Michele de Souza started Greenlands in 1996 after teaching for 16 years. Passionate about hospitality, cooking and tourism and with a love of people, the B&B industry was a perfect fit for her.
Owning a large family home in a good area, with plenty of space for parking, 15 Hosking Rd was perfect for her new venture. Michele slowly converted her home into an accommodation establishment as each of her five children left to pursue their own dreams.
Michele immersed herself in the industry, sitting on the founding committee of Kwa-Zulu Bed and Breakfast Association in 1997 and with Des Morgan and Dave Short founded Midlands B&B Association in November 1997. She has served on the MidBABA committee as deputy-chairperson from inception, and for a brief period on Pietermaritzburg Tourism’s Exco.
She is passionate about improving the standards of accommodation and hospitality on offer in Pietermaritzburg and surrounds .
In the kitchen, Michele is in charge of the cooking at Greenlands serving tasty home-cooked meals at dinner (for those that have ordered it) and breakfast. Specialities include Peri-peri Chicken, Italian Lamb Stew, Durban Mutton Curry, Lasagna and Spicy Grilled Pork Neck Steak, to name but a few, served with healthy helpings of vegetables or salad. Dietary requirements are catered for on request.
Recently Michele has stepped back from full-time duty and now shares the responsibility of of running the guest house with managers Ben and Joe (formerly of Mtentu Lodge on the Wild Coast).