Catherine Gachi
Consultant, Cape Town, South Africa
Catherine Gachie is a highly accomplished hospitality consultant with over two decades of experience driving transformative impact across the African tourism and hospitality landscape. As Founder and Principal Consultant of Barefoot Consultancy, she has led an impressive portfolio of projects focused on operational excellence, asset optimization, financial feasibility, and human capacity development. Her work spans greenfield developments, operational hotels, luxury resorts, and national tourism strategies, positioning her as a strategic force in the evolution of Africa’s hospitality sector.
Her expertise is grounded in a unique blend of strategic insight, financial acumen, and a hands-on operational approach, enabling her to guide hotel owners, developers, and investors toward sustainable growth and long-term profitability.
Professional Background
Since establishing Barefoot Consultancy in 2011, Catherine has spearheaded a wide range of high-impact engagements, from asset turnaround initiatives to comprehensive revenue management programs. Her consulting work emphasizes the integration of data-driven decision-making with deep market knowledge to improve performance and profitability across hospitality assets.
She has advised on numerous market studies and financial feasibility assessments, including:
• A luxury lake cruise concept across four major East African lakes.
• Mixed-use hotel developments in Kampala (Uganda), Lilongwe (Malawi), and Kigali (Rwanda).
• A 5-star resort and conference hotel at Lake Malawi.
• A luxury lodge development in Murchison Falls National Park.
• A 4-star airport hotel in Entebbe, Uganda.
Her insights into concept development, project positioning, and investment analysis have made her a valuable partner for both public and private sector clients navigating Africa’s evolving tourism dynamics.
Thought Leadership & Capacity Development
Catherine’s contributions extend beyond project work into capacity-building and industry development. She has designed and delivered training programs impacting hundreds of tourism professionals and entrepreneurs. Notable initiatives include:
Leading a strategic tourism capacity-building workshop in Rwanda for 70 delegates as part of the Rwanda Intra-Africa Tourism Strategy, in collaboration with GIZ, the Rwanda Ministry of Tourism, and the Rwanda Development Board.
Conducting a virtual training program for over 200 SMEs in East Africa’s tourism sector in partnership with the East Africa Tourism Platform.
Her commitment to empowering the next generation of tourism leaders is reflected in her extensive involvement in professional associations and education initiatives.
Industry Engagement & Leadership
Catherine is a recognized voice in hospitality circles and has held leadership roles that amplify her influence:
National Vice Chair, Kenya Association of Women in Tourism (2024–Present)
Past Chair, Marketing & Standards Committee, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers
Former Member, Kenya Utalii College Industry Liaison Committee
Education & Certifications
Catherine holds a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. She also earned an MBA from United States International University – Africa with a double concentration in Strategic Management and Information Systems & Technology Management, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the same institution.
