Manageress with rare talent

Courage Musariri Saturday Leisure Reporter
DESPITE being in an environment which requires her to deal with rowdy and drunken men, some of whom propose love to her, she has stood her ground.
Cape to Cairo Nightclub manageress Catherine Phiri is a rare breed.
Educated at Montrose Girls High in Bulawayo, the mother of two is showing off her “girl power” in a male dominated field.
After her Ordinary level studies, Phiri (27) relocated to South Africa in 2004, where she did her Matric before returning home to work as a waitress at a local hotel.

“My sister wanted me to stay in South Africa, but I found the place undesirable and decided to come back home. I went back to South Africa in 2009 and got a job as a waitress and later on manageress at Muggy and Bean coffee shop,” Phiri said.

In 2012, she came back to Zimbabwe after the death of her sister and had to work as a security guard at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
“I broke up with my husband in the same year and I had to take whatever job I could get since I had four children to take care of. Two of my own and two of my late sister’s,” Phiri said.

She said in June, a job opportunity opened up at Cape to Cairo and she applied. After an interview she landed the post as the owner’s personal assistant, doubling up as a manager.

“I never thought I could stay long in this job but I have developed a passion for it. My boyfriend wants me to quit this job and be a bank teller or something along my line of study. I know one day, he will understand and support me,” said Phiri.

She holds a Diploma in Secretarial Studies and is pursuing an Accounting Certificate with the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM).
Phiri said she is so determined to make a success of her job and no amount of rowdiness from drunken patrons or difficult male co-workers will put her off course.

“I am sure they think working in a club makes me a woman of loose morals. They have to think again,” she said.
Phiri said the turning point in her life was when she worked at GMB.

“I never knew I was tough. Thanks to those days as a security guard, I realised my strength as a human being. I am no pushover now, even some male patrons have come to realise that,” she said.

Phiri said her mission is to bring top entertainment to Cape to Cairo everyday and is happy with her first five months on the job.
“We have roped in a number of acts which are now a familiar feature on our weekly programmes. We have a different show every week and have introduced a Thursday night Karaoke Comedy show and today we are hosting a Miss Fireworks contest,” she said.

Phiri, who is one of a few women managing a club in the city, said her dream was to open a coffee shop where locals could go relax, read novels and enjoy a cup of refreshing coffee.

“I am working towards my dream and I am thankful for the support I am receiving from those around me. One day I will live my dream,” she said.