South African TV host Zahirah Marty built her career on two continents — first on local television in Durban, then as a travel presenter and destination-marketing entrepreneur based in Dubai. Public records and her own interviews show a clear, traceable path from SABC’s “Top Billing” to hosting a US travel show for Allen Media Group. Some parts of her personal life, including her exact birth date, remain outside the public record, so this article says so plainly where that’s the case.
Quick Answer
- Name: Zahirah Marty, née Variawa
- Known for: Presenting “Top Billing,” “Top Travel,” and “Great Getaways”
- Profession: TV presenter, destination-marketing consultant, entrepreneur
- Based in: Dubai, UAE, since 2011
- Spouse: Andrew Marty, an Australian veterinarian
- Child: One son, publicly named Noah Hamdan Marty
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Zahirah Marty (née Variawa) |
| Also known as | Zahirah Variawa, @mrszahmarty |
| Birthplace | Westville, Durban, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Reported age | 36, per a January 2025 Khaleej Times interview |
| Occupation | TV presenter, destination-marketing consultant |
| Known for | “Top Billing,” “Top Travel,” “Great Getaways” |
| Employer (TV) | Allen Media Group, since early 2022 |
| Companies founded | Think Liquorice Marketing Management; The Destination Institute |
| Based in | Dubai, UAE |
| Spouse | Andrew Marty |
| Children | One son |
| Notable award | Best International Programme, Taste Awards, Los Angeles (2023) |
Height and net worth are not included here because neither figure has a verifiable, named source.
Background and Early Career
Marty grew up in Westville, a suburb of Durban, South Africa. She started her television career on SABC’s “Top Billing,” a long-running local lifestyle show, before presenting the first season of “Top Travel,” according to a 2023 IOL Travel profile.
That early run set the tone for the rest of her career. Travel and lifestyle presenting, rather than acting or news, became her lane from the start.
Moving to Dubai
Marty relocated to Dubai in 2011. She has said she stepped back from television for a period after the move. Instead, she and her husband began documenting their travels online, which slowly built into paid work with airlines, hotels, and travel brands, she told IOL Travel in 2023.
A January 2025 Khaleej Times feature notes she had by then spent 14 years in Dubai, which lines up with a 2011 arrival date.
Back on TV: Great Getaways and Pets.TV
In early 2022, Marty joined Allen Media Group as host of “Great Getaways” and “Pets.TV,” according to an interview published on the Hypewomen podcast site. The shows cover travel, lifestyle, and wildlife content, largely filmed across Africa in the first year, with plans to expand into the Middle East.
A Weekend Argus feature from March 2023 names her longtime executive producer as Lisa-Renee Ramirez, who oversees the show’s US-based production side.
Awards
“Great Getaways” won Best International Programme at the Taste Awards in Los Angeles, an industry award for lifestyle television. Marty accepted the honor a year after joining the show, IOL Travel reported in March 2023. She described travel to the outlet as “a gift everyone should treasure.”
Entrepreneurship: Think Liquorice and The Destination Institute
Outside television, Marty runs Think Liquorice Marketing Management, a Dubai-based PR and brand-marketing agency she has led as managing director for several years, according to her own LinkedIn profile. She later founded The Destination Institute, a consultancy focused on destination marketing for tourism boards, resorts, and travel brands, as listed on both her LinkedIn page and her speaker bio for the Franschhoek Literary Festival.
Her LinkedIn profile states she has worked across the travel and marketing industry for roughly 15 years, as of her most recent public update. She has also been credited as an associate editor on “Bespoke Destinations,” a travel publication covering African destinations for the Gulf market, per posts on her company’s LinkedIn page.
Family Life
Marty is married to Andrew Marty, whom she has described in her own words, in a 2021 Travel Essence magazine interview, as an Australian veterinarian. The couple live in Dubai.
They have one son. Parenting blog Sassy Mama Dubai, working from material Marty shared on her own blog and Instagram, named him Noah Hamdan Marty and reported he was born in July. Marty has spoken about the two of them being frequent travel companions on shoots, telling IOL Travel in 2023 that her husband and son “love being on the road too.”
Beyond these public statements, Marty has kept further family details private, and none of it is treated further here.
On Money and Career
In a January 2025 Khaleej Times interview, Marty reflected candidly on her relationship with money, calling it “a great teacher” and describing years of financial uncertainty before deciding to manage her finances more deliberately. She did not disclose specific income or net worth figures in that interview, and no other named outlet has published a verified net worth for her.
FAQs
Who is Zahirah Marty?
She’s a South African TV presenter and entrepreneur, best known for hosting “Top Billing,” “Top Travel,” and the Allen Media Group travel show “Great Getaways.” She’s based in Dubai and also runs a destination-marketing consultancy.
How old is Zahirah Marty?
She was reported to be 36 in a January 2025 Khaleej Times interview. Her exact birth date is not public.
Where is Zahirah Marty from?
She was born and raised in Westville, a suburb of Durban, South Africa.
What shows has Zahirah Marty hosted?
SABC’s “Top Billing,” the first season of “Top Travel,” and, since 2022, “Great Getaways” and “Pets.TV” for Allen Media Group.
Is Zahirah Marty married?
Yes. She’s married to Andrew Marty, an Australian veterinarian, and they have one son together.
What does Zahirah Marty do in Dubai?
She hosts and produces travel television, and runs two businesses: Think Liquorice Marketing Management and The Destination Institute, both focused on travel and destination marketing.
What is Zahirah Marty’s net worth?
It has not been publicly disclosed or independently verified by any named outlet.
Has Zahirah Marty won any awards?
Yes. “Great Getaways” won Best International Programme at the 2023 Taste Awards in Los Angeles.
Key Takeaways
- Zahirah Marty started on South African TV before building a Dubai-based media and marketing career.
- She hosts “Great Getaways” and “Pets.TV” for Allen Media Group, joining in early 2022.
- Her show won Best International Programme at the 2023 Taste Awards.
- She’s married to Andrew Marty and has one son, Noah.
- She runs Think Liquorice Marketing Management and The Destination Institute.
- Her exact birth date, height, and net worth are not publicly confirmed.
Conclusion
Zahirah Marty’s public record is consistent across named, reputable sources: a Durban upbringing, an early SABC career, a 2011 move to Dubai, and a return to television with Allen Media Group that led to an international award. What isn’t public — her precise birth date, a verified net worth, further family detail — simply isn’t public, and this piece leaves it there rather than guessing.
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Shahzad is the founder and editor of Famevora, covering celebrity stories, biographies, entertainment, and trending personalities. His goal is to provide engaging, accurate, and easy-to-understand content for readers.