Exploring new places, connecting with family, friends, and work colleagues, and learning about different cultures can create lasting bonds and extraordinary memories. Whether you are travelling as part of a group, with someone special, or as a single traveller, unforgettable experiences await our special guests under the African Sun.
African Sun Limited, also referred to as the Company, African Sun, or the Group, is a prominent Hotel Asset Management Company based in Zimbabwe. The cornerstone of the African Sun family is built on core values that include authenticity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to customer service. The Group has strategically streamlined its operations to ensure future sustainability. The fine mix of select hotels within the African Sun portfolio specialises in leisure and adventure travel, business travel, and conferencing to provide each and every visitor a memorable stay.
With unique hotels in every major tourist destination throughout Zimbabwe, African Sun is a favourite in the industry and is well-positioned to make that dream tour of Zimbabwe a reality. The Group has hotels in every major tourist resort and in four out of the five major cities in the country, bringing that long-awaited tour of Zimbabwe on your doorstep.
The Group currently has the following divisions: City and Country Hotels, Resort Hotels and The Victoria Falls Hotel Partnership with Meikles Hospitality (Private) Limited.
Victoria Falls, a major tourist destination where African Sun operates hotels.
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Our Premier Brands
Our fine mix of select hotels including internationally recognized brands some of which have achieved world status amongst the “Top 100 Hotels in the World” makes leisure, business, conferencing and incentives our specialty. Our premier brand, The Victoria Falls Hotel, offers world-class hospitality with signature touches that define luxury travel.
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is one of the world’s leading hotel companies and franchises the Holiday Inn brand in Zimbabwe. Consistent with global benchmarks, the Holiday Inn hotels cater for the needs of global travellers with an international touch for both business and leisure. IHG’s goal is to create great hotels that guests love, and in Zimbabwe, both foreign and local African Sun Limited guests get to enjoy that experience.
Our homegrown brands, the African Sun stand-alone brands, are targeted at middle-range business and leisure travellers seeking warm and comfortable hotels.
At present, the Group manages nine hotels strategically located throughout Zimbabwe. Additionally, we have a Real Estate arm that complements our core business. Of the nine, the Company owns five properties (Holiday Inn Mutare, Troutbeck Resort, Elephant Hills Resort, Hwange Safari Lodge and Caribbea Bay Resort).
Our portfolio comprises three hotels located in major cities of Zimbabwe, which are affiliated with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG): Holiday Inn Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare. Furthermore, we operate five hotels in tourist destinations, including two prominent properties in the tourism hub of Victoria Falls: Elephant Hills Resort and Conference Centre, and The Victoria Falls Hotel, which is jointly managed with Meikles Hospitality (Private) Limited.
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Our home-grown brands consist of Troutbeck Resort, nestled in the scenic Eastern Highlands Mountains of Nyanga, and Caribbea Bay Resort, situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Kariba.
Our Real Estate division focuses on the maintenance, renovation, and construction activities pertaining to our hotel infrastructure. Our commitment to growing shareholder value is underpinned by four pillars.
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Leadership
The African Sun Board and Executive team is comprised of experienced professionals:
- Chairman: Mr. L. Mhishi
- Executive Directors: L. Ward - Chief Executive Officer
- Non-executive Directors: G. Chikomo, B. Childs, V.W. Lapham, T.M. Ngwenya, S. Village, A.E. Siyavora
Lloyd Mhishi was appointed to the African Sun Board on 1 May 2021 and subsequently Lead Independent Director on 30 June 2023 and Chairman on 8 July 2024. Lloyd is a practicing Legal Practitioner, academic, and author with over thirty years of legal practice experience as an associate and partner in well-known law firms in Zimbabwe and as the Founding and Senior Partner of Mhishi Nkomo Legal Practice. He has served as a non-executive Director of several organisations including: - the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, FBC Building Society, and Ecobank Zimbabwe .
Laurie Ward joined the Company in April 2023 and was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in December 2023, before assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer in July 2024. Laurie has over 25 years of executive management experience both internationally and throughout Africa, primarily in hospitality and project management, including exposure to best-in-class hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and Singita. Laurie is a Chartered Accountant (Zimbabwe), having served his articles with the Ernst & Young Mutare office.
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Lewis was appointed to the position of Chief Finance Officer on 1 October 2023. Lewis has over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry at a senior management level in Finance. He has had experience with 3 unique 5-star hotels in Zimbabwe and South Africa which were all affiliated to the Leading Hotels of The World. Before this appointment, he was the Finance Director of Meikles Hospitality (Private) and also doubled up as the Group Financial Controller of the Meikles Group. Lewis also has vast experience with the retail sector, security services sector, and properties sector.
