Kalipano country resort is crown jewel of Napoleon Dzombe’s illustrious career as an investor—Chakwera
At the official opening of the magnificent Kalipano Hotel by Sunbird on Monday — a country resort in Dowa District, President Lazarus Chakwera lavished praise on its founder, Dr. Napoleon Dzombe, saying “the feat he has accomplished as a developer in the tourism sector deserves special attention as the crown jewel of his illustrious career as an investor.
“We gather here to celebrate the development of Malawi by a distinguished Malawian,” he said. “This majestic hotel is not a franchise imported from abroad — it is the actualization of a colourful dream by one of our own, and it is such an honour to be here to witness it.
The country resort will be managed by Sunbird Tourism Plc, Malawi’s leading hospitality service provider in management agreement between Mtalimanja Holdings, whose founder and chairperson is Napoleon Dzombe.
It is the 10th property under the Sunbird Portfolio and Kalipano’s facilities composition includes: a 54 roomed resort, with three meeting rooms, bar, indoor restaurant and offers a wide range of leisure facilities and activities — that include the magnificent Kalipano lake for experiential fishing; agri-excursions; outdoor swimming pool; water sports; two event gardens and a planned floating restaurant.
Chakwera took cognizance that Napoleon Dzombe “is no stranger to performing wonders, since most Malawians already know of his prowess as a farmer in the agricultural sector, a philanthropist in the health sector, an entrepreneur in the business sector, a trainer in the education sector, a philanthropist in the social sector, and a food processor in the manufacturing sector”.
“But I think it is safe to say that the feat he has accomplished here as a developer in the tourism sector deserves special attention as the
crown jewel of his illustrious career as an investor.
“One of the things that delights me the most about this investment is how it has defied so many stereotypes people have about investing in the tourism sector. One such stereotype is how people do not consider Malawi’s rural areas as a tourist asset worth investing in.
“They think the only places for tourism development are the cities, the lake, and wildlife reserves. Mr. Dzombe is a successful investor because he does not subscribe to this narrow thinking.
“Tourism is about giving visitors a new and memorable experience away from home. And there is no doubt that Kalipano Hotel is a new and memorable experience that will henceforth be remembered as a pioneer in investment targeting rural Malawi.”
The President further said the rural investment should serve as an example for all Malawians with a disposable income, many of whom have a village in a rural area they are connected to, saying Napoleon Dzombe “is a Malawian bringing tourism development investment in his home district — and thus changing the face of Dowa as we know it”.
“You can do the same in your home district, for it is sad that there are districts in Malawi that remain undeveloped when their sons and daughters are economically successful in our cities or abroad.
“A second delight about this investment is the partnership between Malawi’s public sector and private sector. Although Mr. Napoleon Dzombe is the developer, he has entrusted the management of this establishment to Sunbird Tourism, in which Government has a major stake.
“In so doing, he has broken rank from those in the private sector who are stuck in the past where it was believed that private sector players should not go into business ventures with Government because Government is either not trustworthy or not good at business.
“The fact is that there are many people in Government who are accomplished individuals in business management, and the claim that nobody in Government knows anything about business is a lie and an excuse that has ran out of fuel. If we are going to develop Malawi into an inclusively wealthy middle income economy as envisioned in MW 2063, we need to stop mistrusting each other.
“As Government, we do a lot of consultations with private sector to build trust and forge partnerships, but trust is a two-way street. I, therefore, want to appeal to private sector players — especially those who for reasons known to themselves go around telling other investors not to invest in Malawi because Government cannot be trusted.”
Chakwera further said instead of burning the bridges between investors and Malawi through slander, people should follow Napoleon Dzombe’s example and build bridges of partnership with Government.
“If you are an investor and you need Government support, instead of lashing out at us, reach out to us. Together, we can do greater things than we can do apart, and all it takes is for us to have faith in each other.”
He also acknowledged that Napoleon Dzombe has taken to heart government’s promotion of the Agriculture, Tourism, and Mining (ATM) strategy by choosing one of these three priority sectors.
