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TL;DR: Zahirah Marty is a South African-born travel TV host and entrepreneur based in Dubai, founder of The Destination Institute and host of Great Getaways — and a Daytime Emmy nominee.
In short: Who is Zahirah Marty? She is a South African-born travel television host, content creator, and entrepreneur now based in Dubai. She founded The Destination Institute, hosts the U.S. travel shows Great Getaways and related programming, and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for her television work.
According to South African Lifestyle Magazine, Zahirah Marty earned a prestigious Daytime Emmy nomination for Allen Media Group's Pets TV.
Zahirah Marty is a South African-born travel television host, content creator and entrepreneur based in Dubai. She is the founder of The Destination Institute, a bespoke travel marketing company, and the host of the US travel shows Great Getaways and Pets.TV for the Allen Media Group. Her work earned a “Best International Program” win at the Taste Awards in Los Angeles, and in 2026 she earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for hosting the Pets.TV special The Lovely Lemurs of Madagascar.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Zahirah Variawa (née Marty; professionally known as Zahirah Marty) |
| Age | Not publicly confirmed |
| Birth Date | Not publicly confirmed |
| Birthplace | South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Profession | Travel TV host, content creator, entrepreneur, keynote speaker |
| Known For | Hosting Great Getaways and Pets.TV; founder of The Destination Institute |
| Marital Status | Not publicly confirmed |
Early Life and Education
Zahirah Marty was born in South Africa, where she spent her childhood and early career. In interviews she has credited a school geography teacher, Miss Harrison, with sparking her lifelong love of travel. Her first job was not in media at all: as a teenager she completed a makeup course and worked on weddings, fashion photoshoots and styling projects, which marked her first entry into the media world.
Public records of her formal higher education are limited, and Marty has not publicly confirmed a university degree. What is documented is her deep grounding in PR and marketing, which became the professional backbone of everything she built later. She has lived in Dubai for more than 12 years, making the UAE her home base while working across continents.
Career Journey
Before American television came calling, Marty built a career at the intersection of travel, branding and destination marketing. She founded Well Branded, a fully digital branding and PR solutions agency, and launched the @BeWellBranded lifestyle and brand podcast, interviewing personalities from around the world about branding, business and travel.
She later founded The Destination Institute, a boutique travel marketing agency she describes as “born to redefine travel content.” Through the Institute she advises airlines, hotel groups, tourism boards and luxury mobility partners on destination marketing, and runs corporate training sessions and panel discussions on travel content strategy.
In early 2022, Marty joined the Allen Media Group as the host of Great Getaways and Pets.TV, US-based shows covering travel, lifestyle and wildlife. In her first year she focused much of the show’s content on Africa, with plans to expand across the Middle East. She has worked with major travel brands including Visit Dubai, One & Only Hotels, Fairmont, Four Seasons and Audi.
Major Achievements
- Taste Awards, Los Angeles — her work on Great Getaways was awarded “Best International Program.”
- Daytime Emmy nomination (2026) — Marty earned a Daytime Emmy nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for hosting the Pets.TV special The Lovely Lemurs of Madagascar, in the Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program category at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. It marked the first-ever Daytime Emmy nomination for the Pets.TV network.
- Keynote speaker — she delivered the keynote at Africa’s first influencer conference in Johannesburg and was invited to speak at the Global Marketing Summit.
- Group tours — she launched her own hosted small-group tours, taking travelers through favorite destinations including her home city of Dubai.
Personal Life
Marty is the mother of a young son — he was seven when she spoke about him in a June 2024 interview — and she has been candid that balancing constant travel with motherhood is the hardest part of her work. She describes herself as “a nomad at my core” and keeps the rest of her family life largely private. Her public presence centers on her travel work, her business and her speaking engagements.
Interesting Facts
- She has been based in Dubai for over 12 years but remains closely tied to South Africa, where she has appeared on numerous TV shows.
- Her first industry was makeup and styling, not journalism — she worked weddings and fashion shoots as a teenager.
- She ran a fully digital PR agency before most brands in the travel space were investing in content marketing.
- The Madagascar special that earned her Daytime Emmy nomination was directed and produced by Lisa-Renée Ramirez and explores the island’s wildlife and conservation stories.
- She launched her own hosted small-group tours, taking travelers through favorite destinations including her home city of Dubai.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zahirah Marty?
Zahirah Marty is a South African-born travel television host, entrepreneur and content creator based in Dubai. She hosts Great Getaways and Pets.TV for the Allen Media Group and founded The Destination Institute.
What is Zahirah Marty’s real name?
Her full name is reported as Zahirah Variawa, née Marty. She is professionally known as Zahirah Marty.
How old is Zahirah Marty?
Her birth date has not been publicly confirmed, so her exact age is not known.
Where is Zahirah Marty from?
She is from South Africa and has lived in Dubai for more than 12 years.
What is The Destination Institute?
The Destination Institute is Marty’s bespoke travel marketing agency, founded to redefine travel content and advise tourism brands, airlines and hotels on destination marketing.
What shows does Zahirah Marty host?
She hosts Great Getaways and Pets.TV, US-based shows for the Allen Media Group, which she joined in early 2022.
Has Zahirah Marty won any awards?
Yes. Her Great Getaways work won “Best International Program” at the Taste Awards in Los Angeles, and she earned a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for The Lovely Lemurs of Madagascar.
Is Zahirah Marty married?
Her marital status has not been publicly confirmed. She is a mother to a young son.
What brands has Zahirah Marty worked with?
She has worked with Visit Dubai, One & Only Hotels, Fairmont Hotels, Four Seasons and Audi, among others.
What are Zahirah Marty’s group tours?
She hosts small-group tours of her favorite destinations around the world, including her home city of Dubai.
Sources & Verification
Career details in this article are drawn from a South African Lifestyle Magazine report on her 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination and her Business Traveller “Air Miles” interview, which document her Allen Media Group role, Dubai base, The Destination Institute, the Taste Awards win and her family life. Her birth date and formal education have not been publicly confirmed as of October 2026.
For more journalist and media biographies, see our profiles of Stephanie Ramos, Madeleine Rivera and Rana Novini.
