7 Black-owned Hotels & Lodges in Africa to Stay In for Your Next Trip
Mar 28, 2024 12:00PM ● By Boitumelo Masihleho
Many Africans, the African diaspora, and international tourists are traveling Africa today. Over the last decade, a boom in global travel among Black Americans has brought with it a growing interest in trips to Africa. Black travel to Africa has gained momentum in recent years, but safari travelers remain mostly white. As the travel industry continues to evolve, there is a noticeable surge in the number of Black-owned and African-owned hotels across the continent. Staying at Black-owned hotels allows tourists to contribute directly to the local economies and communities they visit. From boutique hotels in bustling cities to eco-lodges nestled in the heart of nature, Black-owned hotels in Africa offer a wide range of options to suit every traveler’s taste and budget.
Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls By Mantis
Dr. Matifadza Martha Nyazema is the founder and owner of the lovely Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls. Born on the family private farm in Msengezi, Dr. Nyazema credits a lineage of hardworking grandparents for her enterprising spirit. A long tourism career covered senior positions in destination marketing, airline, hotel, and convention center management, based in several African countries. Dr. Nyazema has traveled extensively, visited over 60 countries, and garnered an appreciation of world-class hospitality in leading tourism destinations.
Mbano Manor Hotel by Mantis is conveniently located within minutes of Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Mbano Manor Hotel by Mantis boasts 18 luxurious standard suites and a private villa, scattered in seclusion across the natural beauty of the surrounding forest estate, punctuated by daily sightings of wildlife. Victoria Falls is a bucket-list paradise, offering an abundance of leisure pursuits and adventure tourism activities, with options including sightseeing at the iconic Victoria Falls, river safaris, helicopter excursions, game drives in nearby parks, white water rafting, and bungee jumping.
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Daze House
Daze House is one of Johannesburg, South Africa’s most impressive boutique hotels, with hilltop views. The founder of Daze House, Gabe Leavall, was intentional with the design. Located in Observatory Johannesburg, Daze House not only exists as a space for travelers to rest and relax while exploring Johannesburg, but it also is an events space, a local shop showcasing luxury African artisan products, and home to Kin Watu, an independent art project. Guests can explore Johannesburg and Africa by booking one of the 10 African-themed rooms. Some African countries that make a luxurious cameo in the boutique hotel include the Namibia room, Lesotho room, Ethiopia room, and the Kenya standard cottage room, to name a few.
African Bush Camps
Founded by professional guide Beks Ndlovu, African Bush Camps has 15 luxury tented camps and lodges in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Booking a stay at any of these camps or lodges means having an incredible safari experience in some of Africa’s most untouched areas. Ndlovu envisioned allowing travelers to explore the wonders of an African safari, rooted in the intimate heartlands of Africa, in harmony with its surroundings, and in touch with nature. African Bush Camps promotes and influences travel to Africa on a global scale while operating with a strong focus on conservation, and an environmentally sustainable footprint that celebrates the culture of communities in the areas in which it operates.
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Angels View
Dr Reuel Khoza and his wife Mumsy Khoza (nee Thaledi), a well-known family from Acornhoek felt driven to create a legacy on this incredible space that straddles the escarpment. True warriors of tourism the family has a rich industry history that spans three decades. Inspired by Shangaan styles, renowned Donald Nxumalo Interior Design has embraced traditional motives right through the hotel. Located on the breath-taking God’s Window escarpment, this breath-taking destination accommodation establishment offers an array of accommodation options
The hotel facilities include the Grande Pool Deck, viewing decks, spa, gymnasium, library, and plenty of lounge space to relax and soak up the unique setting. Guests will especially enjoy the funky glass bar area, Café Ahe. Angels View boasts a myriad of accommodation options, from the contemporary-styled superior and luxury panorama rooms to the 10 Earth Grotto suites, the four-bedroom Khoza House, and two one-bedroom suites complete with mini kitchens and private balconies.
AM Lodge
AM Lodge, a conservancy, home to a range of animals including buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and several antelope species, is flanked by Big Five private game reserves that form part of the Greater Kruger National Park, an area that covers approximately 20 million hectares dedicated to the conservation of wildlife. It is an exclusive, award-winning, five-star lodge that is situated in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa. This luxury lodge hosts a maximum of 22 guests in the utmost luxury and style. Six suites offer complete seclusion as well as private and stunning views. Two completely secluded suites with private plunge pools provide an even more exclusive luxury African safari experience. Auswell Mashaba built AM Lodge but his children — Nsovo and Njombo — were made directors of the company.
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Arijuju House
Arijuju House is a stunning accommodation, located on a gaming site in Kenya. It was created by a family (who prefers to remain anonymous) raised in West Africa and Norway with a passion for conservation and wilderness experiences. The idea was to create a home that worked hand in hand with nature – reminding the half-Nigerian, half-English owner of his childhood spent in central Nigeria, where all he ever wanted to be growing up was a game ranger – while helping to protect the African bush.
Dedicated to conservation, Arijiju has been sustainably built and its tourism model funds local conservation projects. The house takes its name from the Maasai word for the hill on which it was built stands on the Borana Conservancy. The owner of Arijiju used to own a record label in Nigeria. With his appreciation for the nature of acoustics, he built Arijiju low down in the cross of two valleys. Carved into the bedrock, Arijiju blends so discreetly into the landscape that it’s hard to spot, even from the air. Determined to make the house as unobtrusive as possible, the exact position of the house, anchored by views of Mount Kenya, was chosen so that each of the bedrooms gets an elaborate, equatorial light show at sunrise.
Jnane Tamsna
Jnane Tamsna blends Meryanne Loum-Martin’s splendid interior design and Gary Martin’s serene nine-acre garden. Integrating 5 houses, 5 pools, and a tennis court, this unique boutique hotel offers 24 individual rooms, private villa rentals, and full exclusivity for events. Moorish arches painted in warm butterscotch frame views of bright blue skies and a verdant garden, where winding paths lead to five secluded villas housing deeply comfortable rooms styled easily. A highlight is the Diversity Excursions, which are led by university graduates keen to take tourists off the beaten track and show them something of Moroccan customs, cuisine, and art.
Loum-Martin was born in Cote d’Ivoire to a Senegalese diplomat father and a West Indian lawyer mother. She spent her early childhood in Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, London, and Moscow before settling in Paris), and she believes Morocco historically embodies the crossroad of influences.
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Source
She's an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own YouTube channel where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content.
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