“He trusts that when we say that developing the tourism sector is one of our top priorities, we mean what we say,” he emphasized. “He trusts that when we placed tourism at the heart of the pillar of urbanization in MW2063, we were being serious. He trusts that when we said that we would promote any enterprise that creates jobs, we meant it.
“That is the kind of trust I am appealing to investors to have, because without trust, there can be no partnership, and without partnership, there can be no progress. I know that most of the mistrust private sector players have stems from their bad experiences with past Administrations, and Mr. Napoleon Dzombe himself has faced many frustrations under past Administrations.
“He once wanted to build a multi-million dollar bus terminal and spent so much money without being supported by the Governments of that time until he abandoned the project. But today he is back with new investments because he knows I was not part of those Administrations and those Administrations are no longer here.
“Not only do I have good intentions towards the private sector, but I also have a good plan. For the tourism sector, that plan is the Tourism Masterplan that I launched over a year ago, and it includes 103 tourism development projects that are ready for private sector investment.
“This is a new Malawi and we can only build it together by forgetting the failures of the past and forging ahead into the promise of the future.
And speaking of the future, I want to appeal to players in the tourism sector to embrace innovation, especially the kind that embraces local Malawians as consumers of tourist services.
“The idea that a tourist is only someone from abroad is from the colonial era and needs to be rejected. In your business model, pricing, and marketing, you need to show that you understand that in today’s world, the first tourist to attract to Kalipano Hotel is the Malawian in Mzuzu, Blantyre, Mwanza, Karonga, Mangochi, Thyolo, and all the other districts.
“It is therefore imperative that the management of this hotel turns this place into a bee-hive of activities that attract both local and international tourists alike. By giving this hotel a name in the vernacular, Mr. Dzombe is challenging us as Malawians to be the first to travel here as tourists, and this is a vision I fully support.
“As the country launches the much-awaited National Tourism Month this coming Friday, it is my sincere hope Malawians in this country will patronize at least one tourist destination. And for those who are able to reach this place, I hope you will spare some time to come and experience this wonder.
Located about 86km from the Capital City, Lilongwe, Sunbird’s website says “Kalipano is the perfect choice for leisure as well as corporate groups looking for more than a stay, but a relaxing sustainable tourism experience nestled amongst the endless scenic views, complimented by Sunbird’s unique, excellent and personalized service”.
“Sunbird Tourism continues to focus on the expansion of its foot print and brand extension through management contracts in order to ensure delivery of a rich, and diverse tourism experience for our guests while leading the drive to position Malawi as the preferred tourism destination for economic empowerment and job creation.
“Through management contracts, the Group intends to ensure that the product offer remains attractive for both the domestic and international markets, while continuing to target new markets.
“Under this arrangement with Sunbird Tourism, Kalipano Country Resort will have the distinct advantage of leveraging Sunbird Tourism’s significant investment in people, products, processes and marketing in order to position the business for growth.
“The coming on-board of Kalipano ensures that the Sunbird brand is well positioned with a product that is aligned with current and emerging trends, and is a rasponse to development of new markets focusing on responsible, sustainable, as well as community activity -based tourism.
“Sunbird Tourism is excited with this new venture that underscores the brand’s commitment to collaborating with local exceptional and inspiring entropreneurs, as we continue to transfer exceptional skills and elevate the standards of tourism in Malawi.”
Sunbird Hotels & Resorts is Malawi’s leading hotel chain with 10 properties including four city hotels in all three regions of Matawi — namely Sunbird Capital, Sunbird Mount Soche, Sunbird Lilongwe, and Sunbird Mzuzu.
It also has three popular beach resorts along Lake Malawi — Sunbird Waterfront, Sunbird Livingstonia, Sunbird Nkopola, a beachside Inn on the northern lakeshore, Sunbird Chintheche.
It also boasts of an iconic mountain resort in the former capital, Zomba — Sunbird Kuchawe and now the country resort; Kalipano Hotel by Sunbird.
“Sunbird Hotels & Resorts — ‘The Home of Hospitality’ — is known for offering excellent and personalized services, great cuisine and comfortable accommodation.”
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