Innovation And Excellence
The Beekman Group, located at Port Shepstone on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, celebrates 49 years of operation in 2019. The Group's continuing growth and development despite tough economic times is testament to the strength of its corporate governance, strategic insight and innovation.
Brothers, John and the late Bram Beekman started their business careers in the painting industry. This successful venture allowed them to follow a totally new path. They moved to Durban in 1980 and opened their first Vacation Ownership resort on the South Coast. From there, the business grew to become a leading corporate player in the South African leisure industry.
The Beekman Group's management was handed over to the younger generation and cousins, Neville Beekman, Wayne Beekman and Cindy Allan, lead a dedicated team. However, John Beekman is still on hand to offer advice.
Wayne Beekman said, "The legacy of a family business is significant in that we all have a vested interest in making certain that the company thrives. We are all committed to its continued growth."
Cindy Allan added, "Our various professional competencies complement each other and allow for the smooth functioning of the business. In addition, if business challenges come up, we are able to talk these out comfortably. We meet regularly to ensure that the family unit is in agreement over any decisions impacting on the business."
The need to adapt to ever changing market demands is also well recognised. "It is important to evolve with the marketplace. The company is not top heavy and is not pressurised by bureaucratic demands, which enables decisions to be made quickly and for us to change direction as demand necessitates," said Wayne Beekman.
BUSINESS UNITS
Through constantly diversifying the business, the current products have been moulded over time and complement each other. The business units comprise:
The Holiday Club was launched in 1993 and is the largest vacation ownership club in Africa.
Anytime Holidays is one of the fastest growing arms of the business. It provides self-catering daily rental holiday accommodation as well as upmarket hotel rooms in various locations across South Africa.
iExchange is an innovative timeshare exchange company which offers owners the flexibility to choose from thousands of other holiday resorts locally and internationally
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Vacation Management Services manages 33 holiday resorts. This includes overseeing the day-to-day operations, such as guest services, maintenance and housekeeping, and providing guests and owners with high standards of accommodation in a secure environment.
Beekman Managed Portfolio allows investors opportunity to invest in one of its luxury properties:
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San Martinho Beach Club in Bilene, Mozambique
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The Kingdom Resort in the Pilanesberg Region, North West
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Cayley Mountain Resort in Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal
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Monomotapa Village in the Waterberg Region, Limpopo
Body Bliss Day Spas are located in the Group's selected resorts across the country and offer a wide variety of professional spa treatments designed to get their clients in the perfect holiday mood.
The Group also diversified in 2002 and boasts a commercial, warehousing and factory portfolio of R350 million.
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
The solid and caring nature of the management team has resulted in the company's recognition as an employer of choice. The head office's location on the South Coast has created a great lifestyle opportunity for staff to work and live, and this is reflected in the Group's staff retention rates. The group now employs over 1000 staff countrywide and at the head office.
The contribution that the staff make to the Group's ability to provide a solid service is recognised through an annual awards ceremony. The Group's staff welfare programmes endeavour to address their emotional, nutritional, physical and social needs. Staff enjoy a variety of added benefits and services conveniently made available to them. These include wellness and recognition programmes, staff holiday incentives and study benefits, to name a few. Employees are empowered with knowledge and are encouraged to continue to upskill themselves in order to grow individually and to remain abreast of developments in the industry. The company's head office also boasts a water-wise eco rooftop garden, and a cafe with a professional chef, lounge and gaming console.
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC
The Beekman Group is determined not to lose sight of its core focus, which is to provide customer-centric and professional holiday services. The various awards that the Group has received over the years bear testament to this goal. Our Service Philosophy is centred on making sure that our members have the most remarkable, memorable holiday experience every time. The Beekman W.A.Y. charter encourages attitudes, values and thinking that direct how we 'show up' every day. This governs how we treat our customers and each other.
Due to its achievements in the industry, the Group is confident about the future and looks forward to continued growth.