Lianne Kelly-Maartens joins Matetsi Victoria Falls as Director of Sales and Marketing

Family-owned and independently run Matetsi Victoria Falls welcomes Lianne Kelly-Maartens as Director of Sales & Marketing.

Lianne’s name is familiar to many in the tourism industry - she was with Sun International for many years, before working with We Are Africa, and then Cape Grace for over four years. From her time in the luxury hospitality space, Lianne brings a wealth of knowledge, a vast travel industry network and formidable experience to the Matetsi team – she is also a great storyteller with an abundance of energy.

Cape Town based, Lianne leads Matetsi’s in-house sales and reservations team. Together with the team on property they are focused on creating excellent experiences for guests, from time of booking, during their stay and after departure, while conserving vast areas of pristine wilderness, which offer incredible wildlife sightings.

Lianne’s appointment is the culmination of an exciting project spearheaded by acting-MD Sandy Pollard to build an exceptionally strong leadership team – on property this includes General Manager, Stian Commaille, along with three new positions: Hospitality Operations Manager, Executive Housekeeper, and Head Guide to complement the existing team on property. Each of the members of the Matetsi team (fondly referred to as the Matetsi family) brings unique talents and a passion for hospitality to the banks of the Zambezi river - they are the ones that truly make Matetsi Magic.

Testament to the phenomenal work of the Matetsi family, Matetsi Victoria Falls has been awarded numerous notable accolades from top tier publications including being named the No. 1 Resort Hotel in Africa in Travel + Leisure’s 2021 Worlds Best Awards. In 2023, Matetsi Victoria Falls was recognized in the Top 15 Resorts in Southern Africa in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards the property was voted as number 2 out of 5 in the category of Favourite Resorts in Africa and number 31 out of 100 as their Favourite Hotels in the World.

Part of the Matetsi Victoria Falls vision is, through recognition such as this, to show the world how exceptional Zimbabwe and her people are, and to be an example of how a single tourism operator can benefit not just a local area and economy, but a whole country by changing global perceptions and understanding.

The Gardiner family remain committed to creating a world class destination at Matetsi Victoria Falls, and in doing so conserving vast areas of pristine wilderness and creating employment, upskilling, and opportunities for Zimbabweans. With passion and a drive for excellence, the Matetsi family is excited for what the future holds, as they continue to develop talent, culinary expertise, guiding knowledge and skills, and warm authentic hospitality.