77. Tech, Travel & the African Passport | Nafisa Akabor
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Nafisa Akabor has been covering technology for 18 years and has travelled to 46 countries. In this episode of Chica Travel with Lelo, she breaks down everything you need to know about travelling smarter, safer and further, starting with what's on her phone before she boards.
We talk eSIMs, VPNs, fake QR codes, Japan's new visa fees, the 5x increase that caught everyone off guard, tax-free shopping and what's changing in November 2026. We also get into the emotional reality of travelling with an African passport, the visa anxiety, the border control stress, and the strategy that got Nafisa a 5-year Schengen visa.
She closes with her ultimate travel tech kit and the one thing she wishes more African women knew about travelling in this world right now.
Find Nafisa on TikTok @nafisaakbor and follow Chica Travel with Lelo on YouTube and Social Media @chicatravelwithlelo / @mslelob
Would love your feedback on the episode!
We talk eSIMs, VPNs, fake QR codes, Japan's new visa fees, the 5x increase that caught everyone off guard, tax-free shopping and what's changing in November 2026. We also get into the emotional reality of travelling with an African passport, the visa anxiety, the border control stress, and the strategy that got Nafisa a 5-year Schengen visa.
She closes with her ultimate travel tech kit and the one thing she wishes more African women knew about travelling in this world right now.
Find Nafisa on TikTok @nafisaakbor and follow Chica Travel with Lelo on YouTube and Social Media @chicatravelwithlelo / @mslelob
Would love your feedback on the episode!
Chapters
- 00:00 — Introduction
- 00:30 — Meet Nafisa Akabor
- 01:00 — How she accidentally built a career in tech
- 03:00 — The trip that started it all
- 05:00 — What's on her phone before every trip
- 07:00 — eSIM vs physical SIM
- 09:00 — Digital threats, VPNs & fake QR codes
- 13:00 — Building authority as a creator on TikTok
- 14:00 — Japan — the visa, the trip & what's changing in 2026
- 21:00 — What Nafisa looks like when she travels for herself
- 24:00 — Power bank = life jacket
- 26:00 — The emotional tax of travelling with an African passport
- 28:00 — The Schengen visa strategy that got her 5 years
- 30:00 — Where to travel right now
- 32:00 — The ultimate travel kit
- 37:00 — What she wishes more African women knew
- 39:00 — Exploring South Africa
