Staff Writer
Entabeni Lodge offers home away from home environment to discerning guests be it local, regional and international.
At inception in 1998, Entabeni Lodge had only five rooms but now boasts 25 luxury rooms all fitted with air conditioners and secure spacious parking lot that give guests a peace of mind during their stay.
The business has grown from strength to strength amid its fair share challenges among them capital business inflow and other unseen circumstances which affect the smooth running of tourism business.
The business has helped owner — Faith Makamure (58) — a window to be able to send her children to school and their upkeep.
It was through business connections that she got the funds to expand the business and in turn host big events such as Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
Services offered at Entabeni Lodge include conferencing, weddings, parties, anniversaries, corporate and state functions.
“We offer accommodation, bed and breakfast, conferencing corporate meetings family events and year’s company events, school tours, church gathering and retreats.
“For those who love to swim we do have a big pool surrounding by scenic gardens, Bird watcher can enjoy watching different species of births and reptiles. Birdd watching fascinates our tourists and visitors,” Faith said.
For gastronomy experience they offer African cuisine and braais while guests gather around a bonfire.
“We also organise tours through reputable tour operators to Chipangali, Matobo, National Railway Museum, the national museum situated in the centenary park of Bulawayo as well as National Gallery of Zimbabwe,” she said.
“Our services are second to none. We are leading in providing accommodation and conferencing facilities. We also are a regular home to high-profile guests such as ambassadors and famous artists. The place is also home to school children on their trips to such heritages as Matapos and in transit to Victoria Falls. We also host Churches on retreat.”
Entabeni Lodge has free fibre internet access. It has reliable air Conditioning for cooling and heating. There is also a variety of television channels on DSTV, Open View, and ZBC TV access.
Faith, is one of the few successful women in tourism from Bulawayo.
“When my husband died in 1996 I was left with five children to take care of with the youngest being aged five and in. The reason was to have something to fall back on outside of retail business,” she explained.
“The property owners kept increasing rentals and then I decided to convert a piece of land meant for our family home which was two and half acres in Hillside into a lodge. At the time the lodges were white owned together with established hotels which could not service the needs of the other market in the city.”
As fate would have it, her husband — Peter Makamure — a locomotive driver had fully paid for the family home which she then converted into a lodge.
“We used to farm at the stand but drought affected us hence we couldn’t sustain ourself on agriculture and then I decided to join tourism. The shop was the first black woman owned in Hillside’s up-market area and it operated under the Lucky 7 franchise and we competed against big stored like Spa and the shop operated for 17 years. However, we closed shop in 2007. This was because business was going down for most shops with more people going to into retail business.
“In 2001 shortly after land reform after we ventured into tourism business for a year tourism plunged and as a result I relocated to the United Kingdom where I worked for 10 years as a care worker. I left the children running the lodge and the supermarket. Lesley (19) ran the shop while Burzil Makamure (21) who played rugby was employed as a marketer by a reputable company.
“I did care work in the UK and upon returning in 2008 I joined farming through women’s affairs. My passion really comes from the fact that I am a Christianity. The lodge is the second established owned by a woman in Bulawayo.
“The home is home to high profile guests including diplomats, government officials, celebrities, superstar from countries such as Namibia, Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and Botswana to name a few,” she said.
Faith has been chairperson for Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (Bulawayo) and Mateleland South. She is also deputy chairperson of Comesa Bulawayo chapter through FAMCOM for two terms.
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