Unsuited

I don't dress smartly, as a rule. Yet this week I will travel to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to take part in some programme meetings and represent our CEO at an event he was invited to. I have been advised that Maputo is more fashion-conscious than other African capitals. This rings true, possibly because of the Portuguese link, but I wasn't paying attention to the Mozambican fashion scene the last time I was there in 2008, as at that time I was running expeditions, and Maputo was a stopover on the route between Swaziland and Mozambique's fantastic reefs. I was too preoccupied during these trips, safeguarding groups of 18-year olds from being mugged for their wallets.

I'm at the point in my career where appearances probably do matter and I haven't paid enough attention to them. The shirts I use for work trips are now battered from red South Sudanese dust, and most of my shoes are an embarrassment in government meetings.

I bought a few smart pieces of clothing and resolved to release some space in my bag usually reserved for t-shirts and other backpacker-esque garments. Yet in the tropics, when away from the glare of government partners, there will never be anything better than donning flip flops and shorts and strolling the streets in homage to warm temperatures.