According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (2010) more than 235 million people are working in and for our sector at present. It is in fact, one of the world's most important sectors generating 9.2% of the world's GDP in 2009. What is more, Travel and Tourism is expected to increase by 4.4% per annum in real terms between 2010 and 2020 which means that it will grow to represent 9.2% of total global employment or 1 in every 10.9 jobs. A pretty compelling argument for the hospitality sector to invest in human capital now!

We at African Sun see this as a clear validation of our strategy of partnering with educational institutions, as well as investing in our own hospitality training schools, to ensure that our people deliver the best service (and thus African Sun experience) possible. Renowned hospitality educator, Dr John Hogan, once said that service is the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, which means that our employees are – and always will be – the difference between an excellent or poor guest encounter.

Tourism is the fastest growing industry on the planet, and with that rapid growth comes the need for workers at all levels. African Sun believes that it is also a vital enabler for the continent's development. However, in order for it to achieve fruition, sector leaders must invest in skills development so that we can execute on that potential flawlessly. People are the key to African's Sun's success and we are committed to investing in them, just as they invest in us.

The South African World Cup 2010 has come and gone, and oh what an exceptional experience it was! The African continent is proud of South Africa for hosting such a sterling event! Oh, what pride I felt as I sat in the Soccer City stadium in Soweto watching the fateful match between Ghana and Uruguay! As Africans we have come far, and FIFA reiterated this through the rating given to South Africa by FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, of 9 out of 10 in the way the event was managed. The success of the World Cup in South Africa is an example of what the African continent can achieve. What remains now is how do we maximize the benefit from the positive publicity gained after the event?

The onus is on the region and sub-region to support this initiative post the event and ensure that Africa benefits from this exposure. We have to follow through and capitalize on the fact that sub-Saharan Africa held the global centre stage for a month by engaging in below the line marketing activities to showcase our attractions. The World Cup created value for Africa that is priceless. It is imperative for the continent to take advantage of the collateral created by the soccer showcase. In the development of any economy, especially in emerging markets, people first visit, then they trade and finally invest. The first hurdle of visiting has been jumped. The world now knows that Africa is real and a force to be reckoned with! We must prepare adequately to ensure that we stand up and be counted and that we are part of the trade and investment forum as the global economy evolves!

Our very own CEO Mr. Shingi Munyeza participated in the World Economic Forum in Tanzania last week. Please view the video below:

As our group begins to grow across the continent, we’ve embarked on a journey to become more conscious about the impact our business has on the environment. As the fastest-growing hospitality group in Africa, we pride ourselves in taking leadership in sustainable business practice that preserves our environment and resources for future generations while improving our cost basis and adding value for our shareholders through an improved triple bottom line.

Starting from a challenging economic base in Zimbabwe, where the primary concern was remaining profitable in a hyperinflationary economy, most businesses were not too concerned with the environmental impact of their operations. In addition there was very little incentive from shareholders to deliver on sustainability elements. With the increased availability of environmental technology such as solar water geysers and better access to finance for long-term investments in improved environmental performance, we have adopted an approach across the group which we feel is not only realistic and achievable but directly feeds into our bottom line. For example, we have now started to draft a group environmental policy which includes items such as energy saving targets, waste and water management, energy efficient designs for new buildings, alternative energy uses and emission reduction projects.

Our decision to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has also been a driver to re-examine our environmental policies. The JSE launched its Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index in May 2004 and to date 60 of the JSE’s top 100 companies comply with the index’s guidelines.

The message we want to take across the continent to other African businesses is that there are many benefits that can be reaped by being responsible. Our commitment is to backing up the actions that have been taken.