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Hospitality Net
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
FHS Africa 2025 Honours David Green William E. Heinecke and Hala Matar Choufany for Visionary Leadership and Lasting Impact on the Hospitality Industry
The 2025 Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa Awards will honour three exceptional individuals whose leadership, vision, and integrity have profoundly shaped the hospitality industry in Africa and beyond. David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, will be recognised with the FHS Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality Award; William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, will receive the FHS Leadership Award and Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia, will be presented with the FHS Excellence Award. The awards were nominated by the FHS Africa Advisory Board, a group of senior industry leaders who collectively represent decades of insight and influence across the global hospitality ecosystem. Their selections reflect not only individual excellence, but also the values that FHS Africa seeks to champion: ethical leadership, inclusive development, and long-term impact. William E. Heinecke, one of Asia's most influential entrepreneurs, was honoured with the FHS Leadership Award in recognition of a nearly six-decade-long career that began with a bold idea and just US$1,200. At the age of 17, Heinecke registered his first company under the name 'Minor' - a nod to being underage at the time - and went on to create Minor Hotels, a diversified hospitality group that today operates more than 530 hotels across 56 countries under brands including Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Elewana, and Tivoli. His acquisition of NH Hotel Group in 2018 marked a turning point for global expansion and established Minor as a powerhouse in the international hospitality scene. A vocal advocate for sustainability and social impact, Heinecke also founded the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, the Heinecke Foundation for education, and the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation. His accolades include HOTELS Magazine's Corporate Hotelier of the World and Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards. Now Chairman of the Board of Minor International, Heinecke continues to guide the group's long-term strategy and philanthropic mission. David Green's recognition reflects more than a decade of transformative leadership at the helm of Cape Town's iconic V&A Waterfront. Since his appointment in 2009, Green has guided the historic precinct through a R8 billion reinvention, turning it into one of Africa's most successful mixed-use destinations. Under his stewardship, the Waterfront has become a blueprint for sustainable urban development—supporting nearly 80,000 jobs, empowering local entrepreneurs, and embedding environmental and social responsibility at the core of every initiative. From the launch of the Zeitz MOCAA Museum and Makers Landing to the expansion of the hotel and hospitality portfolio now comprising 14 hotels and over 1,800 rooms, Green's legacy lies in his deep commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and purpose-driven development. Everything we do is viewed through the lenses of job creation, inclusivity, and sustainability, Green reflected. It's about ensuring that our work aligns with the values of our people, our community, and our environment. Hala Matar Choufany, recipient of the FHS Excellence Award, has set new benchmarks in hospitality advisory through her role as President of HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia. The first woman to hold this position, she has led over 5,000 advisory engagements that have shaped hotel investments, asset strategies, and valuations across key markets. Her leadership is grounded in transparency, ethical decision-making, and long-term value creation principles she champions not just in boardrooms, but also in classrooms and industry forums worldwide A respected voice in global hospitality discourse, Choufany is committed to nurturing talent, supporting sustainable development in emerging markets, and driving responsible investment practices across Africa and beyond. True leadership is not about titles or accolades , she said. It's defined by trust, integrity, and the impact created through knowledge-sharing and collaboration. We are absolutely delighted to be recognising William, Hala, and David at FHS Africa this year. Each of them represents the very best of our industry—visionary leadership, resilience, and a deep commitment to positive change. Their stories are a testament to what is possible when passion meets purpose. FHS Africa continues to be the premier hospitality investment platform on the continent, and honouring these individuals reflects the exceptional calibre of conversation and connection that defines this event. Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of The Bench FHS Africa 2025 continues its mission to elevate the continent's hospitality potential by spotlighting the people and ideas driving sustainable growth. Through these awards, the Summit honours those who not only lead with distinction but also shape the future of hospitality across Africa and around the world. Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group Headline Sponsors: ACT, CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels & Resorts Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, EQUATE, Knight Frank, JLL, Millat Group, St Helena Government, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners Event Ambassadors: Develop Hotels Inc, Hotel Partners Africa, Voltere by Egis, W Hospitality Group Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways Supported By: South Africa Tourism About FHS Africa For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality. About The Bench The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change. Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight. The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow. Discover more at
