Meet Women Reshaping The Hospitality Industry, From The Kitchen To The Hotel Floor

South Africa’s Women’s Month commemorates the 1956 march of 20,000 women to the Union Buildings, while also recognising the progress women continue to make in the workplace. In hospitality, that story unfolds in kitchens, lodges and training rooms across Southern Africa. Six women share what that journey looks like.

In the kitchen

Jessica Mhlanga couldn’t afford tertiary studies after school. A mother figure pushed her to apply to the Singita School of Cooking’s community selection anyway; out of thousands of applicants, she was one of ten chosen, and the youngest woman in her intake. Jessica is now Sous Chef at one of Shiviko Kruger’s private villas, serving oxtail in traditional potjie pots and mangwinya, the vetkoek she once made with her mother to support her household.

“As a mother and a chef, being in a villa environment is one of my favourite things about Shiviko!  The villa set-up allows you to understand your guests, build a relationship, anticipate requests and get to know them for who they are.”

At Thonga Beach Lodge, Head Chef Nomazulu Ndlovu has spent her career in kitchens run mostly by men. Her dishes trace back to childhood – peanut sauces from family meals, mussels foraged with her parents at low tide. She enjoys working hard in the kitchen, learning new recipes, and always puts her guests first. “I just want everyone to be happy, enjoy a meal cooked with love, and spread that happiness,” she says.

The work guests don’t see

Anna Mugabe has been the only woman on an all-male team, as the Lodge Manager on Tsowa Safari Island. She learned to lead with both firmness and care, but the culture shifted once the lodge opened a spa and hired more women. “The energy changed,” she says. “Having more women on the team brought new ideas and a nurturing touch.”

She opens up about the invisible labour behind a smooth stay: “Guests only see the finished product. They don’t see the 05h00 wake-ups, coordinating five teams, and problem-solving behind the scenes. It’s 90% logistics so the 10% they experience feels effortless.”

At Cape Vulture Lodge, HR and Lodge Manager Lerato Maseko measures leadership by what it does for others, not by title. From day one, she was part of building not only the operational side of the lodge, but also the culture of the team. “It became real when I realised my decisions influenced not only the success of the lodge but the confidence and growth of the people I work with. As women, we often underestimate our impact. Real leadership is about lifting others as you grow.”

The next generation

Sinethemba (Sne) Manqele teaches computer literacy at Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge through the Isibindi Foundation, starting students from how to hold a mouse. “If you can’t use a computer at university, you’re left behind,” she says. “We give them basic skills so they don’t struggle.” One of Sne’s proudest moments was a 52-year-old local woman who went from struggling with the very basics to running an office computer “like she was born using it”. 

“I felt so convinced and happy knowing that we are making a real difference in the community.”

Monique Soulse had to put her hospitality ambitions on hold until a 2014 scholarship to the South African College for Tourism changed that. “Looking back on my journey, I am proud of how far I have come. From starting as a hospitality student, every role has contributed to my growth,” she says. Monique worked her way up from intern to Front Office Manager at Drostdy Hotel, and returned to the SACT in 2025 as Front Office Facilitator, training students live on the same hotel floor where she once trained.

“When I look at my learners, I see my younger self,” she says. “I want them to understand that where you start does not determine where you finish.”