In Episode 11, It's Africa's Time travels with Carlson Rezidor to Cape Town and Addis Ababa to learn about the company's Responsible Business initiatives, which include providing jobs and training for vulnerable youths, as well as an extensive employee-driven commitment to greener hotels.
"In many locations in Africa, we are the first international hotel group to arrive. We focus on inclusive business through employment and people development, because giving back to local communities through business, employment opportunities and charity work is part of who we are as a company," said Friedrich Schaefer, regional director sub-Saharan Africa of the Rezidor Hotel Group.
Inge Huijbrechts, vice-president responsible business of Rezidor added: "Many of our hotels are located in cities or in beautiful natural surroundings, so it's important to reduce our environmental footprint. We operate green hotels because we care for our guests, for the local community and for the future of the planet - and it makes good business sense too. Responsible Business at Carlson Rezidor is unique because it is driven by our people. All our staff knows about Responsible Business, they carry it in their hearts, and they practice it in their day-to-day jobs.
"The hospitality industry is one of the sectors with the biggest potential for income generation and job creation in sub-Saharan Africa, providing extensive opportunities for local people through employment as well as supply of goods and services," commented Tomas Sales, manager of the African Facility for Inclusive Markets (AFIM) and UNDP. "So the hospitality industry is a very promising powerful sector for inclusive business in Africa."
It's Africa's Time Episode 11 premiers on Tuesday, 8 October at 7.30am on CNBC Africa, DSTV channel 410; with repeats on Saturday, 12 at 10.30am and Tuesday, 15 at 9.30pm CAT.
