A chance entry into the hospitality industry
led, 30-year-old Mduduzi Shabangu to his latest role as the assistant
restaurant manager and wine steward at one of Durban’s iconic hotels - the
Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani.
It was more than eight years ago when a
friend offered him a job as a waiter at a local restaurant chain, but Shabangu
enjoyed the industry so much that he was determined to excel and thrive in the
industry.
Shabangu
maintains that it was his "passion and determination” that led to him to
move rapidly up the ranks to the second in command in less than a year. After moving around within the Spur
Corporation Group from Richards Bay to Chatsworth and thereafter Wilsons Wharf
in Durban, Shabangu decided to leave the group in 2009 and open his own fast
food restaurant under the Piatto Group.
Before joining Tsogo Sun, Shabangu ran his
own restaurant in a shopping centre in Kwamashu. Originally from a rural village, Shabangu was
raised in Nquthu. Northern KZN.
“It was actually a privilege growing up
there, as it taught me some very valuable principles of life, like patience and
respect,” explained Shabangu. The father
of two sons says, “I always wish my sons would grow up there before they move
to the city.”
Having travelled overseas, Shabangu visited
the United Kingdom for 6 months after which he returned to South Africa to
pursue his studies in Psychology. However due to unforeseen circumstances he could not continue studying
and soon found himself cooking up a storm in the hospitality industry.
“The one thing that I have always loved and
still love to this day about my position, is the anticipation of a new
challenge every day, because each day is so different from the previous
day. That is what I’d say motivates and
excites me and makes my position so interesting,” explains Shabangu.
“A long term goal is to follow my
great love for hospitality and cooking and to open my own restaurant once
again. The trend that I’ve noticed
emerging lately is the growing number of “Black Diamonds” actually making time
to eat out in restaurants. These are the
young, mid to high income earning black youth who have slowly started to enjoy
eating out and picking up on different types of cuisines, wines, beers and just
enjoying themselves.
“ It is really a joy to see this,
as it not only opens up the market for competition but also benefits well
established brands, and that is where I would like to see myself in the next 5
years,” says the budding entrepreneur.
For now, Shabangu explains that Tsogo Sun is one of the most exciting hotel groups to work for, “It is the ideal place to work in if you are
looking to further a career in Hospitality. The opportunities
are only limited by your own perception as the group is expanding in such a
rapid rate that in the years to come it will truly be a global giant in the
hospitality sector.”