Nicholas Banda from KaBokweni has raised the South African flag high in Legazpi in the Philippines when he was named Mr Tourism Globe Ecotourism 2024.

This makes Banda a runner-up to the main title of Mr Tourism Globe, which was announced at the finale of the competition on Friday, October 4.

The 22-year-old jetted off from the KMI Airport to the Philippines on September 26 for the week-long competition. He visited many places with the rest of the finalists and joined in the conversations with the natives to learn about their country while he shared about his own.

For the duration of the competition, he truly lived up to his aim to sell South Africa and Mpumalanga as a tourism destination.

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He has lived his dream of competing in an international competition not long after becoming the second runner-up in the Mr Mpumalanga 2024 pageant competition and automatically advanced to Mr Tourism Globe South Africa 2024.

His aim was to represent himself as an authentic citizen of Mzansi and to educate everyone about SA, its tourist attractions and its beauty.

“I would like to pass my special thanks to everyone who believed in me and showed their support through sharing and reacting on social media posts during the competition and the sponsorships that made it possible for me to take part. I would not have received this title without this support,” he said in a video.

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Banda returned to Mpumalanga on Monday, October 4, and was welcomed by his family and friends at KMI Airport.

Congratulatory messages have poured in on various social media pages since Friday, such as the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Park Agency.