MKHABELE’S FAVOURITE THINGS
The Apartheid Museum is the biggest tourist attraction for international visitors. Besides tourists, we also get requests from companies and government wanting accommodation for their workers, who are in Joburg for a short stay. We are a self-catering and catering establishment. We serve breakfast, lunch and supper on request. This information is necessary when booking.
“The same customers return to us. They request the same room they slept in from their first stay with us. We’ve made great relationships through the model we use to run our business. Marketing the lodge is key, and we use social media as well as the new application called Airbnb – currently the most used application in our industry – to advertise the business. We also have a website that we update frequently and advertise on. We offer a free Wifi service, and what differentiates our guest house is the fact that we also assist in giving visa reservation letters. Our customers are important to us, hence the extra mile we take to keep them. South Africa is a growing tourist destination and is ranked number four worldwide as a cool destination. Mkhabele is capitalising on that to grow her business. “We have bought a new house opposite the existing one. It’s an extra seven-room house to add to what we have. The new establishment will be a boutique lodge which will offer extra services for the high-end market.”
Being a mom, wife and running her business is a balancing act, but Mkhabele says it’s all in a day’s work. “Running a business and waking up early to prepare for the guest while also making sure that her kids are ready for school comes with the territory,” she says. She has hired staff to help her, including a receptionist and a caretaker, responsible for housekeeping. “This gives me time to be with my family. I still do the major part of the running of the business, like setting up systems and managing the place.”
Mkhabele might not have won awards, but says: “Being busy from the first day of operation is a huge achievement. It’s boosted my morale and the business.” ■