Finding herself at Maropeng – Dorcas Tshabalala

By Miliswa Sitshwele

“Here at Maropeng I am called Mama; even the management calls me that because of my age and that makes me feel really good.”

Dorcas Tshabalala is a reservationist at Maropeng, where her job entails making bookings for school children who would like visit Maropeng.

Before she joined Maropeng, Tshabalala worked as a receptionist at the Learning Centre in Fourways, Johannesburg.

What excites her about being a reservationist is dealing with people.

She says, “I love people. I enjoy talking to people and telling them about what we do here at Maropeng.”

Tshabalala joined the hospitality industry after completing matric. Though she thought about being a nurse, the hospitality industry appealed to her more as it’s a job that requires one to deal with people on a daily basis.

Mama Dorcas Tshabalala

Working at Maropeng has given her more than just a second family; she has also picked up another language.

“I am a Zulu speaker and the first month of my job was difficult as people in this area do their reservations in Tswana. I then asked my Tswana-speaking colleagues to speak to me in Tswana so I could learn the language and it worked.”

“I can now converse in Tswana, and when I am stuck then I go back to Zulu.”

Tshabalala is grateful to Maropeng Managing Director Tony Rubin for giving her the opportunity to find herself. She says: “I found myself at Maropeng. Here, I am free to be myself, and the people that I work with are really friendly.”

“The Maropeng family really welcomed me. When the management here says their door is always open, they really mean it, because they are accessible to us and they help us in every way they can.”