Qwabi Private Game Reserve, part of the Newmark Hotels & Reserves collection, has announced several key appointments at its new lodges in the Waterberg. These include the appointment of a GM to oversee Letamo and Babohi Lodges, two Executive Chefs and a dedicated Sales Manager.
Taking the lead as GM of Qwabi Private Game Reserve is Kurt Peter. His role will be to oversee both Letamo and Babohi Lodges on the reserve. Previously a Divisional Director of Sun International Resorts, a GM of Casinos of Mauritius and GM of GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, Peter is a seasoned hospitality executive that brings more than 35 years of experience to this new role.
Peter’s history with Newmark Hotels & Reserves dates to 2014 when he worked closely with the hospitality management company to spearhead the Rupert Foundation’s R100 million (€4.7m) redevelopment, restoration and expansion of the Drostdy Hotel precinct in Graaff Reinet. At the time, Peter held the position of GM and Project Co-Ordinator of the hotel.
In 2023 when Peter returned from a work project in Mauritius, he officially joined the Newmark Group, stepping in to manage Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate in Nigeria when Newmark signed its first hospitality management deal in West Africa.
“Together with the Newmark team we’ll be promoting Qwabi’s luxury accommodation options and our excellent Big Five game viewing in a malaria-free environment. I also want to create awareness about Qwabi as a MICE destination. The reserve is just three hours outside of Johannesburg and can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people for incentives and smaller groups for conferences. Letamo is also an excellent lodge for family safaris while Babohi’s romantic setting is very popular with couples,” said Peter.
Heading up the food experience at Letamo Lodge is Executive Chef Dion von Wielligh who brings 24 years of national and international experience to the role.
Von Williegh has previously held Executive Chef roles at Valley Lodge in Magaliesburg, at Galagos Country Estate in Pretoria and at Urban Hip Hospitality Group where he oversaw the food offering for Critchley Hackle Lodge and The Highlander Country Hotel in Dullstroom.
At Babohi Lodge Karien de Villiers has been appointed as Executive Chef. She brings extensive game lodge experience to the role having previously worked as an Executive Chef at Jaci’s Lodge, Phelwana Game Lodge, Kilima Private Game Reserve and Sheppard Boutique Hotel.
The Reserve has also appointed Nasrin Hoosen as its dedicated Sales Manager. Based in Johannesburg, Hoosen is working hand-in-hand with the Newmark sales team to bring in bookings for the two lodges. Hoosen has held a number of senior industry roles including that of Operations Director at GRID Worldwide, Cluster Assistant Director of Sales at Marriott and Sales Manager at Tsogo Sun Group.
Tintswalo Siankaba appoints GM
Tintswalo has appointed Simon Vuvunga as GM of Tintswalo Siankaba in Zambia. Tintswalo took over the management of the Siankaba treehouse tented camp in 2023, which is located on two small private islands in the Zambezi River.
Born and bred in Zambia, Vuvunga has been involved at Siankaba since 2015 on the finance side responsible for Auditing, Taxation, Financial Management and Accounting.
“Together with my team, we strive to build the Tintswalo brand here in Zambia, maintaining its integrity and contributing to its success within the hospitality industry in Southern Africa,” said Vuvunga.
New Director of Stakeholder Relations at STEA
Gwen Ncube has been appointed to the Small Tourism Enterprise Association (STEA) Board as the Director of Stakeholder Relations.
“Ncube is a dynamic force in the area of branding, marketing, communications, and public relations. with a wealth of experience garnered from diverse sectors including public relations, advertising, engineering, telecommunications and travel, tourism and hospitality, she brings a unique perspective to every project she undertakes,” the STEA said.
Her expertise spans from crafting compelling go-to-market strategies for esteemed tourism destinations like The Cradle of Humankind, Cullinan and The Dinokeng Game Reserve, to championing township tourism initiatives.
“She has showcased tourism gems on both local and international industry platforms, amplifying their presence and impact within the industry,” the STEA added.
