Southern Africa – the cornerstone of Marriott’s SSA expansion

East Africa is the strategic focus, West Africa is still vital to its strategy but Southern Africa continues to be the cornerstone of Marriott’s Sub-Saharan (SSA) expansion.

This expansion is spearheaded by Johan Cronjé, the hospitality group’s recently appointed Regional Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cronjé met with Tourism Update to dissect the prospects and challenges of the region, the hospitality lessons learnt during his 20-year career and the key ingredients for success in the industry.

In your career, you’ve been involved in opening a number of hotels. What are the three key elements that contribute to the success of a new hotel?

Ensuring a seamless guest experience; thorough operational preparation, building a…