We’re celebrating five years since we first opened the doors at Matetsi Victoria Falls, and we’d love to have you join in on the festivities.
01 August 2021 marked five years since we officially opened our doors here at Matetsi Victoria Falls. We had a soft opening, with East Camp opening in August 2016 and West Camp and River House opening in December that year. So, we’ve decided to celebrate our 5-year anniversary over five months, from August to December 2021!
Over the next five months, we will be sharing our celebrations on this page as well as through our newsletters and social media platforms. Sign up and like our pages to follow along.
During each month of our celebrations, we are compiling our very favourite Matetsi Magic moments from our guests and our team and sharing them on our blog.
We’d love you to celebrate with us by sharing your favourite Matetsi Magic memories. Anyone who does share will be sent a code for a 5% discount off their next new booking with us (valid until end of 2023) this can be used for any booking made through your favourite travel agent.
To celebrate our five-year milestone, we are also sharing a number of our very favourite recipes with you over the next five months.
A delectable tea time treat with the perfect balance of tart and sweet
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Simon joined our team pre-opening over five years ago. He’d secured a position in the maintenance department – primarily taking care of the pools, and learning additional skills along the way. However, he always knew that he wanted to join the kitchen team. That is where his true love lay.
He approached Executive Chef Shane Ellis asking to train in his free time and off days. Chef Shane agreed and Simon spent his evenings learning everything he could – from ingredients to cooking techniques. His commitment was evident, and when an entry level position became available in the kitchen, it was offered to Simon and he readily snapped it up.
Under the guidance of Chef Shane and Exec Head Chef Artwell Muchenje, Simon has gone from strength to strength. Having started out as a commi chef, he is now Chef de Partie.
Simon’s motto is “do everything with love” – and it’s evident that he truly loves cooking and working in the kitchen. He always has the biggest smile and takes great pride in his work.
Simon was always keen for his wife, Petty, to join the team too, and last year she joined the Matetsi family in her role as a kitchen porter. She’s now already training in the pastry section, and we are excited to watch both her and Simon’s journeys unfold.
This year, we lost a key member of the Matetsi family. Stephen Ndlovu was an exemplary guide from our Signature Africa tour guiding team, and an upbeat member of our team. With his passing we have lost a great man.
Stephen always had time for everyone, and he was a much-loved part of the Matetsi family. His passing comes as a great shock to all of us and he is greatly missed.
Stephen leaves behind a wife, a son and a daughter. His son is a passionate guide like his father and has now joined our Matetsi guiding team as a tracker. Stephen’s daughter has just started high school. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and our thoughts and prayers are with them.
Thank you, Stephen, for all that you taught us, for all the experiences we shared together and for lighting up the world with that smile of yours.
