Nancy Josephat Mwakalinga is 22 years old; she is younger than the first Harry Potter film in the franchise was when it was released.
She was an infant when Facebook was launched.
Nancy is from a generation that has been stereotyped as politically progressive, addicted to TikTok, impatient and somewhat socially anxious, but Nancy said they are more than meets the eye.
She enrolled to become a tour guide at the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, Kilimanjaro Region.
Tanzania is ushering in a new generation of professionals in its ever-growing tourism industry.
The country is about to co-host one of footballs biggest tournaments, Afcon.
And these young men and women will be vital in the tourism, service and hospitality industry.
A defining moment for any host country.
Nancy grew up in Kimara, Dar es Salaam. She says that, contrary to the misconception, that her generation played outside.
She remembers riding her bicycle with her friends and playing hide-and-seek just like the generation before her.
Nancy refutes the notion that Gen Zers are indoors, always dancing on TikTok or chasing online trends.
"Gen Z is a very complicated generation, but its a very bright generation because we dont just take things as they are; we search for facts and proof. We are a curious generation," she laughed.
Across the globe, this is a generation that has relied on digital platforms to advance change in todays world.
From political mobilisation to challenging the status quo, they have distinctively shaped the world in all spheres.
Can they do the same in tourism?
"You know, Afcon will be coming to Arusha and we have several tourist attractions and resources. We do have national parks, waterfalls and a vibrant culture," Nancy adds.
As an avid football fan, Nancy is excited about the upcoming tournament.
She has been preparing for a potential role to welcome tourists in Arusha.
Taking visitors to different places in the northern circuit.
"AFCON matches dont take the whole day, from morning to evening, so during their leisure time, we will be leading tourists to different spots and showing them around Arusha and Moshi," Nancy says.
She points out different locations, like Lake Duluti, Meru Camp, Napuru waterfalls near the foothills of Mount Meru and other must-see places around Arusha.
Arusha has growing biking, hiking and ziplining activities; its cool weather is conducive to outdoor activities and that will prove crucial in 2027 as tourists and football fans start pouring in.
"Archery and shooting games are popular here and people also love campsites at Meru Camps," she points out.
Nancy understands the role they will be playing in tourism even beyond the Afcon tournament.
She acknowledges that tourism is one of the leading foreign exchange earners for Tanzania and they are in the realm of the service industry.
Nancy has had an interest in being a ranger, a physically demanding job, so she has been taking some paramilitary training: fieldcraft, survival, navigation, tracking and anti-poaching operations.
All these require extensive fitness training and her young age has helped her keep up with the adrenaline-fuelled workouts.
Their training has taken them to all leading national parks like Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Tarangire and Manyara, sometimes with no GPS assistance, to learn how to guide tourists in the absence of technology.
Guiding them and keeping them safe throughout the day.
Here is where Nancys tracking training is really sharpened.
In a few years, she will be in charge of a whole team of tour guides in the wilderness and it will be upon her to make sure tourists enjoy their safari in Tanzanias national parks, keep wild animals at bay, but close enough for tourists to see them and savour their safari experience.
Nancy chose to work in tourism because she loves learning about people and cultures and tourism provides both.
She knows in tourism most visitors that she will interact with will be older than her, but she said.
They dont use that term "older". Nancy has been trained to treat all tourists as guests and show the utmost respect.
She has gone through training on how to remain calm, cool and collected under pressure, a skill she will need under the hot sun with flying insects buzzing around as their safari vehicle rumbles across the rugged terrain.
When tourists become frustrated or irritable.
She has been trained on how she can handle that scenario and more.
Nancy feels ready to start working in this industry that she has always dreamed of.
"Gen Zs can be very professional and I am the proof of that, so are my peers."
Nancy is from a generation that has been affected by unemployment, not only in Tanzania, but across the world.
But she insists that, unlike other sectors, tourism has flourished over the years and there are so many opportunities for young people, but most people are not privy to that information.
She is hoping this interview will attract her age-mates, who have only had their eyes on being teachers, lawyers, doctors and other jobs, to contemplate studying tourism.
"There are hundreds of tour companies in Tanzania and most of them are hiring," she says.
Aside from the tour companies, Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority and National Park authorities will naturally be seeking younger and new recruits, who will have to take on the physical work as the current staff gets older and moves to more administrative roles.
"I just hope my age-mates catch on quickly," she adds.
She is also thinking of opening up her own tour company down the line.
"If Im wealthy and capable," she quips, adding that the future of Gen Z in tourism is "very bright".
This is a generation connected through social media and most of them are digital natives; content creation and social media marketing come naturally to them and she is using that as an advantage to establish herself and connect with potential tourists from across the world.
She has been posting all her visits to the national parks, waterfalls and the wild animals she encounters, building her online profile and positioning herself as a tourism expert.
And indeed, some foreigners have reached out to her asking about Tanzania and she has been more than happy to give them in detail what to expect when they come to visit Tanzania.
"I give them my email; when we connect on social media, they get motivated to come and experience Tanzania when they see the pictures I post," Nancy says.
She has helped others with hotel reservations, booking flights and getting to the national parks.
Nancy hopes the government will open up more opportunities for Gen Z, but, most importantly, it has to believe in this young generation, which is tech-savvy and full of potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of the tourism sector.
"Gen Z is just a generation. But look at me as a professional, how professional I am. And judge me based on my work, not my age," she says.