News24
12-05-2025
- Business
- News24
A room with an Atlantic view: Inside Cape Town's first Radisson Collection hotel
Cape Town's first Radisson Collection rebrands a familiar hotel with subtle updates and a hard-to-beat waterfront setting. Set unusually close to the ocean, it pairs sweeping Atlantic views with easy access to the city's major attractions. Its greatest asset, though, is the setting itself — more Côte d'Azur than Africa's southern tip. A room with an Atlantic view: inside Cape Town's first Radisson Collection hotel Cape Town's first Radisson Collection rebrands a familiar hotel with subtle updates and a hard-to-beat waterfront setting. Set unusually close to the ocean, it pairs sweeping Atlantic views with easy access to the city's major attractions. Its greatest asset, though, is the setting itself — more Côte d'Azur than Africa's southern tip. Cape Town's old Radisson Blu, near the V&A Waterfront, was long a locals' secret for slow brunches and sundowners — a little pocket of protected land with unobstructed views of Table Bay. Now, under the Radisson Collection banner — the first of this high-end brand in Southern Africa — it has repositioned itself as an unpretentious, luxurious coastal retreat. The soft refurbishment means the property hasn't tampered with its greatest assets: those endless Atlantic views and the spillover pool that mirrors its hue — if not its temperature. ALSO READ | Fresh beginnings: Spier's redesign elevates countryside luxury in Stellenbosch The location is both central and secluded — from a cushioned deck chair beneath a wide umbrella, the city feels distant. Table Mountain, so often the city's dominant reference point, disappears behind you, and Robben Island is the only recognisable landmark. The sweep of Table Bay is almost scythe-like, beginning at your feet and curving out of sight in the distance. Throughout the day, a steady procession animates the bay — starting, usually, with a parade of playful dolphins, which give way to kayakers, fishing boats, jet skis, container ships, and sun-seeking yachts. During cruise season, the odd hulking ship might float casually on past. The setting evokes the Côte d'Azur more than Africa's southern tip, where the trappings of a working port are layered over scenes of leisure. Officially named the Radisson Collection Hotel Waterfront, the property isn't entirely new — nor does it pretend to be. The shift to this new standard is more a matter of careful realignment to earn a badge reserved for properties the group considers distinctive, often locally rooted. There's no sweeping architectural reinvention here; in fact, the building would benefit from bolder interventions, such as a central staircase to the rooms or, more ambitiously, a rooftop bar to capitalise on its unbeatable location. Instead, returning guests will notice a light refresh: a refurbed coffee shop meets patisserie wing, new bedroom furniture, fresh artwork on the walls, and small but welcome tweaks to the restaurant and bar, Tobago's, which leans confidently into seafood and local flavours best ordered from the large patio outside. There are several room choices available that vary in size, view, and, depending on the combination you choose, price. Your choice will likely depend on budget and space — but if you splurge on anything, make it a sea-facing room, ideally on the first floor or higher. The ground-floor options have easy access to lawns and the pool area — a plus for families — but nothing quite beats the feeling of whipping open those curtains to see an expanse of blue. Yet despite the updates, the real magic remains the site itself — and how unusually close you are to the water. While Cape Town offers no shortage of sea views, most hotels are divided from the ocean by roads, walkways or a buffer of public land. Only a handful of boutique properties bring you closer — and at a far steeper price. This is the only Cape Town hotel where you can sit poolside and feel the sea spray at high tide. 'Why would we travel anywhere else?' a Finnish man on an adjacent deck chair said to me, his skin already the same shade as the bottle of rosé chilling beside him. 'Right now in Helsinki, it's minus five.' That was his base for the next two days, leaving only once the autumn sun had set dramatically to his left. And on a day when Table Mountain was whipped into a white-out, and Sea Point's promenade was devoid of activewear, the Fin's poolside deckchair remained entirely undisturbed. Had he cared to leave (I asked; he didn't), the hotel's proximity to attractions would have been a quiet strength. The V&A Waterfront is a 15-minute walk away on a safe pavement that delivers visitors to its revolving door of restaurants, shops, markets, buskers and increasing attractions while staying just outside the thick of it. The Oranjezicht City Market — a weekend fixture with its mix of farm stalls, artisanal goods and beautiful brunch crowds — so close you can almost hear its buzz from the hotel's entrance. It's also a great alternative to a simple hotel lunch. And a fresh perspective of the hotel and the city from the water, either on yacht or kayak, departs only metres away. For the more active-minded, the hotel offers complimentary bicycles for guests keen to explore the Atlantic Seaboard, but the real reward is a sunrise walk or run to the far edge of the promenade, a neat five kilometres away and the perfect excuse for an extra helping at the extravagant buffet breakfast. But for all the hotel's proximity to urban life, it is the sense of escape that lingers. Even Capetonians often forget this corner of Mouille Point exists so neatly is it tucked away. The Radisson Collection's greatest trick may be its ability to deliver both sides of Cape Town at once: a lively, accessible hub and a rare slice of true waterside tranquillity. - Andrew Thompson was a guest of Radisson.
