Ruwa · 25 minutes from Harare
Two three-bedroom cottages, fresh eggs, nine dogs and a garden full of birdsong. Come for a weekend, a working week, a roora day, a church event, or your first night back in Zimbabwe.
The cottages from the garden, under the msasa treesTwo three-bedroom cottages with hot water, solar, fast internet and a TV in every lounge. Sleeps a whole family.
Uncapped Wi-Fi, power that stays on, a table by the window and nobody to interrupt you. Sleep here, work here, walk the garden at lunch.
Roora days, high teas, church events, birthdays and reunions. Tents, chairs and a garden for 50 guests or more.
Fresh eggs from our hens, sold by the tray to shops and homes in Ruwa and Harare.
Stay
Each cottage has three bedrooms, a full kitchen, a lounge with a TV, and a stoep that looks over the garden. No shared walls, no reception desk, just the sound of the farm waking up. The cottages are named for the family’s children: Nokutenda, “by faith”, and Tinotenda, “we give thanks”.
Nokutenda from the lawn
Tinotenda, the loungeBest for families, couples and small groups. Not ideal for late-night parties, or for guests who would rather not be around dogs.
Inside
Tiled throughout, hot water from the solar geyser, a gas stove and a fridge, and burglar bars on every window so you can sleep with them open.
Main bedroom at sunset
Bedroom two, the garden through the window
Bedroom three
Main bedroom, en-suite bathroom
The lounge, looking through to the kitchen
Kitchen: gas stove, fridge, everything you need
Walk-in shower
Bath in the family bathroomWork from the farm
The Wi-Fi is uncapped and fast enough for video calls, the solar keeps the router and your charger going when Harare's grid does not, and the only thing competing for your attention is a Rhodesian Ridgeback asleep in the doorway.
There is no meeting room or office block. The sitting rooms are furnished with tables and chairs and work very well for one person, a couple, or a small team sharing a house.
A desk by the window, the TV behind you, the garden outsideGather
Some of the best days here have no overnight guests at all. We have tents, tables and chairs for more than 50 people, a garden that takes a hundred, a braai that takes a whole family's worth of meat, and a drive from Harare short enough that nobody has to leave early.
A traditional marriage ceremony needs a home, not a hall: a gate for the groom's family to arrive at, a lounge for the elders, a garden for everyone else, and a kitchen big enough for the day. We put up the tents, set out the chairs, and keep the dogs out of the way. The two cottages give the families somewhere to stay the night before and after.
Tables under the trees or under a tent, chairs for everyone, and a garden that photographs beautifully. Bring the cake stands; we have the setting.
Bring the cake and the cooler boxes; we have the lawn, the shade, the braai, tables and chairs, and the dogs for the children.
A home run by two pastors, built for this. Tents and chairs for a congregation day in the garden, a quiet lawn for morning devotions, a lounge for a small group, bedrooms for the leadership team, and a kitchen to feed everyone. Ask about weekday rates for ministry groups.
Flying in from the UK, South Africa, Australia or the States? A soft landing: close to Harare, far enough from it to breathe, with room for everyone under one roof.
Anniversaries, graduations, memorial gatherings, company days out. If it is more than 50 people and needs a garden, tents and chairs, talk to us early so we can plan the space.
What we provide: tents, tables and chairs for more than 50 guests; the garden and the braai area; clean bathrooms and secure parking inside the gate; firewood and ice on request; fresh eggs to take home; and a tour of the hen houses for the children. Catering, décor and sound can be arranged or brought in. Events for 50 or more are quoted individually: the price depends on the kind of event and how much help you want from the PaPfungwa team — from the garden and tents only, to set-up, cooking and clearing up. Send the date and we will quote within a day.
Member, on patrolThe farm, the dogs and the garden
Nine dogs, and they run the place. The pack is led by Member, a Rhodesian Ridgeback with the manners of a gentleman and the appetite of a small horse. He will meet your car, inspect your luggage, and then lie across the stoep as if he has always been your dog.The other eight follow his lead. Gentle with children, used to guests, and happy to admire you from the lawn if you would rather keep your distance.
