Rising to the top in hotel chain

FROM humble beginnings with no funds to further his studies, a former Durbanite worked his way up and is now celebrating a quarter of a century at a leading hotel chain.

Mervyn Naidoo, 56, formerly of Greenwood Park, said he had always wanted to be a teacher and little did he realise that he would end up running a hotel.

Naidoo last week celebrated 25 years at Sun International. He has, since 2013, served as general manager of Grandwest Casino in Cape Town.

He said after matriculating at Overport Secondary in 1985, he did nothing for a year until his mom, Theresa, asked a family friend to find him a job.

Naidoo started off as an accounts clerk at Southern Sun, earning R205 a month at the age of 19.

“My parents could not afford to send me to study. I applied for a bursary through Southern Sun to study Hotel Management at the then ML Sultan Technikon Hotel School.

“Bursaries at the time were given mainly to whites, but I was able to get one. During my training I worked as a waiter, chef and in finance and accounts.

“After qualifying I started as a junior assistant food and beverage manager, then food and beverage manager, resident manager, operations manager, general manager and divisional director of a region, and in charge of six properties,” he said.

Over the years Naidoo has worked at the Cape Sun, as well as at a resort in the Seychelles. He joined Sun International in 1996 as a food and beverage manager at Mpekweni Sun in Fish River. He was then promoted to the role of operations manager at The Boardwalk Casino in April 2000 and held this position until his appointment in 2006 to general manager. From 2008 to June 2013, Naidoo occupied the position of divisional director for the group's Gaming South Division, assuming responsibility for Grandwest, Golden Valley, The Boardwalk, Lesotho Sun, Maseru Sun and the Monticello Grand Casino and Entertainment World in Santiago, Chile.

Naidoo obtained a National Diploma (Hotel Management); a diploma in Human Resource Management and a certificate in Strategic Management from the Cornell Hotel School.

Naidoo said his late mom, who was a clothing factory worker, was his hero.

“As a single mother of five kids she never complained about working to provide for us. We learnt from her about tenacity, perseverance and never giving up. She taught us to be humble and to help others," said Naidoo.

He said to those wanting to get into the industry, that it was the most vibrant industry where no two days were the same.

“If you love a challenge then this is the industry. But there are also sacrifices like working shifts. You must have a passion for it. If you put in the hard work and show your commitment it would pay off,” he said.