HOSPITALITY concern, Sterling Group of Hotels (Sterling) plans to expand into Zimbabwe’s leading tourist destinations as the country’s hospitality sector continues to rebound.
The group’s growth drive comes as Zimbabwe’s tourism industry gathers momentum, buoyed by international recognition that positioned the country among the world’s top travel destinations for 2025.
Sterling currently operates in Harare, Mvurwi, Bulawayo and Kanyemba.
Its portfolio includes a 14-room boutique hotel in Hogerty Hill, Borrowdale, a 28-room hotel with 18 villas and a conference centre in Mvurwi, and a 45-room luxury hotel in Bulawayo.
Speaking during a tour of the group’s Harare property on Tuesday, Sterling sales and business development executive Brian Nyakutobwa said the group was targeting expansion into all major tourist hotspots, although timelines were still being finalised.
At the top of its target destinations are Victoria Falls and Nyanga.
“It’s actually the target area; we want all the major tourists. Right now, I think it would be too early to give any timeframes, but I would say watch this space… It is a bit underground, but I think we just need to do the process a bit slow,” Nyakutobwa said.
He said affordability remained central to the group’s strategy, with competitive accommodation and meal rates designed to encourage domestic and regional travel.
“You know, in terms of accommodation rates and even our meals, they support and enable people.
“It’s affordable because people have not been travelling over the years, as they think it’s expensive. So, we are very conscious of that… Let’s make it affordable,” Nyakutobwa said.
“What we want is our hotels to be full and people to enjoy hotel services at affordable rates. That’s what we want to do.
“That’s what we are building. The tourism and hospitality industry in Zimbabwe is on the growth trajectory.”
Tourism visitors were projected to have reached 945 213 and 1,79 million for domestic and international tourist arrivals, respectively, last year, according to Treasury.
This year, these numbers are expected to rise to 947 103 and 1,87 million in terms of domestic and international tourist arrivals, respectively.
Zimbabwe’s tourism sector recorded significant growth in 2025, with industry players citing a 56% rise in activity.
“There has been a lot of interest, and it has all been added to its popularity by the recent nominating of Zimbabwe as the number one place to visit in the world by Forbes magazine,” Nyakutobwa said.
“So, that has really put Zimbabwe in the limelight, and if you look at the type of establishments that are gaining momentum, there is a lot of emphasis on boutique hotels.”
He said Sterling was emphasising the establishment of boutique hotels, which do not carry much capacity but provide the best service for tourists who want quiet and peaceful places.
“And boutique hotels are particularly small establishments that specialise in intimate services, and they are elegant.
“They pay attention to their guests, and that’s an avenue that a lot of tourists are looking for when they are going around the world.”
Nyakutobwa said tourists were essentially looking for places where they were not met with a lot of noise, where they get personalised attention yet still enjoyed their privacy.
“So that’s a concept that at Sterling Hotels we have also embraced through our Sterling Boutique Lodge in Hogerty Hill in Harare,” Nyakutobwa said.
“Obviously, we’ll be complementing the big hotels. You know, people want different kinds of service, so we’ll be coming in from that -newsd
