Passionate hotelier loves everything about his job
Siyanda Dlamini is MD of the Regency Hotel Group
What do you do at work each day?
When I come in the mornings, I walk through the hotel [the Regency Apartment Hotel in Menlyn, Pretoria] checking for cleanliness, staff appearance and breakfast. I greet my team and guests as I want to make sure they are having a comfortable stay, offer any assistance and resolve any queries. From there, I check on the previous night’s financial performance against the budget. After some meetings, I make my way around the hotel again, checking on conferencing and events, security and much more.
What drew you to this particular career?
I went to Alexandra High School in Pietermaritzburg. I joined the school’s catering club and it laid the foundation for me, confirming my interest in the hospitality industry. I studied hotel management through the Protea Hotels Institute of Professional Development and Cape Town hotel schools.
When did you start your hotel management company, and how did you realise there was a need for this kind of service?
I started it in February. I wasn’t seeing enough transformation in our industry although I was seeing some young people being developed, particularly black women. I am extremely passionate about youth development and creating career opportunities — not jobs, but careers. I wanted to create a black-owned and -run hotel group.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
A doctor, but I was hopeless at biology, maths and physical science.
What about your job gets you out of bed each day?
I love to create career and professional development opportunities for my fellow South Africans, particularly the youth. I love my job in its entirety. One of my highlights is on a Sunday, when I am as calm as the ocean, reflecting on the week gone by and planning the week ahead. I still get butterflies in my stomach about each day at work as it entails so many different, dynamic aspects that create this constant magic.
What about your job keeps you awake at night?
At first, it was the fear of the unknown and a touch of self-doubt. There is so much that goes into building a hotel, let alone a brand. I came from hotel groups that were established, and then branched off on my own, leaving my comfort zone. But the urge to break free from corporate culture and conformity became so loud and clear that the risk I was taking became insignificant. Now it is the responsibility of having almost 100 direct employees — starting a hotel brand in a competitive industry with hotel groups that are established and well-known. South Africans are loyal to these brands . It will take an enormous amount of work and time to build the brand.
What would you do if you could not do this job?
I would probably study psychology. I would come back into the industry with this skill. We internalise a lot of trauma and absorb a lot of abuse, especially verbal, in our industry, which we hide well behind our “foyer smiles”.
What qualifications do you have, and how do they help you do your job?
I hold a diploma in hotel management. I have done several courses in training, labour and HR, marketing and sales.