About Us

About The Dongola Guesthouse

We are situated in tranquil Constantia. Surrounded by 10 vineyards including the 437 year old Groot Constantia (year 1685), micro breweries and friendly pubs, superb restaurants, from easy eating to fine dining, golf courses and the magnificent Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. Not forgetting the Constantia Valley Wine route, with is fine wines and fantastic selection of restaurants.

With the M3 Highway only three kilometers away you are minutes from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Table Mountain, Robben Island, The International Convention Center, the two stadiums “DHL Stadium” at Greenpoint and the “Newlands Rugby Stadium”, or the spectacular beaches of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean seaboards with their quaint quirky villages and hip and happening restaurants; as well as the Central Business Districts of Cape Town, Tokai and Retreat. We are also a very convenient base for the American Consulate.

We can arrange surfing lessons in Muizenberg or for the wild at heart, why not try a hike on the many trails in the mountains or forests of the Table Mountain National Park.

Take a trip to the beautifully rugged Cape Point Nature Reserve to see the Cape’s wildlife, flowers and where it said, two oceans meet or pop in at Boulders beach to check out the resident wild penguins.

For the brave of heart we can even organize a Shark diving trip, Whale watching (in season), Paragliding over Camps Bay, horse riding on Noordhoek beach or if this is all just too much, how about an in-room massage or just relax either by the pool with a cold glass of Constantia Valley Sauvignon Blanc or with a glorious Bordeaux style red, accompanied by a nice cold apéritiv platter.

Your Hosts

“We want to inspire and delight our guests!
We enjoy our project and want to share South Africa with them because we love the country so much.”

Running a guesthouse was a dream we had early on, and now we have realized it. After the recent renovation finalized in December 2021 we are now ready to give everything for our guests. Welcome to our home!

Meet the Team

We, Claudio and Karin Bossi, are in charge of the management. We come from Switzerland, but not from the hospitality industry, but have always enjoyed welcoming and hosting guests. And it has always been important to us to create a special atmosphere in which guests feel comfortable and at home. This fills us with joy and we have fun doing it.

With our team, Natalie, Rochelle, Yolanda and Thomas we always want to create the best experience for our guests. With hard and precise work, the quality of our service should convince.

Our Story

“Why a guesthouse in South Africa and Cape Town?”
Guests ask us again and again.

We are the couple Karin (born 1970) and Claudio (born 1967) Bossi from Switzerland. Our daughter is called Irina (born 1998) and accompanies and supports us in all matters. Our son Joel (born 1995) lives in Switzerland and helps us from a distance.

Running a guesthouse was a dream of ours from an early age. We decided to start a new phase of our lives, to accept a new challenge and to exchange the beautiful Switzerland for the colorful South Africa.

I, Claudio, grew up here as a child for 4 years and have South African relatives in the Cape. Later – back in Switzerland – I met my current wife Karin and took her on vacation to South Africa at the first opportunity in 1990. She was immediately on fire for this beautiful country and the idea was born to start a project in South Africa one day.

Just as Covid was keeping us all busy and the tourism industry was groaning under the conditions, we did not let ourselves be dissuaded from continuing our plan and grabbed the first opportunity to buy the existing guesthouse. Immediately we set about planning the remodeling and procuring the new equipment. 10 weeks later (mid-December 2021), the conversion was realised and we were able to get down to the details. Today the guesthouse is set up as we imagined it.

Karin and I are responsible for the management. And it has always been important to us to create a special atmosphere in which guests feel comfortable and at home.

With our already known team, Natalie, Rochelle, Yolanda and Thomas, we always want to create the best experience for our guests. With hard and precise work, the quality of our service should convince.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in the “new THE DONGOLA” and to meet you personally.

Best regards,

Karin, Claudio & daughter Irina

Dongola Origin

The once flourishing capital of the Christian kingdom of Makuria, which lasted from the 6th to the 14th century, going from Nubian to Christian to Muslim at the hands of the Egyptian Mamluks, is now the ruins of a medieval city 80 km from modern day Dongola. You can see the tantalizing record of the wealth this mysterious desert kingdom once enjoyed in the edifice of the it’s Throne Hall and the cruciform cathedral known as the Church of Granite Columns. Medieval Dongola was described as having many churches, large houses, wide streets within a city wall, and, from 1002, a red-brick palace.

Since our house was also originally built of red bricks, it could be assumed that the builder was inspired by this city.