International hotel management companies have had their fair share of the South African hotel management contract pie for more than a decade. The major players stepped in to our arena more than a decade ago as many operators were keen on the South African market. Asian, European and American hotel management companies have joined the ‘Scramble for Africa’, resulting in an urgency to get deals signed and share of the market secured. Major hotel groups jumped on the bandwagon, culminating in the Marriott purchase of the Protea Group last year.

We are all well aware of the adverse effect on the inbound tourism industry due to new Home Affairs legislation. Fortunately (in a twisted way) the rand is coming to our rescue, its poor performance making South Africa an enticing destination of choice for international holiday-makers seeking inexpensive holidays, despite the onerous new requirements. However, putting faith on an underperforming currency to save the day is not the ideal situation.