Partnership to advance education in international hospitality management

9 Sep 2016

Kwantu Private Game Reserve announced a strategic partnership with Stenden University, an international higher learning institute headquartered in the Netherlands with campus facilities and education delivery points in Holland, South Africa, Qatar, Indonesia, and Thailand. The arrangement will see Kwantu become an experiential learning site and partner in South Africa, allowing local students to traverse hospitality management, operations and guest relations at an African wildlife game reserve as part of training, exposure, and practical learning.

The agreement will advance both local and internationally registered undergraduate students enrolled on Stenden’s hospitality management degree programmes, including the student body based at the hotel school in Port Alfred, and Stenden’s international visiting student body to South Africa from its various international campuses.

Last month, Kwantu welcomed Stenden students during an excursion at the reserve.

LEARNING LABORATORY: Students from Stenden South Africa visited Kwantu Private Game Reserve as part of their Hospitality Management training programme. Stenden lecturer Erna Velthof (centre) from Holland accompanied students Yannick Groendijk (seated left) from Schiermonnikoog an island in Holland and Siyathokoza Zuma from Durban and back left, Jessica Pfotenhauer from Botswana and Sarah Chirombe from Zimbabwe.

Stenden lecturer Erna Velthof, a visiting lecturer on a teacher exchange programme, said Africa offers a very unique opportunity for hospitality students. “While we are in Africa, we need to see and visit lodges to get a better understanding of how they operate,” said Velthof who is from Holland.

“The aim of the student visit is to get an in-depth understanding of Africa’s game reserve industry and operations so that they could potentially become lodge managers in future,” she said.

Kwantu Private Game Reserve CEO Shakir Jeeva said, “The Stenden relationship strategically aligns with our vision of supporting and empowering future leaders and emergent professionals in hospitality management industries.”

“We know that Kwantu and South Africa will offer an exciting learning laboratory of practitioner-driven insight that will prepare students for the demands of global hospitality industries,” he said.

The reserve, in August, has been listed as finalists in three major travel and hospitality awards this year, including the Sanlam Top Destination Awards 2016, The Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards and The World Luxury Hotel Awards.