By Nangamso Mabindla
15 October 2004

MDANTSANE resident Itumeleng Shupinyaneng enjoys socialising and regularly used to invite her friends over to her home.

Now she has paying customers instead.

Shupinyaneng says she used to invite her friends over to her place for fun and relaxation, but the hospitality always left her broke. So, in 2001, Shupinyaneng took her sister's advice and converted her four-roomed house into a business and opened Tumie's Bed and Breakfast.

She had some knowledge of the hospitality industry - her father had worked as a chef in various hotels - and, since her mother was a domestic science teacher, Shupinyaneng grew up with a love of cooking.

"I used the combination when I started up my business. But believe me it wasn't easy," she says, settling down on one of her sofas in the small lounge to chat about her experiences.

Four visitors are eating supper in the cosy dining room.

Shupinyaneng continues: "I used to only have taxi drivers as my customers. The roof was leaking, everything was falling apart in my newly built flat at the back."

But all that has changed. Now the astute businesswoman hosts visitors from as far afield as Israel. Earlier this year Tumi's Bed and Breakfast was one of the accommodation venues for the South African Games held in Buffalo City.

She attributes the change to the help and training she received from the Eastern Cape Tourism Board. "They trained me on how to run a classy place of accommodation."

And the place oozes class, from the beautiful tiles to the locally made cane furniture.

"I always use local people. The person who does this furniture is one of my neighbours. I love his work."

The three-bedroom B&B sometimes gets too full, especially during the busy festive season. Because of this Shupinyaneng is planning to move to bigger premises so she can accommodate her beloved customers.

"I'm all about service. My customers are the most important people and my staff knows that," she says.

She has received recognition for her business acumen, with Tumie's Bed and Breakfast reaching the semi-finals in the AA Travel Guides' Accommodation Awards for township accommodation.

For more information call Tumie's Bed and Breakfast on (043) 762 3398 or 083 957 5371.