Tourism News Africa Magazine - Issue 9

TourismNews Africa

TNA EATS : ALESSANDRO KHOJANE GEMELLI INTERVIEW

Editor’s Letter

8 - 11 4 15 12 7 16 Unveiling the Successes & Challenges Faced by African Tourism Entrepreneurs

Q & A Corner : Derek Martin (TrevPAR World)

TNA Eats : Alessandro Khojane (Gemelli)

TNA Stays @ Riverhorse Lodge : Trailer Events

Editor’s Letter

Dear Readers,

As we step into the vibrant month of May, the Tourism News Africa digital magazine is thrilled to bring you an exciting edition focused on “Keeping the industry ticking: Recognizing the biggest game players in African Hospitality.”

In this edition, we delve into insightful conversations with Derek Martin, the esteemed CEO & Founder of TrevPAR World. Discover his perspectives, strategies, and vision for shaping the future of hospitality in Africa.

Furthermore, we have an engaging article that uncovers the Successes and Challenges Faced by African Tourism Entrepreneurs. Gain valuable insights from industry experts Samkeliso Nkwanyane of Sam Hospitality and Hayley Cooper of Wild Dreams Hospitality. Their experiences shed light on the journey of entrepreneurship in the dynamic African tourism landscape.

Exciting announcements fill the air as we introduce a brand new feature, ‘TNA Eats,’ where our team ventured to Gemelli.

Experience the culinary delights with us, and watch out for the full video coverage coming your way in June’s edition.

Additionally, get ready for the launch of the newest instalment of ‘TNA Stays.’ Our team explored the enchanting beauty of Riverhorse Lodge, a luxurious 5-bedroom retreat nestled in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind. Escape to this haven and immerse yourself in tranquillity and luxury.

With a mix of exclusive interviews, captivating articles, and immersive experiences, the May edition of Tourism News Africa is set to enthral and inspire you. Stay tuned for a journey through the world of African hospitality like never before.

Wishing you happy reading and a month filled with remarkable discoveries!

Wade Scobbie Editor

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Cold Days, Warm Stays

As the crisp air of winter settles in, there’s no better time to escape the chill and embrace the warmth of hospitality with Makalali Private Game Lodge.

Experience some warmth this winter as Makalali Private Game Reserve encapsulates the spirit of Africa, with its warm, traditional hospitality and its breathtaking location.

Unveiling the Successes and African Tourism Entrepreneurs

My journey started in 2001, when I joined Sun International and from there, I joined independent establishments including lodges, guest houses and hotels. In 2011, I founded Sam Hospitality, a consulting firm and training provider within the tourism and hospitality industry.

My journey into tourism and hospitality was ignited by a deep-seated love for Africa’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. Growing up in a community that valued hospitality, I was inspired to build a career that would showcase the best of Africa to the world. The knowledge and skills acquired during this formative period prepared me for the challenges ahead and reinforced my commitment to excellence.

Motivation and Passion

The driving force behind my entrepreneurial spirit has always been my passion for service excellence and innovation.

I envisioned a tourism sector that not only celebrated Africa’s diversity but also promoted sustainable practices that would benefit future generations. Each step of my journey has been fueled by this vision, pushing me to innovate and think cre-

atively to overcome the obstacles that often beset the tourism industry, from economic fluctuations to regulatory challenges.

Discipline and Resilience

The road to entrepreneurial success is seldom smooth, and mine has been no exception. Discipline and resilience have been my steadfast companions, guiding me through the uncertainties and setbacks inherent in any business venture. In the early days, resources were scarce, and the learning curve was steep. However, by maintaining a disciplined approach to business management and persevering in the face of adversity, I was able to steer my enterprise through turbulent times.

Challenges and Successes:

Throughout my career, I have encountered numerous challenges, from adapting to evolving market trends to managing complex customer needs. Each challenge demanded a strategic response, whether it involved diversifying our service offerings or enhancing operational efficiencies. One of the biggest challenges I encountered was access to funding (which in many aspects, is not unique to Africa alone).

and Challenges Faced by Entrepreneurs (Part 1)

Another one is regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles.

