In the heart of Victoria Falls, where one of the world’s greatest natural wonders continues to inspire travellers from across the globe, stands Mbano Manor Hotel — a luxury boutique property born from resilience, vision, and decades of tourism expertise.
Behind the five-star establishment is Dr. Mati Martha Nyazema, affectionately known across the tourism industry as “Doc Mati,” a seasoned hospitality executive whose extraordinary career journey spans journalism, destination marketing, aviation, international hotel management, and finally entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the VA Tourism Podcast hosted by Kojo Bentum-Williams, Dr. Nyazema recounted the deeply personal story behind the creation of Mbano Manor Hotel — a project she describes as almost destined from childhood.
“My name is Mati Martha Nyazema and I’m the founder owner of Mbano Manor Hotel, Victoria Falls,” she said. “Because of my culture, younger people don’t call me by my first name, so everybody calls me Doc Mati because I do have a doctorate in tourism and business.”
A childhood connection to Victoria Falls
For Dr. Nyazema, the connection to Victoria Falls began long before she entered the tourism sector.
She recalled visiting the destination as a very young girl when her late father, a school headmaster in Harare, brought students on an educational excursion by train.
“I remember I was scared throughout because I was so young,” she said with a laugh. “But growing up, I was always the only one in class who had ever been to Victoria Falls because we studied it in geography and nature study. So I think there was always something between me and Victoria Falls.”
That early emotional connection would later shape the course of her life.
After earning her first degree and briefly working in journalism and national broadcasting, Dr.Nyazema transitioned into tourism, joining what is now the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority as a public relations officer.
“We were always flying to Victoria Falls, taking tourists, taking journalists,” she explained. “Honestly, I think there was always something about Victoria Falls and me.”
Curiosity, courage and a career across Africa
Dr. Nyazema’s career path would eventually take her far beyond Zimbabwe. After completing a master’s degree in International Hotel Management in the United Kingdom, she worked for hotel groups before making what many considered an unexpected leap into aviation with British Airways.
The move, she admitted, came largely out of curiosity.
“One day I opened the newspaper and saw an advert,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘I think I’ve got these characteristics,’ so I applied.”
Initially rejected because her application was allegedly late, Dr. Nyazema challenged the decision directly.
“I phoned the general manager and said, ‘My application was not late,’” she said. “I think by doing that, she actually interviewed me over the phone because she thought I was gutsy.”
Weeks later, she was invited to interview for another position and secured a role that would become one of the defining chapters of her career.
“My life has been a little bit like that,” she reflected. “Sometimes I’ve challenged something and it ended up working for me.”
At British Airways, Dr. Nyazema eventually rose to become Area Marketing Manager for Africa, overseeing operations and communications across numerous African markets.
“You can imagine the challenge of trying to manage communications across African countries,” she said. “But British Airways didn’t care about excuses. They just said, ‘Make it work.’”
She described the experience as transformative.
“For me, that was probably the best corporate experience ever,” she said. “Working for an organisation that does things by the book, that is efficient, but also works very fast.”
Her extensive experience later saw her become Managing Director of Cresta Hospitality before joining Southern Sun Hotels in South Africa, where she spent 15 years helping oversee hotel expansion projects across the continent, including in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Nigeria.
“I was probably one of the only black executives at the beginning,” she said. “But I learned so much from some incredibly powerful hoteliers.”
The dream that changed everything
The inspiration to build a luxury hotel in Victoria Falls came unexpectedly during a conversation with her husband as she approached the age of 50.
“We had this thing at Southern Sun that once you turn 50, you should start thinking about what’s next,” she said.
During the conversation, she casually mentioned a long-held dream.
“I just said, ‘I want to open something in Victoria Falls.’”
Her husband’s response changed everything.
“He looked at me and said, ‘So why don’t you do it?’”
Within weeks, Dr. Nyazema travelled to Victoria Falls to begin exploring investment opportunities.
“At first I thought maybe I would buy one of those small lodges in town,” she explained. “But then taxi drivers started telling me there was land available.”
That discovery shifted her thinking entirely.
“By day three, I realised maybe I could actually build something from scratch.”
Eventually, she was introduced to a landowner and immediately recognised the opportunity.
“I said, ‘Please give me 30 days first right of refusal while I see if I can raise the money.’”
Building Mbano Manor against the odds
Securing the land in 2016 was only the beginning.
Dr. Nyazema spent most of 2017 trying to raise capital for the project, initially approaching institutions in South Africa where she had built much of her career.
“I honestly thought because I had spent almost 20 years in South Africa, funding would be straightforward,” she said. “But people simply didn’t want to invest in Zimbabwe.”
The process forced her to rethink her strategy.
Eventually, she discovered that pension funds could potentially finance hospitality projects.
“It took months of research until I finally found the two pension funds that funded us,” she explained.
In one of the interview’s most dramatic moments, Dr. Nyazema revealed that the funding agreements were signed on the very day Zimbabwe’s 2017 military coup unfolded.
“We literally signed on the day of the coup,” she said. “The pension fund manager wanted to postpone, but I said, ‘No, we are not postponing this. What is happening outside is outside. We are signing today.’”
Construction officially began in January 2018 and lasted nearly two years.
“It was intense,” she admitted. “I was pushing all the way.”
Despite industry norms requiring developers to secure all financing upfront, Dr Nyazemaproceeded in phases, raising money even while construction was underway.
“I broke a few rules,” she laughed. “I raised money for the bricks and mortar first, then continued fundraising for furniture and fittings while construction was happening.”
Then COVID-19 arrived
After years of relentless work, Mbano Manor finally welcomed its first guests in February 2020.
Weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic brought global tourism to a halt.
“We traded for six weeks,” Dr. Nyazema recalled. “Then the world shut down.”
The consequences were devastating.
“I had built a team of 28 staff members,” she said. “I had to lay off 20 people, some in the very month they joined.”
With international travel suspended and no guests arriving, the hotel’s survival depended largely on personal savings and decades of disciplined financial management.
“My husband’s pension and my pension — that’s what kept us going,” she said candidly.
Yet despite the enormous challenges, Dr. Nyazema remained remarkably reflective about the experience.
“The funny thing is, COVID actually forced me to rest,” she said. “From 2017 to 2019, I had been running nonstop.”
A story of African tourism leadership
Today, Mbano Manor Hotel has become one of Zimbabwe’s most respected luxury boutique hospitality properties, attracting international travellers seeking personalised African luxury experiences.
But beyond the hotel itself, Dr. Nyazema’s story has increasingly become an example of African tourism entrepreneurship driven by persistence, creativity, and belief in the continent’s potential.
Her journey — from a young girl fascinated by Victoria Falls, to a senior executive in some of Africa’s leading hospitality and aviation companies, and ultimately to founder of a world-class hotel — mirrors the resilience and ambition shaping a new generation of African tourism leadership.
“I think my life has always been about curiosity,” she reflected during the interview. “I’ve taken chances, challenged things, learned from people, and kept moving forward.”
And for Dr. Mati Nyazema, that journey appears far from over.
This article was first published in the August 2026 edition of VoyagesAfriq Travel Magazine
