The Tribe Resorts: A unique community-based tourism initiative opens in Kadoma

NEWLY formed The Tribe Resorts in Kadoma in Mashonaland West is a perfect example of a community-based tourism initiative whose vision is to provide clients with an escape from the noisy urban environment.

The facility is a brainchild of a humble hardworking diaspora-based Sanyati couple, Dr Leonard and Mrs Florence Manhanga, who decided to invest in their rural province in line with the Second Republic’s call on Zimbabweans in the diaspora to invest back home and make a contribution to the national development agenda.

The facility was opened in July this year and already close to 20 jobs have been created for the local community, complementing the Second Republic’s development agenda and vision for an upper middle-income society by 2030.

A double-storey grass-thatched round structure with a top restaurant and lounge and other facilities, a bar inside the pool as well as a sandy volleyball pitch make the facility a unique tourism gem not found anywhere else in the country.

A place for folktales completes the story of The Tribe Resorts, and the grass-thatched buildings is an implementation of cultural tourism, one of the clusters being promoted by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to leverage the rich heritage-based resources to market destination Zimbabwe.

There is nothing tribal in the sense of the name of the facility, whose clientele target is the whole nation, particularly those wanting a break from the noisy crowded urban environment.

A number of rural facilities have been created countrywide with the likes of Umuzi Rural Experience in Monde outside Victoria Falls, Lanyula Cultural Village in Lubangwe, Hwange and others but The Tribe Resorts, located 8km outside Kadoma along the Kadoma-Sanyati Road, has ushered in a new approach to rural and community tourism.

Speaking in an interview at the recent Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Bulawayo, The Tribe Resorts general manager Ms Mercellyn Murimi said the place is a perfect getaway for families, groups and individuals who want a time away, and for wedding ceremonies, corporate events, sand volleyball matches, chess and draft, luxury cuisine and pool bar experience.

“As Tribe Resorts we have basically taken hospitality back to its essence with the belief that travellers and guests must be treated with sincerity and we have warm inviting meals, exchanging tales by the fireplace.

“The name was chosen by the directors of The Tribe Resorts who are originally from Sanyati and decided to give back to the community and invested in the resort which offers a perfect escape for families and those running away from the hustle of the city,” she said.

Ms Murimi said the place offers exciting outdoor activities such as swimming, pedestrian chess and draft, sand volleyball and others.

After an exhausting game of volleyball, one has an option of diving deep into the majestic pool or sitting on bar stools which are inside the water to cool down while enjoying the service.

The place is a mixture of leisure and business, with a very beautiful conference centre that can accommodate between 120 and 200 people depending on the seating arrangement, in addition to the activities.

“So we can host anything from weddings, lobola days, cocktail parties, business meetings and concerts. We are prepared to give our guests experiences that they will never forget. We have a majestic double-storey gazebo with a restaurant and bar upstairs and a lounge where clients can have a stunning view of the Sanyati sun. So those coming for the Kadoma Festival on 5 October should visit The Tribe Resort for drinks and a meal.

“We appreciate our tradition and we want to take people back to our traditional times where our buildings are grass-thatched. We are not on the edge of a river but we have created a swimming pool that is so big and all activities are within the facility,” said Ms Murimi.

The facility does not offer accommodation.

Clients are usually from Kadoma and other towns.

Ms Murimi said exhibiting at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo was meant to announce entry into the tourism sector.

“We are targeting customers from all over the nation. It is our first time to exhibit at the Sanganai/Hlanganani and what made us come here was to be part of the tourism industry hence we felt that for us to be able to fit in and do something different, we had to how the Zimbabwe market operates.

“We wanted to get an opportunity to meet international buyers and hear what they want and expect from us, and we took this opportunity to advertise The Tribe Resort so that we are known in the tourism industry. We used the platform as research on what the market wants so that when we complete our project or the vision that we have for The Tribe Resort, we can now do it in such a way that accommodates what the market expects,” she said.

She said the facility is a place where families can relax and splash in the water as they experience the ambience away from home and the craziness of the city.

Ms Murimi said work was underway to identify a community project to be implemented for the community in Kadoma. Hopefully, before the end of the year, the business could roll out the project.

-@ncubeleon