Committed to Customer Service
Samantha Croft
Following her graduation from a Hospitality and Tourism Management, Samantha Croft joined Southern Sun hotels. She briefly ventured off to The Palace of the Lost City for 18 months before taking on general management roles at Garden Court De Waal, Southern Sun North Beach and Southern Sun Elangeni where she successfully oversaw multi-million rand refurbishment projects.
Now at the helm of Durban's iconic and newly refurbished mega complex - Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, which is Tsogo Sun's most profitable hotel in South Africa, Croft is confidently steering the ship to attain top tier results. Despite the huge demands and challenges faced as the only female General Manager on the Golden Mile, Croft still finds a tremendous amount of joy in her work.
The most important aspect of the hospitality industry, she says, is to have the right attitude. "Warmth and willingness to serve, and the dedication that comes with that, are vital. Of course there are challenges, but they're all part of a great job. You have to look for solutions and move forward as a team. It's important to solve issues together and put policies and procedures in place so you don't repeat the mistakes."
With a career in the hospitality industry expanding 24 years, the past 5 of which have been spent in Durban, Croft has a keen sense of what Durban needs to make it the best destination for all.
"There is an amazing vibe down here and it's fascinating to watch the changes." She adds the Elangeni-Maharani complex has been reaping the dividend of the improved precinct as visitor numbers are rising, both from the corporate and tourist markets.
With a keen eye for detail, Croft circulates throughout the hotel daily, looking for room for improvement.
"I am committed to customer service and also strive to create a pleasant working environment for all. I am keenly interested in developing people and have implemented a Rooms Skills Programme for the Group which is now run on a national level within the organization," says Croft.
Croft highly recommends working in the hospitality industry to those considering a career in tourism. "If you have a positive attitude, love to mix and like a busy environment, there's no better career," she says. "
"My mantra is 'hire for attitude, train for skill'. In order to live this, it is imperative that I create an environment conducive to growth. I believe without this, I would not be surrounded by a competent team of individuals.
"I firmly believe in a 'hands -on' approach and investing time in individuals, by personally imparting knowledge from personal experience."
Croft is the Vice Chairperson of the Durban CTO (Community Tourism Organisation). She is also a member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce's Tourism Committee and assists on an advisory capacity at DUT (Durban University of Technology) Hotel School.
Croft recently won the regional Businesswomen's Achiever Award in the Corporate category for her outstanding work as the only female GM on the Beachfront strip.
Tertiary/professional qualification(s)
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Certificate in Hotel Management - Intec College
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In-service training qualification - Protea Hotels
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General Manager's Programme - Cornell University
Sector leadership
Croft currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the newly formed Durban CTO (Community Tourism Organisation).
She is also a member of the Durban Business Chamber's Tourism subcommittee and she assists as an advisor to the DUT (Durban University of Technology) Hotel school.
Awards
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Winner of the Regional Businesswoman's Achiever Award 2014.
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Winner of CEO's Africa's Most Influential Woman in Business & Government in the Travel & Tourism sector in SADC region.