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Johannesburg, Thursday, 6 February 2025 – Southern Sun has once again showcased its commitment to excellence in hospitality, securing multiple accolades at the prestigious 2025 Booking.com Traveller Review Awards.

This year, an impressive 42 of the group’s properties have been recognised, achieving outstanding guest feedback over the past three years.

The Booking.com Traveller Review Awards are a hallmark of quality and service, celebrating properties that have consistently delivered exceptional experiences. To qualify, a property must maintain an average review score of at least 8.0, based on guest ratings published between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2024. Southern Sun’s continued success in these awards is a testament to its unwavering focus on guest satisfaction and service excellence.

Award-Winning Southern Sun Hotels and Resorts
The following Southern Sun properties were recognised in the 2025 Booking.com Traveller Review Awards:

• 54 on Bath
• Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa
• Beverly Hills
• Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre
• InterContinental OR Tambo Airport
• Mount Grace Hotel & Spa
• Paradise Sun
• Sandton Sun & Towers
• Southern Sun Abu Dhabi
• Southern Sun Cape Sun
• Southern Sun Dar es Salaam
• Southern Sun de Wagen
• Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani
• Southern Sun Hyde Park Sandton
• Southern Sun Katherine Street
• Southern Sun Mbombela
• Southern Sun Newlands
• Southern Sun Ridgeway Lusaka
• Southern Sun Rosebank
• Southern Sun Sandton
• Southern Sun The Cullinan
• Southern Sun The Marine
• Southern Sun Waterfront Cape Town
• Drakensberg Sun Resort
• Pine Lake Resort
• Riverside Sun
• Sabi River Sun Resort
• Tete Ferry Sun
• The Edward
• SunSquare Cape Town City Bowl
• SunSquare Cape Town Gardens
• Garden Court Hatfield
• Garden Court Kings Beach
• Garden Court Kitwe
• Garden Court Morningside Sandton
• Garden Court Mthatha
• Garden Court Polokwane
• Garden Court Sandton City
• Garden Court uMhlanga
• Garden Court Victoria Junction
• StayEasy Cape Town City Bowl
• StayEasy Lusaka
• StayEasy Maputo
• StayEasy Mbombela
• SUN1 Port Elizabeth

Southern Sun CEO, Marcel von Aulock, expressed his pride in the group’s achievements, stating, “These awards reflect Southern Sun’s commitment to hospitality excellence and recognise the unwavering dedication of our staff, who consistently go above and beyond to deliver world-class hospitality. We are incredibly grateful to our guests for their trust and feedback, and we remain committed to providing exceptional experiences across all our properties”

The 2025 awards reinforce Southern Sun’s position as a leading hospitality provider across South Africa, Africa, and the Middle East. Many of its hotels and resorts have shown consistent year-on-year improvements, demonstrating the group’s investment in service, comfort, and guest satisfaction.

A Mark of Trust for Travellers
As the travel industry grows increasingly competitive, the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards serve as a valuable guide for travellers seeking high-quality accommodations backed by genuine guest experiences. Southern Sun’s hotels and resorts continue to set the benchmark for exceptional stays, whether for business travel, luxury escapes or family-friendly destinations.

Southern Sun Employees Unite for Mandela Day: Hundreds Volunteer in Community Projects

Once again South Africans honoured the legacy of Nelson Mandela on Thursday, 18 July. Hundreds of Southern Sun employees went out into their local communities to volunteer at the many projects that are regularly supported by the group’s hotels and resorts in South Africa. Heeding the call to collectively address social and economic security of Africans, Southern Sun volunteers acted in the spirit of the Mandela Day theme for 2024: Combat poverty and inequality, it is in our hands.

The hotel group’s commitment to making a positive impact in communities around the country truly embodies the uBuntu of Mandela Day. A total of 374 volunteers from 36 Southern Sun hotels supported 34 charities by spending their 67 minutes supporting those who are in need.

“Throughout the year, our hotel teams actively participate in community service, but Mandela Day is a special time for us to unite with the nation in driving positive change. Our support spans various causes, including health, welfare, and education, but given our position in the hospitality industry, we recognise the critical importance of alleviating hunger. This focus was the central theme of our Mandela Day activities, and we are proud to have made a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most,” stated Candy Tothill, Southern Sun’s Corporate Affairs Executive.

Southern Sun’s Sandton Convention Centre once again provided the venue as part of their ongoing sponsorship for Rise Against Hunger’s food packing event in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 17 July 2024 where more than 580,000 meals were packed. Among the numerous volunteers, 40 Southern Sun volunteers participated by preparing, weighing, and sealing 51 boxes, which contained over 13,260 nutritious meals. These meals are part of a larger effort to support Early Childhood Development Centres across the country, as part of the Rise Against Hunger SA organisation’s purpose of distributing meals.

In the greater Cape Town area, 215 dedicated staff members from 14 Southern Sun hotels came together to make a remarkable impact, supporting eight local charities. Their collective efforts saw a wide range of activities and donations aimed at uplifting the community. For instance, the Southern Sun Waterfront and Southern Sun The Cullinan hotels partnered with Ladles of Love, purchasing tickets and volunteering their time to feed the hungry through a network of NPOs, while also donating pre-loved linen to The Haven Night Shelter. Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa made significant contributions to Child Welfare Kleinmond, providing 100 litres of soup with bread, 25 litres of milk, and an array of hygiene products and educational supplies. Other hotels like StayEasy Century City, SunSquare Cape Town Gardens, and Garden Court Nelson Mandela Boulevard also contributed to Ladles of Love and various other initiatives, ensuring widespread support across multiple causes.

Further demonstrating their commitment, Garden Court Mthatha’s staff supported Happy Homes Disabled Children Centre by donating pre-loved linen and crockery, planting vegetable seedlings, and providing a hearty lunch for 80 people. Similarly, Garden Court East London served lunch and donated fleece blankets to the Silver Crown Home for Aged and Handicapped, while Garden Court Kings Beach and Southern Sun The Marine provided meals, gift packs, and entertainment for the Protea Child Youth Care Centre. This collective effort from the hotels not only addressed immediate needs but also fostered a spirit of unity and compassion, embodying the true essence of Mandela Day and leaving a lasting positive impact on the Cape Town community.

In Gauteng and outlying regions, 96 volunteers from 16 Southern Sun hotels united to support 14 local charities through a variety of impactful activities. At Southern Sun and StayEasy Mbombela, staff donated seed packs worth R1800 to Cyril Clark High School to aid in crop planting. StayEasy Pretoria lent a helping hand to Arcadia Primary School and Pretoria Technical High School by making and distributing 67 lunch packs. Meanwhile, Garden Court Hatfield donated 60 fleece beanies and participated in a soup drive for the Give Them Hope Foundation, utilising bread collected through a plastic recycling campaign. Additionally, Garden Court & StayEasy Eastgate provided pre-loved linen, operating equipment, and gifts to the Home of Hope for Girls, further emphasising their commitment to community support.

Additional contributions saw Garden Court Milpark staff serving lunch and spending time with the elderly at Eventide Old Age Home, while Garden Court Polokwane donated soup, bread, and pre-loved linen to Tiangmatla Multi-Purpose Centre. Southern Sun Pretoria distributed hot meals and lunch packs to the displaced people living under the Nelson Mandela Bridge, and Garden Court OR Tambo donated dry goods to Khanyisa soup kitchen. Collaborative efforts between Garden Court Morningside and Southern Sun Katherine Street led to grocery donations for Mpabale Children’s Home in Alexandra. Garden Court Sandton City organised a soup kitchen and winter warmer drive for Ratang Bana, a community child support project in Alexandra, and Southern Sun Hyde Park sponsored accommodation for Ladles of Love staff hosting a Mandela Day event aimed at breaking a world record and raising substantial funds and items for underprivileged pre-school children. Additionally, Riverside Sun Hotel served a hearty lunch for 100 people at Vukuzenzele Old Age Home, and 54 On Bath and Southern Sun Rosebank partnered with Avanti Coffee to provide sandwiches, coffee, and donated pre-loved linen to Immaculata Shelter. These collective efforts exemplify the hotels’ dedication to making a significant positive impact in their communities.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 63 committed staff members from six hotels and three resorts came together to support 12 local charities, demonstrating a strong sense of community and solidarity. Employees from the Beverly Hills Hotel painted children’s bathrooms at Northview Primary, while Garden Court uMhlanga donated lunch packs to 100 school kids at St Michaels Primary School in Avoca. Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani made significant contributions, not only engaging with the children but donating grocery items and pre-loved linen worth R146,179.12 to St Philomena’s. They also donated pre-loved linen valued at R79,327.67 to Fundiswa. Garden Court Marine Parade provided financial support to Nhlakanipho EDC Center, and The Edward hosted a fun-filled day for Eyethu Creche & Day Care with lunch, a jumping castle, face painting, toys, and party packs. Garden Court South Beach contributed by painting classrooms, performing maintenance, cleaning windows, and donating snacks and arts and crafts items to Toddlers Inn.

Widening the impact, Drakensberg Sun Resort donated groceries, a kettle and pots, and performed maintenance work at Umfolozi Creche, along with donating pre-loved linen to Kwazamakuhle School for Disabled Children. Cabana Beach Resort and uMhlanga Sands Resort jointly participated in a food parcel packaging event organised by Rise Against Hunger SA in Durban, and Cabana Beach Resort supported The Sahara Shelter, a safe haven for abused women and children facing domestic violence. Additionally, uMhlanga Sands Resort organised an exciting race activation and foam party for 25 children through Reach for a Dream. These efforts collectively showcase the hotels’ dedication to uplifting their communities and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those they support.

“Participating in days like Mandela Day is incredibly humbling as we witness the entire country coming together through volunteer programs. At Southern Sun, our people exemplify caring spirits by identifying needs and engaging in initiatives that uplift others. This commitment is most powerfully demonstrated during Mandela Day each year, where our collective efforts truly make a difference in the lives of those our efforts uplift,” concluded Tothill.

Southern Sun to host renowned wine tasting events ahead of the 2023 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards

South Africa, 4 April 2023 – Southern Sun, the hospitality partner of the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards since 2018, is proud to announce two renowned wine tasting events taking place in Johannesburg and Durban in a lead up to the 2023 Awards. The two events provide the opportunity for wine lovers to sample a selection of award-winning wines and spirits and to meet the winemakers and producers who produced them.

The first Michelangelo Wine Tasting Event will take place in Johannesburg on Friday and Saturday, 21 and 22 April 2023 at Southern Sun Rosebank, followed by a second event in Durban on Friday and Saturday, 26 and 27 May 2023 at Garden Court uMhlanga. At these two unmissable events, wine lovers can expect to taste wines and spirits from a comprehensive selection of South African premium wine brands, including:

• Vondeling
• The Johannesburg Distilling Company
• Bon Courage
• Thor Vintners
• Le Pommier
• Mountain Ridge
• Premier Pure Fusion
• Holden Manz
• Nitida
• Aslina Wines
• De Bosch Farm
• Durbanville Hills
• Nederburg
• Simonsig
• Private Collection
• Niel Joubert Wines
• Hoopenburg Wines
• Lourensford Wines
• Babylonstoren Wines

These renowned cellars and distilleries will exhibit not only their award-winning produce, but also their extended ranges of delightful wines and spirits, offering guests over 100 wines, spirits, MCC and other sublime creations.

Mynard Slabbert, co-owner of the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards explains, “These Wine Tasting Events showcase a selection of the 2022 Michelangelo winners who were announced at a gala awards evening hosted at Southern Sun Cape Sun. The tasting events bring the wines, winemakers and producers to Johannesburg and Durban, giving local wine lovers, sommeliers, restaurateurs, and merchants an opportunity to engage with them, and sample their award-winning products first-hand. Now in its 27th year, the Michelangelo Awards remain unique in Africa, with more than 263 individual judges from 47 countries having served on the panels over the years.”

As the biggest wine and spirits competition in Africa, the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards receives more entries than any other awards programme in the sector. All entries are meticulously judged by panels of wine experts from five different continents in a blind tasting, utilising the 100-point OIV system. This impartial process guarantees that each participant is assessed on the same level, without being swayed by packaging or brand name.

Southern Sun’s chief executive, Marcel von Aulock commented on the hotel group’s ongoing association with the Michelangelo Awards, “Partnering with these prestigious awards provides us with the opportunity to showcase some of South Africa’s most renowned winemakers and to support an industry which is closely linked to our own. We are delighted to host the Michelangelo Wine Tasting Events, and look forward to welcoming wine lovers in Johannesburg and Durban to Southern Sun Rosebank and Garden Court uMhlanga in April and May respectively.”

Tickets for the Michelangelo Wine Tasting Events can be purchased online now at Computicket, and a limited number of tickets will be available at the door (R200).

• Southern Sun Rosebank event tickets cost R175 online (21 & 22 April 2023).
• Garden Court uMhlanga event tickets cost R150 online (26 & 27 May 2023).

Wine lovers are invited to make an evening of it with Southern Sun’s special accommodation rates for event ticketholders. To book an overnight stay at Southern Sun Rosebank visit bit.ly/431pXnx; to book an overnight stay at Garden Court uMhlanga, visit bit.ly/3znKSnn.

Visit www.maiwsa.co.za to learn more about the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.