Keeping the lodge looking spick and span is her passion!

For Marcia Ndubane, cleaning house is not a chore, it's something she's 100% dedicated to, 24/7. You could even say it's her obsession, but one she loves and that makes her happy. Which is a good thing, because as Baobab Ridge's Head Housekeeper she's in charge of making sure everything's pristine, especially in our luxurious guest suites.

The mother of three hails from nearby Powerline Trust, a small community in Acornhoek which is where she was born and raised. She left school in 2007 and her family circumstances meant she couldn't continue her education. So she quickly found a job as a domestic worker until 2011, when Baobab Ridge first opened and she got a job as a housekeeper. 

"I also helped out in the scullery and did a bit of everyting, to begin with," she recalls with a smile. "But in 2012, when Jason and Nini saw that I was a hard worker, they promoted me to the head of housekeeping and I began to run the whole housekeeping department," she says.

Being in charge of the housekeeping team was something the shy 36-year-old feels she was born to do. It was her grandmother who taught her to love cleaning and housework, urging her to get up early each morning as a young girl and make their humble home as neat as a pin, sweeping the yard, polishing floors, cleaning thoroughly before anyone else was awake. 

"She never wanted to see any dirt so taught me how to do everything properly, from washing dishes and floors to linen and towels to making beds properly and keeping the yard in good order. I used to get up at 5am to start cleaning to help my mother who was selling fresh produce. Since then I have always been house proud and very well organised. I am proud of how I clean."

Marcia has a team of five housekeepers working with her at Baobab Ridge. "Even with the help of my ladies - Eunice, Delani, Disso, Prudence and Betty (who is in charge of the laundry) - it's still hard work," she laughs modestly. "But because I know what I am doing now, thanks to my experience, I manage to stay strong and lead by example, making sure everything looks lovely and is wonderfully clean."

One of the daily challenges Marcia and her team face is keeping Baobab Ridge's gorgeous bed linen looking crisp and fresh, and brilliantly, pure white! "I have to make sure that when guests come to the room everything is perfect. Keeping white linen and towels looking beautifully white is sometimes hard. I use Vanish stain remover where necessary and sometimes a bit of Jik (bleach) if I absolutely have to, soaking first and washing by hand before machine washing things." 

Once guests have checked in and made themselves at home, managing the rooms is much easier, says Marcia. "It takes us 30 minutes to make beds, clean and tidy while the guests are out on their morning game drive," she explains. "When guests check out, it takes us an hour to strip a room, remake beds, do a deep clean and make the room up from scratch, but we work as a well-oiled team and everything is co-ordinated with the laundry to ensure the turnaround of fresh linen is seamless," she says.

It takes a lot of linen to ensure each room has enough sheets, duvet covers, bath and hand towels and facecloths. Add in pool towels and the towels for the guest toilets in the main lodge, as well as napkins, plate charger covers and tablecloths to boot! It's part of Marcia's job to make sure everything is kept in rotation and looking as good as new.

"When we finish the rooms we go to the laundry to help Betty there, helping with the ironing and all the linen. That's how we work. We start at 06h30 and usually finish at 11h00, if we don't have check-ins. With check-ins we work till around 14h00. We work for three weeks and then get a week off and go home to see our families," Marcia explains.

When she goes home she relaxes and takes a break from cleaning. Her children stay with her mother when she's working but as soon as she gets home she spends as much time with them as possible. 

"I really love working here at Baobab Ridge with my whole heart and I genuinely love cleaning, more than anything else, even cooking," she laughs. "I feel so happy when everything looks perfect. It's part of who I am and my housekeepers know that I am a perfectionist so only expect the best from them.

"My grandmother is now 83 but still cleans as well as I do. She taught me everything and I am so grateful to her, because I have such a wonderful job doing what I love. I also now get to train the ladies working with me to become first-class housekeepers, giving them all of my experience and sharing my understanding of the importance of cleaning."