Business Reporter
Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) is completing a major refurbishment and expansion of Montclair Resort and Conference in Nyanga, transforming the property into a stronger accommodation, conferencing and leisure anchor for Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands.
The refurbishment increases the resort’s room capacity from 85 to 110 rooms.
The additional rooms have largely been created by optimising underutilised spaces within the existing property, including former storage areas and excess office space.
This approach has enabled RTG to unlock additional accommodation capacity without immediately constructing a completely new hotel wing. It reflects the Group’s focus on extracting greater value from existing assets while improving the guest experience and positioning acquired properties for stronger earnings growth.
Montclair was acquired by RTG in 2025 and has since been integrated into the Group’s operating, sales, reservations, procurement and revenue-management systems.
The transformation of the property is expected to support stronger occupancy, improved room yields and increased food and beverage, conferencing and leisure revenue. It will also strengthen RTG’s ability to attract larger groups, corporate retreats, conferences, weddings, sporting events and regional tourism business to Nyanga.
“RTG’s strategy is to position the Eastern Highlands as one of Zimbabwe’s most compelling tourism alternatives to Victoria Falls. While Victoria Falls remains the country’s leading international tourism destination, the Eastern Highlands offers a different but equally attractive combination of mountains, forests, waterfalls, outdoor adventure, heritage, cooler weather and scenic landscapes” said RTG Chief Executive Tendai Madziwanyika.
Montclair is being positioned as a centre of activity within this wider destination proposition.
The expanded resort will provide the accommodation and event infrastructure required to attract larger volumes of business into Nyanga. RTG expects that increased activity at Montclair will generate positive spillover benefits for smaller accommodation providers, tour operators, activity providers, event planners, transport companies, farmers, artisans and other businesses across the region.
Rather than seeking to capture every element of the visitor experience internally, RTG sees Montclair as an anchor property capable of stimulating a broader tourism ecosystem. When Montclair reaches capacity during large events and high-demand periods, overflow accommodation can be directed to smaller players in the area.
“This approach is intended to create a multiplier effect. A stronger Montclair can attract larger conferences and events that may not otherwise come to Nyanga, while surrounding businesses benefit from additional room demand, transport requirements, local excursions, food supplies and visitor expenditure” he said.
RTG is also exploring plans to add a further 40-room accommodation block at Montclair. This future phase would build on the initial refurbishment and position the resort to handle even greater volumes of conference, group and leisure business.
The expanded room base is complemented by investments in the overall quality and efficiency of the property. The refurbishment incorporates environmentally conscious features, including smart energy-management systems, water-efficient flushing systems and low-flow shower technologies.
These measures are expected to reduce utility consumption, lower operating costs and support RTG’s wider environmental, social and governance objectives.
Montclair will also benefit from RTG’s established revenue-management capabilities. The Group’s strong first-half 2026 results were partly driven by improved yielding across its portfolio and a deliberate focus on higher-quality revenue.
The Group will also use its conferencing expertise to position Montclair as a venue for business, government retreats, corporate strategy sessions, regional meetings, weddings and other events.
RTG’s event planner programme will support this strategy by allowing independent and smaller planners to use the Group as an extension of their businesses. Planners will be able to access Montclair’s accommodation, conferencing facilities, catering capabilities and operational infrastructure while retaining ownership of their client relationships.
The resort also benefits from RTG Mobile, the Group’s outside catering platform. This creates opportunities to support outdoor activities, destination weddings, off-site functions and events within the wider Eastern Highlands region.
Montclair’s integration into RTG comes at a time when the Group is experiencing strong growth across its portfolio. During the first half of 2026, all business units recorded higher occupancy, while Group revenue increased by 29% and EBITDA more than doubled.
The refurbishment and room-capacity expansion therefore form part of a wider growth strategy supported by improved cash generation and a strengthening balance sheet.
By transforming Montclair into a destination anchor, RTG is not only expanding its own room inventory. It is also creating a platform from which the Eastern Highlands can attract new events, longer stays, increased investment and wider participation by tourism businesses throughout the region.
