Maswikiti one among resilient few :: Mmegi Online

KASANE: Botswana was never spared from the paralysing effects of the pandemic on the global tourism industry, but for the resilient few like Thelma Maswikiti and her airport lounge company, the first major influx of international tourists into Kasane in two years has sparked a glimmer of hope.

Maswikiti’s company, Nthula Airport Lounges, founded nine years ago in Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in 2013 provides comfortable exclusive seating areas to people in transit at airports. Originally based in Gaborone, the company expanded to Kasane International Airport in 2018 finding the major inflows of international tourists into the Chobe region to be much greener pastures.

Naturally, a business solely dedicated to catering for people in-transit travel would be the hardest hit by the pandemic and its associated restrictions as Maswikiti’s business was forcibly closed during the first lockdown of 2020 when the international flight came to a near-complete halt. The company endured two full years of draconian restrictions placing a vice grip on its finances and sustained viability into the future, however, Maswikiti remained persistent in her endeavours.

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