WARNING FOR ZIMBABWE ENTREPRENEURS – The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Scam That Has Robbed Small Businesses for Over a Decade

The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Scam That Has Robbed Small Businesses for Over a Decade (The Notorious Mr Mlotshwa — Or Should We Say Legendary?)

If you are a small business owner advertising your services on Facebook, WhatsApp groups, or Marketplace, read this carefully. There is a scam that has been operating for over a decade — peaking between 2021 and 2023 — that specifically targets entrepreneurs like you. Carpenters, painters, tilers, solar installers, landscapers, fumigators, curtain makers, CCTV installers, caterers, and anyone selling products or services online.

The scam is simple but devastatingly effective. And it has stolen thousands of dollars from hardworking Zimbabweans who were just trying to grow their businesses.

How They Find You

These scammers are not random. They are strategic.

They scroll through Facebook business groups, WhatsApp marketing groups, and Marketplace listings. They read your adverts. They study your profile. They note what services you offer. They see that you are hungry for business, that you are hustling, that you would jump at a big opportunity.

Then they send you a message that feels like the breakthrough you have been praying for.

The Message That Starts It All

The message always follows a similar pattern:

> “Dear [Your Name]. Can you please urgently call Mr Mlotshwa (07779…85) the Operations Manager of ROBINS CAMP, GAME PARK & SAFARI LODGES in Victoria Falls. We need you to do [your exact service] urgently at our newly built Lodge. Regards G LIMA – Secretary”

The service they request matches exactly what you advertise:

– If you are a carpenter: “We need kitchen fittings, TV wall units, and built-in cupboards for our 68-roomed Lodge”
– If you do solar installations: “We want 5kVa solar systems on all our lodges”
– If you are a painter: “We need you to paint 60 rooms at our lodges”
– If you are a tiler: “We need tiling and paving at our newly built Lodge”
– If you do landscaping: “We need landscaping on 1,264 square metres”
– If you sell cushions: “We need 650 cushions for our newly built Guest Houses”
– If you make curtains: “We need curtains — 1,200 metres”
– If you sell agricultural products: “We want to supply green mealies to our lodges”
– If you do fumigation: “We need fumigation urgently at our Lodges”
– If you install CCTV: “We need you to install CCTV cameras urgently at our property”

The job is always big. The numbers are always impressive. The urgency is always high. And the location is always far — Victoria Falls, Hwange, or some remote safari destination.

Your heart races. You start calculating profits. This could be the job that changes everything.

The Company Names They Use

The scammers rotate through several official-sounding names:

– Robins Camp, Game Park & Safari Lodges
– Rainforest Properties
– Mlotshwa Safari Lodges
– Various “newly built” lodges and guest houses

Important Note: There is a real Robins Camp — but it is located in Hwange National Park, not Victoria Falls. The scammers deliberately misuse this name and confuse the locations to sound legitimate. If someone claims Robins Camp is in Victoria Falls, they are lying.

These names sound legitimate. Some may even reference real places. But when you try to find the specific “lodge” or “property” they mention online — no website, no Facebook page, no TripAdvisor listing, no Google results. Nothing.

How can a whole safari lodge operation in Victoria Falls not have a single online presence? That should be your first warning.

The Trap: Transport Money

You call the number. Mr Mlotshwa or his “secretary” answers professionally. They confirm the job. They discuss details that make it sound real. They tell you to come immediately — the work is urgent.

Then comes the trap.

“The only problem is transport. Our lodge is not in Victoria Falls town — we are deep in the safari area, far from the main road. Regular buses only go to the city centre. There is only one bus that reaches our location — Zambezi Travel Tours. They know the route. And seats fill up fast. You need to book in advance.”

They give you a number for “Zambezi Travel Tours” — sometimes with landline numbers that look official. They tell you the fare:

– One way: $68 – $75
– Return: $175 – $240
– Flight tickets: $350 for two people

“Book your seat now. Send the money via EcoCash or Innbucks. We will refund you when you arrive. The job pays well — this transport cost is nothing compared to what you will earn.”

You are excited. You are already mentally spending the profits from painting 60 rooms or installing solar on multiple lodges. The transport cost seems like a small investment for such a big contract.

You send the money.

And that is the last you ever hear from Mr Mlotshwa, G Lima, Zambezi Travel Tours, or anyone connected to this “opportunity.”

The numbers stop answering. You get blocked. The safari lodge job never existed. Your money is gone.

