By Sitha Maliwa:
This Valentine’s Day, Sun City Resort will once again be transformed by the work of Eden Flowers. From the Sun City Hotel, Cascades and Cabanas to The Palace of the Lost City, hotel lobbies, restaurants and event spaces will be brought to life with carefully designed floral displays that reflect both romance and refinement.
But behind the elegant arrangements is a business story rooted in determination, discipline and community impact.
Eden Flowers is led by owner and managing director Mmaphuthi Makokwe, a black woman entrepreneur who took over the company in 2023. Her professional background spans banking and mining industries known for structure and precision. Yet her creative passion led her to explore event décor and catering as a side venture. Over time, that passion evolved into more than a decade of hands-on experience in the floral industry and ultimately into ownership of a growing enterprise.
Under her leadership, Eden Flowers has become a trusted hospitality partner at Sun City. The company is responsible not only for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, but also for maintaining the resort’s everyday elegance. Weekly deliveries and daily floral refreshers ensure that every hotel lobby reflects freshness and attention to detail. At The Palace of the Lost City, Eden Flowers manages the hotel’s flower shop and provides bespoke arrangements for suites, restaurants and public areas.
In 2025, Eden Flowers was named Sun City’s Service Provider of the Year. The recognition speaks to the company’s consistency, reliability and contribution to enhancing the guest experience. It also highlights Sun City’s commitment to supporting high-performing local suppliers.
Eden Flowers proudly sources a wide variety of South African indigenous and locally grown non-indigenous blooms, including proteas, lilies, strelitzias, brunias, celosias, hypericums, sunflowers, heliconias, gypsophila, lisianthus and roses. By purchasing directly from farms across the country, the business strengthens local supply chains while ensuring quality and sustainability.
The company is also a B-BBEE Level 1 contributor with 135% procurement recognition – an important factor in advancing inclusive economic participation within the hospitality sector.
Perhaps most significantly, Eden Flowers creates a tangible impact in surrounding communities. The business employs 11 people from areas including Ledig, Phatsima, Mabele a Podi, Meriting and Sun Rise. Its team includes managers, florists, trainees and support staff. Through skills development and stable employment, the company contributes directly to local economic growth.
Makokwe is clear about her purpose: building a business that balances creativity with responsibility. Her long-term vision includes expanding Eden Flowers across the North West province, establishing a flower arrangement school to train young creatives and eventually developing an Eden Flowers farm. Each goal is driven by the same priority – creating sustainable employment and strengthening local enterprise.
This Valentine’s Day, guests at Sun City can purchase Eden Flowers’ signature arrangements from rose bunches and boxed flowers with chocolates to vase bouquets and curated gift packages – via concierge desks or through Netflorist. Every purchase supports a local, woman-owned business committed to excellence and empowerment.
Eden Flowers demonstrates that successful businesses are not built on aesthetics alone. They are built on consistency, strong partnerships, local investment and a clear vision for growth. In doing so, the company proves that entrepreneurship, when driven with purpose, can shape industries and uplift communities at the same time. – @NewsSA_Online
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