Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
“Coming home” and a shared African destiny are key themes which emerge from the recent radio on air meeting between two of Southern Africa’s inspirational women leaders, Unathi Nkayi and Mati “Doc” Nyazema.
Unathi Nkayi is a respected South African musician, author, and media personality. Mati Nyazema is a tourism professional, and the founder and owner of the iconic Mbano Manor hotel Victoria Falls, which is featured by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 World’s Greatest Places To Visit 2025.
Showcasing live on her popular 93.8 radio show, Unathi describes Doc Mati as a visionary African woman “lifting the storytelling of the continent” and breaking barriers as the first Black female to build and own a luxury boutique hotel in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. Unathi notes that the prestigious recognition by TIME magazine places the five-star boutique Mbano among the world’s most exceptional destinations.
The powerful interview touches on Doc’s journey from childhood, family values, to building the hotel, and to the significance of the hotel’s rise to international acclaim for a broader African and global audience. Doc explains the meaning of Mbano, drawn from her cultural lineage of the Mbano Matemavi clan of the Shona ethnic group, and symbolised by the female elephant.
“For TIME to recognise our story is a profound honour,” says Mati Nyazema. “Mbano is built on identity, community and unapologetic African excellence. It is a place where guests reconnect with themselves, with nature…Tourism is about telling our stories with pride.”
Unathi sealed the powerful tribute with a promise to bring her friends for a girls’ getaway, and to also broadcast a radio show live from Mbano Victoria Falls in early 2026. “We are coming home, Doc.”
Listen to the full radio interview below: