Hospitality and home are two important things to Dudu Hlabangani, general manager of Garden Court Blackrock, Newcastle. Hlabangani, who grew up between Dennilton and Soweto, oversees the daily operations of the popular stopover destination between Durban and Johannesburg.

In her time in the hospitality industry, she has worked her way up from receptionist to her current position — a journey she credits to not only dedication to the tourism industry, but strong leadership skills, financial acumen, team building and interpersonal skills, and being able to communicate effectively with all the different people that keep the hospitality industry thriving.

I started as a receptionist at Mercure Inn in Randburg and that is when I fell in love with hospitality. I think for one to excel in this industry, you have to learn how to deal with different personalities — it’s all about people at the end of the day.

From working at Mercure Inn, Hlabangani was promoted to front office management, and then travelled the world to see how hospitality is done in different countries. For two years she successfully worked as a supervisor of food and beverage outlets in theme parks in the United States, and that was followed by a stint in Germany.

“I must say hospitality makes you inquisitive and I developed an interest in wanting to travel. I did attempt to work in Germany soon after I left US, but I must say I was homesick and I immediately came back,” she says.

In 2011 Hlabangani joined Southern Sun Silverstar as a front office manager, and at Tsogo Sun her career escalated — a reward for the hard work she had put in at various hospitality venues.

Hlabangani’s trajectory in the tourism industry is marked by her many qualifications and upskilling in hospitality studies. She has a certificate in frontline hospitality, a diploma in marketing management from Varsity College and now doing part-time studies in hospitality management at the University of Johannesburg. In five years’ time she hopes to secure a directorial position, and she continues to follow her passion in the industry.

— Youlendree Appasamy

LinkedIn: @dudu-nonnie-nxumalo