Why This Scam Works

1. They Target Your Desperation

Small business owners advertising online are hungry for work. When a “big contract” lands in your inbox, your excitement overrides your caution. You want to believe it is real.

2. They Match Your Exact Services

They do not send generic messages. They study your profile and request exactly what you offer. A solar installer gets a solar job. A carpenter gets a carpentry job. This personalisation makes it feel legitimate.

3. They Use Urgency

Everything is “urgent.” The lodge is “newly built.” They need you “immediately.” This pressure prevents you from taking time to verify.

4. They Exploit Geography

Victoria Falls and Hwange are far from Harare, Bulawayo, and most population centres. Most people have never been there. The distance makes verification difficult and the “transport problem” believable.

5. The Transport Cost Seems Reasonable

Compared to the massive profits you are calculating from a 60-room painting job or a 15-durawall contract, $68 or even $350 for transport seems like a small investment. You do not want to lose the opportunity over “just transport money.”

6. They Promise Refunds

“We will refund your transport when you arrive” removes the mental barrier. You are not losing money — you are just advancing it temporarily. Except the refund never comes because the job never existed.

Red Flags That Expose This Scam

🚩 The company has no online presence — no website, no Facebook page, no reviews

🚩 The location is always far — Victoria Falls, Hwange, or other remote areas

🚩 They claim only one bus or transport option exists — and you must book through them

🚩 They want payment via EcoCash or Innbucks — untraceable mobile money

🚩 Everything is urgent — no time to verify or think

🚩 The job is suspiciously large — 60 rooms, 15 durawalls, 650 cushions, 1,200 metres of curtains

🚩 They contact you first — you did not apply for this job

🚩 The message format is templated — “Dear [Name]. Can you please urgently call Mr Mlotshwa…”

🚩 They cannot provide verifiable references or a physical address you can confirm

How to Protect Yourself

1. Search the Company Online

Before engaging, Google the company name. Check Facebook. Look for a website. Any legitimate safari lodge in Victoria Falls will have an online presence — TripAdvisor reviews, a booking website, social media pages. If you find nothing, it is fake.

2. Ask Questions They Cannot Answer

– “What is your website?”
– “Can I see your company registration?”
– “Can you send me your physical address so I can verify on Google Maps?”

Watch how they respond. Scammers get evasive or aggressive when pressed for verifiable details.

3. Never Pay Transport Before Verification

A legitimate company hiring you for a big contract would either:
– Pay for your transport directly
– Reimburse you after you arrive with receipts
– Not require you to book through their “special” transport contact

If they insist you send money via EcoCash or Innbucks before any work begins, it is a scam.

4. Verify Transport Companies Independently

If someone gives you a “Zambezi Travel Tours” number, do not just call that number. Search for the real company online. Call their official number. Ask if they have any booking under your name or the safari lodge’s name.

5. Consult People Who Know the Area

If you know anyone in Victoria Falls or Hwange, ask them. Potential victims who actually live in Vic Falls immediately recognise the scam because the “lodge location” described is often in a completely different town — or does not exist at all.

6. If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Is

A stranger contacts you offering a massive contract at a luxury safari lodge, and all you have to do is pay $68 for transport? No interview? No site visit? No formal quotation process? No contract signing?

That is not how real business works.

What to Do If You Have Been Scammed

1. Do not send more money — They may try to extract more with additional “fees” or “emergencies”

2. Report the numbers — Share on Facebook groups and WhatsApp to warn others

3. Report to police — File a report at your nearest station, even if recovery is unlikely

4. Block and move on — The money is likely gone, but you can prevent others from falling victim

5. The Scam Will Continue — But You Do Not Have to Be a Victim

This scam has operated for over a decade. The phone numbers change. The company names rotate. But the method remains the same: find desperate entrepreneurs, dangle a dream contract, extract transport money, disappear.

The scammers are likely reading the same Facebook groups you are, looking for their next target right now.

But now you know their playbook. You know the red flags. You know that Mr Mlotshwa and his “newly built safari lodge” are fiction designed to steal your hard-earned money.

Share this warning with every entrepreneur you know. Post it in your business groups. Send it to your WhatsApp contacts who advertise their services online.

The more people who know this scam, the fewer victims it can claim.

And the next time you receive a message about an “urgent” job at a safari lodge in Victoria Falls — you will know exactly what it really is.

With respect for your hustle and hope for your protection,

ZimLedger Admin