The Sunday News
BULAWAYO is a city endowed with an array of tourist attractions which include various arts and crafts centres and popular restaurants that offer visitors a feel of the rich history and heritage that defines the City of Kings and Queens.
Not to be outdone in a bid to showcase what the city offers, a local restaurant and pub – Cape to Cairo – is undergoing renovations as it seeks to boost its clientele by reaching out to the tourism sector through introducing packages that will attract tourists.
Better known in past years as the “meat place” because of its rather extravagant menu, which had a variety of meat (inclusive of game), Cape to Cairo for the greater part of 2014, received more than just negative reviews but saw it drastically losing popularity from both locals and foreigners.
Being classed as one of the worst leisure destinations of the city, characterised with “down-at-heel” features such as filthy restrooms, dusty old drapes, rugs and a poor lighting system, the owner of the establishment saw it fit to shut down and undergo renovations.
With an undisclosed budget for renovations, which are under way, Cape to Cairo is set to reopen before the year ends operating under new management, which seeks to promote domestic tourism by offering various tourist packages which include safari guides.
In an interview with Sunday Business, the owner of the establishment, Mr Peter Mubi, said he was on the verge of turning Cape to Cairo into a one-stop destination, offering not just entertainment but also knowledge on the country’s historical background, particularly targeting tourists.
“Cape to Cairo was known as the meat place, we used to offer a variety of meats and a relaxing atmosphere, which had also grown popular with tourists. Over the last two years it lost its prominence and lustre due to the lack of knowledge on the part of the management. We don’t want Cape to Cairo to just be known as a pub but a one-stop shop, where our clientele can easily access not just entertainment but also basic knowledge on wildlife and other important information about the city and the country,” he said.
Cape to Cairo is renovating both the exterior and interior to feature a whole new experience, which Mr Mubi said he hoped to attract a multi-racial clientele.
The makeover involves swanky but aggressive decor, which includes tiled floors and walls adorned with wild life trophies, luxurious bars and new furniture.
The renovations also include the restructuring of the stage, seating layout and a garden with a full barbeque set up and fish pond.
“This will be one of the best mature places in Bulawayo, our renovations include retiling the place adding new mirrors, adding a new sound system and having a resident musician, who by the way so happens to play the saxophone. We have also taken the fridges for re-conditioning and plan on expanding the cold room so that we don’t run out of chilled beverages,” said Mr Mubi.
Mr Mubi said his aim was to attract a multi-racial crowd, with hopes of rekindling Cape to Cairo as the meeting point for tourists, as it used to be known.
“When we talk about tourists we are not only talking about international ones but local people as well. We will be introducing a jazzy environment, which is an element that is lacking in Bulawayo.
We hope to work with local groups where we will work towards promoting each other,” he said.
Mr Mubi added that on the business side of things Cape to Cairo would also be offering corporate facilities to the business sector.
“In line with our goals we also aim at offering the corporates a place where they can host outdoor meetings or activities in a rather relaxed atmosphere. It is now a very common phenomenon to host outdoor meetings and we are able to cater for that,” said Mr Mubi.
He noted that there would be a fully equipped WiFi facility for internet connectivity.