One of my proudest achievements was the successful expansion of our business into new markets, in East Africa (Tanzania & Kenya), which was a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication to our collective vision.

Celebrating Milestones

Reflecting on the milestones of my career, I take immense pride in the impact we have made on the African tourism industry. From collaborating with tourism and hospitality stakeholders to making an impact to individuals across Africa, these achievements are not just personal accolades but symbols of what we can accomplish as a community.

As I share my journey and insights, I am reminded of the vibrant spirit of Africa and its people—resilient, innovative, and ever welcoming. My story is but one of many that paint a picture of Africa’s dynamic entrepreneurship landscape.

I hope it serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned industry professionals alike, reminding us all of the boundless opportunities that await those who dare to dream and work tirelessly towards their goals.

The journey of an entrepreneur is never a solo endeavor. It is a collective tapestry woven from the contributions of every individual who believes in the vision. To my fellow game players in the tourism sector, let us continue to drive innovation and excellence, keeping the industry ticking and vibrant. Together, we are not just preserving the beauty of Africa; we are setting the stage for its prosperous future.

Visit : www.hospitalitycourses.co.za

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkeliso-nkwanyane/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.nkwanyane/

X : https://twitter.com/sam_nkwanyane

Founder & Creative Director at

Samkeliso Nkwanyane

Sam Hospitality

Unveiling the Successes and African Tourism Entrepreneurs

Ibelieve many of us find ourselves within the hospitality industry unexpectedly as the industry has various entry level avenues for people entering the workforce.

We may start in a junior position and then suddenly it’s 25 years later and you can’t imagine your life without the industry. That’s exactly what happened to me! and today I want to share my story and what has driven my entrepreneurial spirit.

My entry to the industry wasn’t one of clarity, I left home at a young age and needed to find full time employment at the age of 16. I previously had a ‘Sunday’’ job working as a waitress so it was an obvious choice to continue this path while I figured out my life plans and I found employment in a local restaurant.

During this time I found comfort in the types of people who work within the industry, finding them to be warm, kind, funny and compassionate. I was also fortunate enough to have a boss who valued growth both for his business but also for his employees and he sent me on various courses, including an NQF qualification in hospitality management.

During this job, I realized that this industry was going to be my career. It felt so aligned to who I was and matched the person I was becoming as I navigated the transition into adulthood.

Fast forward a few years and I realized that I could combine my skills and knowledge within the industry with my passion for wildlife and nature and I became a lodge manager in Greater Kruger National park. I totally thrive in this environment and having elephants in my garden will never be boring.

My strengths have always been within managing and training others, while maintaining excellent service levels. Overtime I especially enjoyed my back of house duties around HR.

I consider myself to be very compassionate and gravitate towards helping others and around 8 years ago I was finding myself helping people within the industry find employment. I was doing this through helping them with their CVs, or sharing job posts I saw that I felt may be matched to their skills and interests.

In addition to this being a lodge manager myself meant I had lots of friends who were managers and I had noticed they would reach out to me often to ask if I

and Challenges Faced by Entrepreneurs (Part 2)

perhaps knew of anyone who may be interested in vacancies that popped up at their lodge. This is when I had a typical ‘’lightbulb moment’’ and realized that what I was doing to match job seekers and employers had a name and it was recruitment, and I loved it! That feeling of helping both parties was like nothing else I had experienced before, and my company Wild Dreams was born. It wasn’t long before I could hire my first team member and one of my proudest achievements is that I have built a team of amazing, and values-aligned recruiters who are just as passionate about helping people in this way as I am.

As I consider myself a visionary entrepreneur, I quickly grew Wild Dreams into much more than just a recruitment company and we currently offer staff training, employee coaching and consulting. My role moved into a CEO role, but I missed the personal connection of helping people and I became a certified career coach.

I now offer various coaching services from once off ‘’express’’ calls where my clients can ask a specific question, to longer packages and group programs specializing in holistic career clarity coaching, helping people find values aligned careers and of course, with my 25 years of hospitality and tourism industry experience I also specialize in helping others within the industry.

