African Sun eyes 3,300 rooms by end of 2009
06. May, 2009
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Pan African hospitality group, African Sun Limited, is forging ahead with its growth ambitions across Africa, reaffirming its position as the continent’s fastest growing hospitality group. The organisation has grown rapidly since it took a decision, to operate outside Zimbabwe where it currently commands 40% of the market.
African Sun’s first acquisition outside Zimbabwe was the upmarket boutique hotel, The Grace in Johannesburg, South Africa, which gave it a non-Zimbabwean room capacity of 73. From there, Group expansion has been rapid. The group closed 2008 with 1090 rooms outside Zimbabwe and this is expected to increase to 3300 by the end of 2009, with operations in Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“We believe in taking a holistic view of the markets in which we operate. Acquiring properties is only part of the package, one needs to invest in the development and training of local people to staff the hotels and , where possible, assist policy makers with the business perspective of formulating tourism policy,” said Ms Farayi Mangwende, Group Corporate Communications Manager. “In Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, we are building a hospitality school which will be completed by the end of the year, adding to the pool of well-trained employees in the hospitality industry.”
African Sun’s portfolio covers all sectors of the hospitality industry from luxury resorts, to urban boutique hotels and game reserves. As well as having its own brands which are as follows: Platinum for five star city properties, Mulberry for five star boutique hotels, Amber to cater for the mid-range market, AdrenalIinn which offers value for money accommodation, and MyPlace catering for the long-stay market, African Sun also manages and operates Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) affiliated brands such as Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express to gain a foothold in markets where these brands are familiar.
Ms Mangwende added, “Our reception from host governments has been favourable, and we are keen to engage with governments that wish to prioritise tourism in their national development plans, particularly those in natural resource rich countries and leisure enclaves. Tourism is a key economic driver for any country and at African Sun we take seriously our responsibilities as a contributor to enhancing the tourism proposition of the countries in which we manage properties. We believe our success – and that of our properties – is intrinsically linked to that of the tourism sector as a whole.”
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
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