News24
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Thabo Makhetha's SS25 collection is a love letter to Lesotho's vast lands
Thabo Makhetha showcased at SA Fashion Week day two. The collection is reminiscent of what spring and summer in Lesotho looks like. The luxury label has baby clothes and more up their sleeves for the future. Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana has given South Africa luxury women's fashion with a taste of Lesotho for more than 15 years. The latest collection in her eponymous women's wear label features distinct patterns reminiscent of nature and shades of green and brown that represents Thabo and Lesotho's rich lands. The hustle and bustle of fashion season ended after the South African Fashion Week spring/summer 2025 runway shows in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, from 24 to 26 April 2025, with Thabo Makhetha designs showcased on day two. Redefining Basotho culture After the show, Thabo gave TRUELOVE some insight into the inspiration behind the collection. 'I think, for me, when I do collections, you have to balance functionality and creativity. So, what I usually try to do is to have pieces that you could wear every day. But when you showcase it on the runway obviously you want to elevate it, you want to give entertainment and excitement. But obviously, we also see with our showstopper. That's the art and the craft of it that comes out. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thabo Makhetha (@tmakcc) Thabo continues, 'That last piece really tells the story because we're talking about thethana, which is the maiden skirt that they wear. It's made from a grass reed and then they roll it together. So, we're taking that kind of inspiration and redefining it, making it luxurious, making you look at it in a different way; that's always been the point. 'This is Basotho culture but let's redefine it, let's take the story to the world. Let's get someone in Europe, in Asia, in America, wherever, being able to access our culture and tell the story behind it, not just wear it because it's fashion.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by South African Fashion Week (@safashionweek) When it comes to the specific colours chosen for the collection, Thabo explains how Lesotho's luscious green fields brought alive by its rainfall made a big mark on her inspiration. She says, 'With the colours I chose for this one, it's supposed to be spring/summer and I just thought in Lesotho when it rains, and the mountains are so rich and green and then the rain falls down and almost like on the slate and we see these strong blacks against the green. So, my colours actually just came from that idea of ha ke Lesotho, what does summer and spring actually look like.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by South African Fashion Week (@safashionweek) For the people Not only have Thabo Makhetha designs become popular across the country at locations like the Soko District in Rosebank Mall, the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and Africa Arise in Sandton, but the brand dipped its toes into homeware with a limited edition tile range with CTM. While Thabo is looking to expanding into homeware, for now she wants to focus on getting her designs to her loyal customers. 'I think I want to focus on getting the product to the people. I've got baby clothes – there are things you haven't seen because I sit, and I make up the stuff and you only see it now and again in moments. So, I think I want to get the stuff out to the people, then after that we'll start looking at moving out more into the CTM and following those things. 'But I think for now the call has been, 'girl, I don't have your stuff. You're not around, where can we find you?' So, let me sort out my tribe, let me sort out them first, and then we'll look into more collaborations thereafter.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thabo Makhetha (@tmakcc) To close off a successful show, Thabo leaves us with a few words of wisdom she would tell her younger self if she could. 'You weren't wrong for all off your stubbornness, for all the heartache, for all the doors that were shut in your face, you were not wrong, girl. And I'm saying to me now at this age, keep doing it. Keep going.'
