As global hospitality giants increasingly look to investment opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa, the continent’s hotel sector faces a predicament. International brands bring with them strong systems, efficiency and scale but can be less in tune with the cultural context and operational realities on the ground. Independent properties tend to offer a rich sense of place and local identity although they lack the infrastructure and system knowledge to optimise operations.
Valor Hospitality is positioning itself as a bridge between these two worlds. Director of Operations Joep Schoof recently spoke to Tourism Update about Valor’s growing footprint across the continent – and the importance of locality in any hospitality business.
“We’re a full-service hospitality management company and we work on behalf of the owners,” said Schoof. “Our model is owner-centric. We help owners of independent properties – often boutique hotels – bring in global systems they might not otherwise be able to access. For larger hotels, we operate under franchise agreements with every major brand: Hilton, IHG and Marriott.”
Valor’s footprint is expanding across the continent from Mauritius and Zanzibar to Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Southern Africa, Valor already operates The Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet and is preparing to take on a boutique property in Cape Town’s Camps Bay.
Schoof emphasised that Valor’s approach is not to impose a one-size-fits-all model. “Africa is too often swept together as if it’s one thing but Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire are completely different. Even two neighbourhoods in Nairobi can be very different. You can’t run hotels in Africa using the same model you use in Europe or the US.”
A shift in mindset
Schoof believes that Valor’s value lies in blending international standards with local insight – and adapting global models to fit local realities. “The operating model we use is well-established in the US, UK and the Middle East. But, in Africa, it’s only now really starting to take root. And a big part of our job is to educate owners – to show them that you don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done.”
As an example, Schoof mentioned the Holiday Inn in Mauritius, a property Valor recently took over the management of. “The owners realised hospitality wasn’t their core business so they called us in. We inherited the team – 104 wonderful team members. We didn’t replace them. We worked with them and built something together.”
Central to the success of this approach is finding what Schoof referred to as the “bus driver” or general manager who leads on the ground. “That person needs to be the right cultural fit. I would never take GMs from Mauritius and put them in Kinshasa. And vice versa. It’s not just about skills. It’s about whether they can connect with the team. Can they switch them on?”
Schoof pointed out that every project has phases. “The first leader may be right for the early stage but not for the next. In Kinshasa, when we opened the Hilton, we only had eight weeks – not the usual 12 months. We flew in a task force of over 50 people from 28 different nationalities. We had to go from zero to 300 employees recruited, dressed, trained and ready for service. It was insane. But we did it.”
That kind of agility, he argued, is essential to working in Africa. “You don’t manage a hotel in Kinshasa via Teams calls. You need someone there and, ideally, we want that person to come from the region. The GM of the future is in the team already. At Holiday Inn Mauritius, I believe the future GM is one of those 104 team members.”
Schoof acknowledged the reality of the expat GM model so prevalent in Africa – and its criticisms. “I think the word ‘expat’ is overrated. It’s not about the passport. It’s about the ability to educate and transfer knowledge. That’s what our industry is about. And, in Africa, people are so receptive. It’s not that they don’t know – it’s that they haven’t been taught yet. The hunger to learn is incredible.”
Giants entering the arena
Some international tour operators have expressed concern about the growing presence of global hotel brands in safari destinations, particularly in East Africa, as well as elsewhere in Africa’s hospitality landscape. There’s a fear that this could dilute the authenticity of the African travel experience and crowd out independent operators.
However, Schoof believes there is middle ground that can address these concerns. “There’s strength in global brands – and enormous benefit for owners and teams. But you need to adapt those brand standards. For example, the standard Holiday Inn model says you need one restaurant and one bar. But, if you’re in a remote area in Africa, you might need two restaurants and a secure, fenced area. That’s what we do. We work with brands and say: ‘We like this but we need to change that’.”
He cited a project in Zanzibar where the brand standard included a conference centre. “That’s not how Africans do business. What we need is co-working spaces. And we need a 500-seat ballroom – not because the brand standard says so but because African weddings and funerals demand it.”
Valor has already successfully adapted this approach in Johannesburg. “At Voco The Bank, we said we’re not going to run the restaurant. We brought in Proud Mary – a local company that creates an incredible vibe. And IHG let us do it. That project showed the brands that you can keep the brand identity but tailor it to the market.”
Facing uncertainty
Despite an array of macro-economic factors outside of the tourism industry’s control, from aid cuts to political instability, Schoof believes Africa is resilient enough to weather the storm. “The cut of USAID funding had a big impact. In one of our hotels, it brought occupancy down from 80% to 30%. But, last night at 9pm, I got a message: we signed an airline. That’s the beauty of hospitality. If one door closes, another opens.”
