Shereefdeen Ahmad, a journalist and staff writer at The Liberalist, has won the Young Talent category at the 2026 Africa Travel Week (ATW) Media Awards.
The journalist was announced winner on Monday during the Media Awards Ceremony at the World Travel Market (WTM) in Cape Town, South Africa. Now in its third edition, the ATW Media Awards celebrate excellence in African journalism, photography, and videography by highlighting storytelling that promotes responsible tourism and showcases the continent’s rich cultural and natural heritage.
This year’s awards received over 170 entries from the continent across five categories, including Sustainability Feature, Visual Tourism, Tourism News, Destination Feature, and Young Talent.
First-place winners of each category received trophies, while second and third place runners-up got certificates. Shereefdeen’s feature story, titled “How Schengen Visa Denials Are Shutting Africans Out of the Global Stage,” secured his victory as the winner of the Young Talent category. Through human-centred storytelling, the piece illustrates how restrictive visa regimes limit Africans’ participation in global travel, tourism, and cultural exchange.
“One of the primary principles we champion at The Liberalist is the idea of open borders and seamless free movement across the African continent and beyond,” Shereefdeen said. “I have written numerous stories and analyses at the intersection of visa restrictions, travel requirements, and tourism. Until December last year, I never knew a platform existed that specifically celebrates excellence in journalism within this field.”
“I’m very grateful for this recognition and thanks to every member at The Liberalist and the Liberalist Center.”
This latest achievement follows a string of previous honours for the journalist. Last year, Shereefdeen emerged as the overall winner of the 2025 Alfred Opubor Next-Gen Award organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Also, in 2024, he was named the overall winner of the Youth Digest Journalism Awards, where he also clinched the Sports Category and featured as a finalist in the Gender Equality category.
Africa Travel Week serves as a leading platform that connects tourism professionals, businesses, and media to promote travel across the continent through major industry events like the World Travel Market.
