Located 155 kilometres east of Harare, Gohori Resort is a hidden gem in the heart of Mutoko which offers so much more than luxury, but commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by creating employment, engaging farmers and helping under-privileged children.
The resort, a spitting distance from Mutoko Centre along the Nyamuzuwe Road, has 15 chalets, nine of which are standard and six dulex. It offers accommodation, dining as well as conferencing facilities.
It opened its doors in 2022.
Until fairly recently, however, most large businesses were driven almost exclusively with a single goal in mind: maximising profits, Harvard Business School suggests.
In the past few decades, however, more business leaders have recognised that they have a responsibility to do more than simply maximise profits for shareholders and executives. Rather, they have a social responsibility to do what’s best, not just for their companies, but for people, the planet and society at large. This realisation has led to the emergence of companies identifying as socially responsible to encourage diversity and inclusion, sustainability and making philanthropic efforts towards the community.
Speaking to Gohori general manager Tendai Muzenda, “the main thrust in building the resort was not actually focusing on the financial investment, but in fact, it is a commitment to the Mutoko community”.
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“As Gohori Resort, giving back to the community has been our drive, we help by providing water, paying school fees for under-privileged children, including exam fees, to mention a few,” Muzenda said.
Ndaizivei Kawadza, a teacher at Tsiko Primary School, shared her experience working with the resort, saying it had been a good thing for them as it has supported the school with sporting equipment, books and computers.
Mutoko is one of the places affected by recent droughts and the most affected are rural people due to their greater reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and health. Besides offering various opportunities to locals, the resort has become a ready market for surrounding communities and businesses.
A farmer named Nyasha Madega, 38, supplies the resort with cucumbers, butternuts, tomatoes and vegetables making it her market of choice.
“The resort has become our market where we sell all our farm produce and we have been selling there for almost a year now,” Madega said. “The presence of Gohori resort has sparked some positive change in surrounding communities in terms of jobs and I have two of neighbours who are working at Gohori, both of them are women.
An agriculture extension officer, Tarwirei, came to Mutoko in 2003 with her husband and they have four children. She invests her time in chicken rearing for eggs and meat which she sells to Gohori from time to time.
“When we came here the place at which Gohori was built was just a forest, but in 2022 we started to see developments. We were happy because we used to be robbed a lot, but the resort brought some security with them,” Tarwirei said.
“We used to have water challenges to an extent that we would walk long distances to fetch drinking water. We would wake up at 4am and return home around 9am because of long queues at the water point, but the resort has been kind enough to provide us with water,” Tarwirei said.
The resort offers accommodation that has en suite chalets which offer the ultimate relaxation and luxury, dining as well as conferencing facilities.
A plethora of activities from mountain hiking, bird watching, nature walks, swimming, visits to Mutoko monuments, the sacred Mutemwa Mountain and Ruchira Caves.
General manager Muzenda said future developments will focus on increasing room capacity, facilities as well as adrenaline-based activities.
“Our rooms are spacious, air-conditioned and, in fact, have modern amenities, including free wi-fi,” Muzenda said. “We have both standard and deluxe rooms. We are also happy to announce that we practice fish farming here and we offer our guests fresh fish, which is a very delightful cuisine. So for those needing to unwind from the busy city life, Gohori Resort is the place for you,” she said.