This year I decided I wanted to do more to help the unemployed and we have partnered with various non profit organizations offering ‘’work-ready’’ workshops. It lights me up each time I see someone benefit from our help whether this is through employment, a coaching session or a workshop and the vision for our impact has only just begun.

Find out more about who we are and what we do here: www.wilddreams.co.za

Hayley Cooper Founder & CEO

Hospitality

Wild Dreams

Recognizing the biggest game players Q & A Corner

What can you tell us about TrevPAR World’s development since you launched in 2016 & what commercial services do your clients currently benefit from today?

Since 2016 we have seen tremendous growth within TrevPAR World, not only from the number of hotels that we manage but also from the number of staff that we have created amazing opportunities for. COVID was a catalyst for TrevPAR World as our modern data driven approach was really required in the recovery period and with the great successes seen within the hotels we managed to grow our portfolio immensely. What started as just a data driven revenue management company has now evolved into a holdings company that offers revenue management, dedicated data & research division, distribution and technology division as well as a dedicated digital marketing and PR agency. All the divisions are aligned with one goal in mind, use big data in order to generate higher revenues

and profits for the hotels as well as give the hotels the benefit of massive system and technology savings by leveraging our strong relationships with all the various providers.

What strategies have you implemented to keep TrevPAR World Group relevant and successful in the ever-changing tourism industry?

The only way to stay ahead in any industry is to ensure that we align the right talent with the right modern technologies and systems and that is exactly what we have done, we find the best of class talent and combine them with the best of class hospitality technologies. One of our key focuses has always been talent development and in order to get the younger generation to play in the hospitality space we need to combine this with all the newest tech and AI tools, as a result of this we have managed to exceed our growth goals and are always able to supply our customers with the most up to date

trends and tools, giving the hotels that we manage a competitive advantage in the market.

In what ways do you adapt to emerging technology trends to stay ahead in the industry?

Within TrevPAR World we are always data first, every decision that is made is backed by data and when deciding on what technologies we are looking to implement for our hotels the approach is no different. We spend a lot of time developing our own technologies based on the everyday needs of our hotels thus not always relying on third parties out of the box products to maximise revenues. We prefer to custom build bespoke hotel tools to maximise hotels of any size. Unlike most technology providers within the hospitality industry we do not believe in a one size fits all approach and spend a lot of time ensuring that only the technology that maximises the overall goal of the shareholders are implemented.

players in Africa Corner

What do you believe sets your company apart from other industry players and contributes to your position as a key leader in the hospitality revenue sector?

What truly sets us apart is the fact that we are always seeking the youngest and brightest talent to take our hotels to the next level as well as talent that understands and adapts to all the most up to date technology trends, we are a bunch of geeks that can speak. The ability to take big data and present it in a way that is understandable and actionable is the key and what sets us apart. A full data driven approach is not something that everybody does because not everybody understands how to use the data where we have full understanding of how to use it and more importantly put measurable strategies in place in real time. Being real time is the biggest game changer as we know exactly what works and what does not, we have the ability to change strategies as quickly as the market shifts without

missing a beat and by doing this we are always one step ahead of not only the market but also assist our hotels in maximising fair share.

How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and technology disruptions to maintain a competitive edge in the market?

Because we are real time we always have insight into what the current landscape requires, if you know what is required it is very easy to adapt in terms of technology , data driven strategies and marketing initiatives. The ability to formulate large amounts of data from various platforms in real time is the maximising the overall commercial performance of a hotel.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing challenges facing the hospitality revenue sector today, and how does your company approach addressing them?

The most pressing issue at the moment is the lack of commercial talent in the industry, revenue management is required at a much higher level by many more hotels and there are not enough specialists to fulfil the need. We have always hade a education first approach at TrevPAR World and by doing this we can create and nurture revenue, marketing and commercial skills in the future leaders of our industry. The intern up approach combined with the experienced leaders currently in place has proven to be a success in the way we develop talent. We have the motto, if you are hard working, disciplined and eager to learn there will always be a place for you in TrevPAR World.

Derek Martin

UPCOMING EVENTS