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Samantha Croft - the 'Gem' of the Golden Mile

Samantha Croft - the 'Gem' of the Golden Mile

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2016-08-26
Women are not new to the hospitality and tourism industry, however they have formally climbed the ranks into positions of leadership only in the last three decades. And they have done it in style.

Samantha's story is what legends are made of. The story of KwaZulu Natal's most influential hotelier did not start as a fairy tale. In fact it started more than twenty years ago in the storerooms and kitchens of the Protea Hof hotel in Pretoria, where our Jewel of hospitality, Samantha Croft, completed a three-year in-service hotel management training course.

"Running Tsogo Sun Elangeni and Maharani Hotels is a huge responsibility as it is the biggest hotel in the Tsogo Sun group." Samantha told The Bugle, "My greatest challenge is to be able to recognise and treat each one of my guests as an individual and not as a number."

Samantha believes that as a woman she has no limitations on her abilities and has overcome the obstacles on her path to corporate success - with pride and aplomb.

Samantha has climbed the ladder of business success and finds herself at the helm of Durban's iconic mega-complex, Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani, Tsogo Sun's most profitable hotel in South Africa.

Samantha's achievements have not gone unrecognised - two years ago she won the regional Businesswomen's Achiever Award and the CEO Magazine's Africa's Most Influential Woman in Business and Government Award.

With a career in the industry spanning 22 years, eight of which have been spent in Durban, Samantha has developed a keen sense of what the city of Durban needs to make it the best destination for all.

"I am committed to customer service and also strive to create a pleasant working environment for all my team." said Samantha, "Culturally it's a challenge because some guests still want to talk to a man but once they realise that I'm the hotel's GM they accept it favourably."

Samantha is quick to point out that there are a few women at the forefront within the city's hospitality industry, the ICC and uShaka Marine World are both run by dynamic ladies.

"I guess the most important advantage of being a woman in my position is that we look at the details," said Samantha, "We think of the little, special tokens that make people feel great."

Managing a hotel that can accommodate up to 2000 guests in peak season can't be an easy feat, however Samantha does it with grace and style, in her high heeled shoes and makes it seem so easy, she is passionate about her property, her staff, her guests and the future of the hospitality industry in KZN.

"I am keenly interested in developing people"

"I love the hospitality business with a passion; I cannot imagine being involved in any other business, but equally the frustrations it brings are many. Sometimes it feels like we have been on a rollercoaster ride. Thankfully it is rare for us to have unhappy guests, in the main our guests return often and are truly happy with our service," concluded Samantha.