With 25 years in the hospitality industry, teacher-come Hotel Manager, Ntebi Mathope, the Hotel Manager at Sun City’s Cabanas hotel, maintains that without passion, surviving, let alone thriving, in the quick-paced and demanding hospitality industry is not possible.
“You have to be passionate about hospitality and about people if you want to make it in this industry. Working with people who are not passionate about what they are employed to do is possibly one of the biggest challenges for anyone in this industry,” says Mathope.
Her passion for the hospitality sector was united after she had completed her studies to become a teacher. After teaching for two years, she joined Sun International as a Training Officer at Sun City Resort in 1989. She was intrigued by the operations side of the business and soon moved from the Learning & Development Centre to learn more about the operational aspects. She was appointed to the position of Hotel Manager at Sun City’s three-star Cabanas hotel in 2011 and is as excited about her role now as she was then.
With the hotel currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment, Mathope is enthusiastic about what the future holds for the unit. She is also focused on ensuring that people with passion are identified and nurtured to help steer the hotel into its new era.
“Though this industry is often shrouded by lack of passion, the future looks bright for us. I see growth and I see new blood coming into the industry and actually enjoying it. We are building a strong team at the Cabanas. We, the older generation, have a responsibility to nurture this passion and mentor the new age generation,” she says.
She admits that balancing work and home life is difficult, particularly for women working in the sector. It is an industry that never sleeps, the hours are long and people demanding.
“My three children had to grow up pretty quickly because I had limited time to be with them. Still, they are my engine, my fuel. They give me the power to perform,” she says.
Despite the challenges and sacrifices she has faced during her journey, Mathope would not change a thing.
“At no point did I see myself not coming out as a winner,” she smiles.
Though she thrives on the energy of the hotel environment, she craves tranquility, citing the quietness of Mauritius and the pages of a good book as her ideal way to relax.
“Women nowadays work extremely hard, filling multiple roles while climbing the corporate ladder. It is important to find ways to relax and make sure that the demands of life don’t begin to weigh you down,” concludes Mathope.
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Passion and balance key to women’s success in the hotel industry
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