The hens. A working egg farm. Our laying flocks live in airy houses behind the cottages, and the eggs at breakfast were picked that morning. We sell by the tray to shops and homes around Ruwa and Harare.
The garden. Shade trees, open lawn, flowering shrubs and the kind of birdsong that makes you put your phone down. Early morning is best; late afternoon, with the braai going and the light going gold, is a close second.
The quiet. Close enough to Harare for dinner in town, far enough that the night sky is actually dark. Bring a jersey for winter evenings.
Around the estate
Taken across the year: the dry season, the first rains, and the evenings in between.
Evening, with the braai going
Sunset through the flamboyant
The lawn at sundown
A rose in the garden
The gums lit by the last sun
Egrets on the newly turned field
The drive out from Harare
Dust and gold, early morning
Nokutenda, lawn and brick paths
Sun through the blossom
Member coming to say hello
Member and his shadow
Both cottages, solar geysers on the roof
A msasa in the field
Nokutenda and its neem tree
Through the trees towards the cottagesAround us
Enough to fill a week without going into town. Times are by car from the estate.
Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and antelope on the Mutare road just past Ruwa. Game drives, walks, a pool and a restaurant; good for a half day with children.
An 18-hole golf course, tennis, a pool and a clubhouse bar. Visitors welcome; ask us to arrange a round.
The granite stack on the old Zimbabwean banknote, in Epworth. Best in the late afternoon light.
Picnic lawns and birdlife at the dam; next door, Haka has game drives, mountain-bike trails and walks.
Harare’s nature reserve: giraffe and zebra on the morning walk, horse rides, a bird hide, and a café. Just outside the 15 km, worth it.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and fuel in Ruwa and Zimre Park. Fresh produce at the roadside stalls on the Mutare road.
Join us for a service, or we will point you to one nearby. Ask about the weekday prayer meeting.
Sam Levy’s Village, the National Gallery, the Botanic Garden and the restaurants of Borrowdale and Avondale, all under an hour door to door.
Tell us what you enjoy and we will make a plan: a game drive, a round of golf, a day in town, or nothing at all.
Getting here
Tap a map to navigate, or copy the pin and paste it as your destination in inDrive, Bolt or any taxi app.
From Harare: take the Mutare road east for about 25 minutes; Ruwa is signposted. Lost at the gate? WhatsApp 077 288 8645 and we will come out.
Good to know
Ruwa, about 25 minutes east of Harare city centre on the Mutare road; roughly 40 minutes from the airport. Map and directions ↓
Solar with battery backup runs lights, Wi-Fi, TV and fridge through load-shedding. Water is from our own borehole; hot water in every bathroom.
Pick-up and drop-off at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport at concessionary rates — tell us your flight. We are also glad to run errands: groceries, fruit and veg, a pharmacy run, before you arrive or during your stay.
Own car is easiest. inDrive, Bolt and taxis all reach Ruwa — copy our pin below and paste it as your destination. Airport pick-up on request.
Self-catering with a full kitchen. Fresh eggs every morning. Supermarkets 5 minutes away in Ruwa; we can stock the fridge before you arrive for an agreed amount.
Welcome; the garden is made for them. Please supervise them near the hen houses and the dogs.
Friendly and used to guests; they stay outside the cottages. Nervous around dogs? Tell us and we keep the pack in their own area during your stay.
Bring a jersey for winter evenings (May to August), a torch for the garden at night, sun cream in summer, and an appetite for eggs.
What guests say
Reviews from guests who stayed, ate the eggs and met the dogs. Stayed with us? Add yours below; we read every one.
The first reviews are on their way. Until then, see what guests say on Airbnb.
Book
For dates, prices and instant confirmation, use the platform you already know. For a roora day, a church event, a high tea, a retreat, a working week or a long stay, message us and we will quote.
Or talk to us
WhatsApp, call or email. We reply the same day.
Eggs: shops and households in Ruwa and Harare, order by the tray on WhatsApp; collection or delivery on our route days.
Farm team
The portal where the egg team records feed, deaths, eggs and the day's tasks, and the manager closes the day. Staff only; guests book above.
