Country Jewel

What would a radio journalist know about running an exclusive guesthouse? “Nothing, absolutely nothing,” laughs Carol. “That’s why I employed the best people to help me when we started.” Carol is honest about the fact that she didn’t know what she was letting herself into when she visualised converting their farm barn and cottages into an events and guesthouse facility. Her husband, Lloyd Sambo, persuaded to give up her career as a radio personality and, true to her nature, she took the bull by the horns and turned her dreams into a reality. Carol took the first two letters of her name, added it to her husband’s surname and Casambo was born.

“We had a derelict workshop on our farm that my husband wanted to pull down,” explains Carol. “I would go up to the barn in the evenings after work and quietly contemplate how I could bring the old girl back to life. It was a dark and dingy place but I saw her come alive in my mind by visualising exquisite weddings, soulful jazz evenings and outrageous fashion shows.”

Carol loves to travel and has spent her fair share of time in hotel rooms around the world. “I was very critical of the places I stayed in, which is quite ironic, because now I have to deliver on the standards of cleanliness and service I expected in my travels,” adds Carol. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison. There will always be those that complain and we take every comment to heart. We learn as a team and fix things as a team.”

“I was previously in radio,” says Carol, referring to her career as an investigative journalist, presenter and producer with Barberton Community Radio and then SABC. “I’m very arty, love decorating and knew what I wanted but obviously had no experience in running an exclusive guest house. My husband is my biggest fan and was confident I could make the business work but faith alone wasn’t enough. I needed the right people to run the business. So I poached Tracey Chambers from Royal Malawane and an excellent chef who has over 20 years experience in hotel catering. I guess you could say our secret ingredient is the people we employ.”

Tracey, general manager of Casambo, has been in the hospitality industry for the past 23 years. She’s worked in lodges and hotels ranging from 3 stars to 5 stars, even one that’s regarded as the second best hotel in the world. “I’ve gained tremendous experience and industry knowledge over the years so I was happy to accept the challenge of managing a start-up business in the Lowveld,” says Tracey.

“We’ve had our struggles and the test is to be a sustainable establishment in quiet economic times,” says Carol. “The Lowveld hospitality industry is very competitive with many excellent choices available. In the early days, I’d often have a good cry and wonder what I’d got myself into.  Today, our team constantly innovates; we create events and refresh our offering to keep the market excited about us and to stay top of mind.”

MTPA (Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks) introduced Carol to the Tsogo Sun Book a Guesthouse entrepreneurial development programme, for which she is extremely grateful. “I was thrilled to be among the top five finalists competing in the competition, and ecstatic when I was chosen as the Most Outstanding Entrepreneur on the programme,” enthuses Carol. “But it wasn’t about winning; its true value has been polishing our brand through the knowledge I’ve gained.”

“The programme is designed for small business enterprises, with the main focus being on developing woman in the industry,” explains Carol. “It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve had exposure to branding in massive global corporations, I’ve been on cooking courses through the SA Chef Association, and gained in-depth knowledge on managing a brand and its reputation from key-note speakers.”

“I’ve learnt so much but three things stood out for me; that you need to sell your business 24/7, you need to revisit your brand all the time and, lastly, you must have an intimate knowledge of the whole market – latest trends, shifts in needs etc. – so you stay up-to-date and relevant.”

What’s in the pipeline for Casambo?

“To expand on the whole Casambo experience,” says Carol. “We’re adding a spa for our wedding and corporate guests, introducing an exciting extension to our menu, developing a lifestyle centre to support local artists and designers, and we’re tapping into markets in neighbouring countries with some very unique events we’ve planned.”

“The Tsogo Sun award will open doors for us,” says Carol. “But, for my team, it’s business as usual and that means delivering the total Casambo experience to our guests every day of the year.”

Get in touch
Carol Sanderson: Casambo Exclusive Guest Lodge
072-277-6830