Brett Childs was appointed to the African Sun Board on the 16th of March 2017. A Chartered Accountant originally from Zimbabwe, Brett is a business veteran with 25 years of experience in capital raising, initial public offering (IPOs), managing investments, and corporate exits. Brett spent 15 years in London, where he helped to build a successful venture business, and listed assets on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), and Mauritius Stock Exchange (SEM).
Mr. Lapham was appointed to the African Sun Board on 8 November 2021. He is a registered Public Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe, he received the W. A. Duff Award for the highest marks in Zimbabwe in the final qualifying exams of ICAZ. Mr. Lapham also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Accounting (DAA). Vernon has vast audit and business experience, having previously been the Audit Partner at Ernst and Young and CEO at MedTech Holdings .
Gina was appointed to the African Sun Board on the 30th of August 2018. She is an Accountant by training with a wealth of experience in prudent financial management. Gina has previously worked as the Finance Director and later the Managing Director of ZB Bank .
Alex was appointed to the African Sun Board on 8 November 2021. Á Chartered Accountant by profession, Alex has previously worked as The Chief Executive Officer of OK Zimbabwe a listed company with a network of sixty-eight stores around Zimbabwe. Before that, he was the Finance Director of the same company. Before his employment at OK Zimbabwe , he held the position of Finance Director at Merspin/Merlin Group of companies and was Finance Manager at Coca-Cola Swaziland. Alex is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe.
Thandi Ngwenya has over 25 years of corporate experience spearheading Marketing and Business Development initiatives across Africa in financial services, information technology, hospitality, and media. She is a previous board member of TBWA Zimbabwe. A Chevening scholar, Thandi holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree in Marketing from the National University of Science & Technology (NUST).
Simon was appointed to the Board of African Sun on 22 March 2024. With a career spanning over 35 years, Simon has served as the Managing Director of HSBC and head of their African research and Securities business, before joining the gold industry, where he was appointed as Managing Director of the World Gold Council (WGC) Investment Services and was instrumental in the creation and development of the worlds first gold ETF, which changed the dynamics of the global gold market. Simon founded Argentum in 2016.
Committees
The African Sun Limited has several committees to oversee various aspects of the business:
- Risk and Audit Committee: A. Chikomo (Chair), B. Childs, A. Siyavora, V. Lapham
- Investments Committee: B. Childs (Chair), G. Chikomo, V. Lapham, S. Village
- Nominations Committee: L. Mhishi, A. Siyavora, G. Chikomo
- Human Resources and Remuneration Committee: A. Siyavora (Chair), L. Mhishi, T. Denga, S. Village
- Marketing and Sales Committee (Incorporating the CSR Committee): T. Denga (Chair), B. Childs, S. Village, A. Siyavora
- Information Technology Governance Committee: V. Lapham (Chair), T. Denga, A. Siyavora
African Sun Lodge Durban: A Comfortable Stay in South Africa
Located in Durban, 2.9 miles from Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, African Sun lodge has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a shared lounge and a bar. Located around 5.9 miles from Durban Botanic Gardens, the motel with free WiFi is also 6.2 miles away from ICC Durban. The property provides a shared kitchen, a 24-hour front desk and luggage storage for guests.
The rooms is fitted with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a fridge, an electric tea pot, a shower and a desk. At the motel rooms come with a private bathroom and bed linen. African Sun lodge has a grill. UShaka Marine World is 6.9 miles from the accommodation, while Moses Mabhida Stadium is 7.7 miles from the property.
Located within 5 minutes' walk of Southway Mall, African Sun Lodge Durban hotel has a shared lounge. There are 17 rooms comprising a seating area. They come with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, as well as such comforts as an air conditioner. This Durban hotel also features an electric kettle and a fridge.
4.8 km from Bluff National Park Golf Club, this Durban motel is also around a 10-minute ride from Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve. The accommodation offers proximity to such natural sights as Durban Botanic Garden (7 km) and Bluff Nature Reserve (4.4 km). Greater St Lucia Wetland Park is a short distance from the hotel, and Sea View is situated 850 metres away. For those travelling from afar, King Shaka International airport is 35 minutes' drive away.
Address: African Sun Limited Bally House, Mount Pleasant Business Park, 870 Endeavour Crescent, Off Norfolk Road, Harare P.O.
