiably curious about the world.
The ‘Like A Tourist’ traveller even created the YouTube channel to inspire more South Africans to act like tourists in their own country and explore Mzansi.
We spoke to the content creator, who grew up in the south of Joburg, about travelling Mzansi and his YouTube channel.
Sham explained that having lived all over South Africa and in two European countries, his parents would take him and his brothers on road trips all over the country when he was a child.
This is where he got his first taste of travel.
“When I was 13 years old, my best friend moved to America with his family and I pestered my parents to let me visit him,” Sham said.
“They initially said no because of the cost but I got them to agree to match every cent I saved. I think they agreed because they didn’t think I would be able to save much but in the end, I went to California by myself in June 1997 for three months to visit.”
“That first trip abroad really sparked the travel bug in me and ever since, I have prioritised travel over everything else.”
Sham said that he was living in London and travelling back and forth to South Africa just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
He then returned home for what he thought would be seven weeks, but he has been in South Africa ever since.
“With international borders closed, I was losing my mind, so I started travelling all over South Africa and that’s when I truly realised how beautiful this country is.”
“I would post about every local trip on social media in hope that it would inspire others to do the same. The response was so crazy which is what led me to formally create the ”Like a Tourist brand,“ said Sham.
Sham initially started “Like a Tourist” informally in 2017 due to a lack of resources, but in November 2022, he decided to give it a proper go.
This gave life to the channel we have now grown accustomed to.
“Because travel was such a big part of my life, I inevitably documented the various adventures I’d go on, and this type of content always went viral, so I can say with ease that social media has played the biggest role in the growth of ”Like a Tourist“,” said Sham.
Having visited almost 40 countries, the content creator believes that South Africans should explore the country, as he considers Mzansi as one of the most beautiful countries on Earth.
“What most South Africans don’t realise is that foreign tourists spend thousands of dollars to experience what’s on our doorstep. The natural beauty on display across this country is breathtaking," he said.
“Relative to other countries, our food and wine scene is pure quality at a fraction of the price. I still love travelling abroad but now I see that the quality South Africa has to offer the world is world class.”
He believes that the only thing South Africa lacks is marketing.
“This is why people still think of travel only when they leave our borders,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sham believes that content creators aren’t taken seriously in South Africa, making it hard for them to earn a meaningful living.
“The irony is, most people use the content we create to decide where to travel next,” he said.
“If I was corporate South Africa, I would be investing heavily in travel content creators because the good ones are like magnets for South Africa.”
“People don’t travel here because of an ad they saw once. They watch the type of content we create, get a behind-the-scenes experience, and then choose to mimic parts or all of that experience.”
When asked to pick a favourite local destination, Sham joked that it was like asking him to pick a favourite child.
“Different local destinations provide different experiences. My favourite city in SA is Cape Town. I love the beauty, lifestyle, and food scene. But the smaller towns are where the true soul of South Africa reside,” he said.
“Places like Knysna, Dullstroom, Clarens, Ceres, Sedgefield and Prince Albert are just some of my favourites to visit over and over.”
He added that he started “Like a Tourist” to inspire South Africans to act like tourists in their own country.
“I knew I couldn’t tell people about the incredible aspects of this country, but instead I had to show them.”
“We are bombarded with bad news constantly but I’m here to tell you that the other side exists too. South Africa is the most beautiful country on Earth and its people are an absolute treasure.”