Guesthouse owner wins in the art of business
Carol Sanderson gave up journalism to run her own business.
MBOMBELA – Chosen from among five worthy finalists as the programme’s most outstanding entrepreneurs,Tsogo Sun’s 2014 Guesthouse of the Year winner is Carol Sanderson, owner of Casambo Exclusive Guest Lodge.
This eagerly-anticipated announcement was made by Tsogo Sun CEO Marcel Von Aulock, at a glittering black tie awards ceremony hosted on Friday at the Riverside Sun Resort.
The five finalists, who were groomed for the position of Tsogo Sun Guesthouse of the Year, were Ntombekhaya Swartbooi from Blessed Corner Guesthouse and Mbuyisile Kondile from Edge Lodge – both in the Eastern Cape; Carol Sanderson from Casambo Exclusive Guest Lodge and Nosipho Malope of Ekhayalethu Guesthouse – both in Mpumalanga; and Jenny Govender of Sanchia Luxury Guest Lodge in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We congratulate Carol on this exciting achievement and look forward to the forthcoming year of working closely with her, spreading the message of entrepreneurial development through the Book a Guesthouse programme,” says Candy Tothill, Tsogo Sun’s Group Internal Communications & Special Projects Manager.
“At the same time, we are also immensely proud of all our entrepreneurs and what they are achieving in their respective businesses and we’re delighted to be able to contribute towards their success.”
Casambo is situated on 10 hectares of land on the outskirts of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Owned and run by Sanderson and her family, which includes her five children, the guesthouse was established after her entrepreneur husband planted the idea that she could be a successful business woman in her own right, giving up her life as a radio journalist.
The lodge boasts exquisitely landscaped gardens and swimming pool, complimented by the unique 115@Casambo venue. This is a stylish multi-purpose event space showcasing a cigar lounge and a trendy VIP lounge, which can host a myriad of diverse events, from fashion shows to art exhibitions and poetry readings.
“It was a privilege to give our hardworking and successful entrepreneurs the valuable opportunity to gain powerful new insights through the conference and experience the hospitality of our Riverside Sun Resort,” concludes Tothill.
