Botho Kraal t/a Ubuntu Kraal Guest House

Oupa was one of the first five officials involved in setting up the Mpumalanga government back in those days. His job then was as spokesman for the province’s first premier, a task that involved communicating to audiences of millions what the new administration was doing and why, and what its policies and vision were.

The 42-year-old was born near Nelspruit. “My umbilical cord is buried here,” says the entrepreneur who spent much of his childhood in Soweto. “You know, we Africans are very sentimental about such things, about where your umbilical cord is buried. That ties me to this province. You would have to find something very, very important to make me move out of Mpumalanga.”

In 1985, at the height of anti-apartheid unrest in the townships, Oupa’s family judged it expedient to send the young activist away to the quieter Eastern Transvaal, the modern province of Mpumalanga. Today a consultant to local government on performance management, Oupa is studying towards his PhD at Wits University. Apart from his studies, his consulting work and family, he somehow finds plenty of time to devote to his passion; the Ubuntu Kraal Guesthouse which he and wife Sesi opened in the hills above Nelspruit just three years ago.

Botho Kraal is in an area called “Steiltes” which translates, more or less, as “steep inclines”. It is one the wealthiest suburbs in the Mpumalanga capital; lush subtropical gardens creating an inviting jungle-like setting for an upmarket, beautifully styled guesthouse.

Botho Kraal’s  11 rooms are all en-suite, all have satellite television and airconditioning, bar fridges and electric blankets in winter. There is also a well-stocked, regularly updated DVD library available to all guests. Rates start from just R480 single including breakfast. Says Oupa: “We’ve always believed that travel is everyone’s right. We believe that you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy travelling. And we believe that cheap doesn’t have to mean second-rate. What we’re offering is more than any of the hotels but we are half the price. And we can give people a service they won’t even expect from the hotels. For instance, we don’t tell people what’s available for breakfast; we ask them what they want and we try to meet their preferences.”

Oupa laughs when he says that he got into tourism “by default”. At the height of the recent economic boom, he and Sesi were considering investing in property but wondering how to finance their investments. “That was when we started thinking seriously about the idea of a guesthouse. Then a friend asked me to plan an itinerary for a group who were visiting Nelspruit from Gauteng. They wanted classy accommodation that was affordable. That got me thinking, ‘I can do this. I can provide the accommodation.’ I’ve told TEP that this place is a seed. We’re going to grow from this seed but you have to nurture the seed very carefully. Becoming an Eteya [Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year] finalist in 2007 really motivated us to become a major small player in the industry.”

The seed has recently shot out spectacular roots next door where a large new addition to Botho Kraal is rapidly taking shape. After buying the neighbouring property, Oupa and Sesi began work on completely renovating the building and incorporating it into the hugely successful guesthouse. The annexe will include 13 rooms, all of them en-suite, a spa, spa bath and gymnasium.

Oupa is frank about how he perceives TEP: “I love them,” he says. “I’ve interacted with a lot of tourism organisations. I always thought that I wanted to see them putting their money where their mouths were but it was different with TEP. That’s just what they did. They’re very active, and they’ve helped us with exposure and training; they’ve helped to carry us from the time we first had this dream until we actually reached it.”