The 9th of August is Women's Day commemorating the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. Morukuru Family is blessed with beautiful, bright and brave female colleagues. Therefore, we have decided to celebrate our Women of Morukuru Family for the entire month of August, which has become known as Women’s Month. Let’s get to know the individuals behind the title and name.
To kick off our month of womanhood, we sat down with our owner Anka Zeeman:
Beyoncé said that a woman's most alluring thing is confidence. Do you have any words of wisdom for women to build their confidence? Rather regret the things you did do rather than the things you didn’t do. So many women are very hard on themselves, which contributes to a lack of confidence - whether tackling a new job or pitching a great idea. The only advice I can give is based on personal experience - go for it - just jump in and reject the notion of failure. I’ve found that women are much stronger and more capable than they think.
Women are recognised as great communicators, negotiators, and analysers. What other important skills do Morukuru women add to the business? I think the Morukuru women add refinement to our product. They are the ones elevating the experience. Our team of ladies bring exceptional creativity - adding little touches to give guests a memorable experience. I rely on these skills to augment special events and special guest anniversaries.
When creating Morukuru Family, tell us your top three learning experiences. My biggest takeaway is that I didn’t comprehend the investment required in marketing and building relationships with travel agents. Even if you have the best product out there - generating sales requires an enormous push. But now, I’m executing a straightforward mission; making our guests happy. And I do that in an elementary way - I analyse my own experiences, expectations and wishes and translate those into the Morukuru concept. It’s not rocket science - but it works.
All Morukuru Family properties have beautifully created spaces. When you visit each location - what are your favourite spots to enjoy your morning coffee? When I’m in the Madikwe – I love the new pool pergola at the Owners’ house The inner courtyard veranda of Ocean House is my sanctuary in De Hoop and AtholPlace gives me the veranda of the villa.
Morukuru Family caters to every need of guests -the experiences are incomparable- but sometimes you need a little something extra - what are some of your home comforts you bring along when you travel? To be honest - none. I have the privilege to create my own homes from home at Morukuru. I like to be surrounded by my books. I can spend hours in the bathtub, especially in the outdoor ones, catching up on reading.
Johannesburg is the location of AtholPlace House & Villa. You find yourself with a whole day to yourself. What would you like to do? Take a walking tour of the City. Scout out a favourite art gallery? Or spend the day at “home” enjoying the delightful garden, library and pool? A combination of it all. I like to visit Joburg artists and art galleries. I feel I am in Africa, surrounded by all cultures in Johannesburg. I know the reputation of the city, but the city is so resilient. I love to learn about its history but also – with my real estate background – I’m keen to learn about the developments to revive the city. That said, I also love to hang around “at home” on the veranda or at the pool, and I am always keen to discover excellent new restaurants in town.
What is your favourite season in South Africa and why? My favourite season is spring/September. That’s when all the properties show off. Johannesburg has balmy weather, and the Jacaranda trees blossom at the end of that month. The bush is open, dry and hot but still some crispness in the air at night, and in De Hoop, we have the whales in front of the house and the fynbos flowering. Plus, the canola fields flower, highlighting the drive to de Hoop.
Morukuru Family has a reputation for carefully stocked wine cellars – do you enjoy red, white or bubbles? My favourite is definitely white wine and especially Chardonnay and Chenin wines.
Morukuru Family Madikwe is a wilderness paradise with the chance of excellent game spotting. What would your wish list include if you hopped on a game vehicle and could choose just three animals to spot? Number 1 - definitely the elephant, and luckily we have plenty. Rhino is also in the top 3. Both elephant and rhino give me the sense they are from a different era, from pre-historic times. And for the 3rdone, I will go for zebra. Of course, I love many more animals, but I like the zebra's grace and black and white stripes.
Morukuru Ocean House and Beach Lodge are situated in the magnificent De Hoop Nature Reserve. Would you agree that “life is better at the beach”? Life is great at the beach! I am definitely not a beach baby, but I love the sea and the coastal environment. When the water is calm, and it's low tide, I will snorkel in our rockpools. For me, De Hoop is more about nature than just the beach. Although …. Nothing can beat our lunches with your toes in the sand and the food served on a stretch of beach just for you.
What would your message be to all the Morukuru women - this women’s month? My general message for women is to believe in themselves, don’t waste too much time being insecure and try to make sure they are independent in their lives.