#WomensMonth | Thuthukile Moloto on building a career from the ground up in hospitality

Source: Supplied | Thuthukile Moloto, General Manager, Pullman Cape Town City Centre

Her hospitality career began as a casual banqueting waitress at a hotel in Benoni, after financial circumstances forced her to leave university. She was later given an opportunity to join a hotel learnership programme through Protea Hotels, which she completed before starting as a debtors clerk.

From there, she worked across finance and operations, including front office, marketing, and rooms division, before getting her first opportunity to become a general manager. Her career then took her beyond South Africa, including an international task force assignment in Ethiopia and almost two years as cluster director of quality for Marriott International's Sindalah development in Saudi Arabia.

In 2025, she returned to South Africa to take up her current role as general manager of Pullman Cape Town City Centre.

For Women's Month, Bizcommunity caught up with Moloto to discuss her unconventional route into hospitality, building a workplace where people can grow, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship for women, and what she has learned about leadership along the way.

Your hospitality career has taken you from South Africa to leadership roles in the Middle East before returning home to lead Pullman Cape Town City Centre. Can you take us back to where that journey began, and how have those experiences shaped the leader you are today?

My journey into hospitality was never something I had planned from the beginning. I was studying travel and tourism, but after my first year, my mother could no longer afford to pay my university fees, so I had to leave and find work. I found a job as a casual banqueting waitress at a hotel in Benoni. At that stage, I was really just trying to earn an income and find a way forward. I was then fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to join a hotel learnership programme, which I later completed through Protea Hotels. That programme opened a door for me that I don't think I could have imagined at the time. After graduating, I started as a debtors clerk.

And I think that is an important part of my story because I really did work my way through the business. I didn't start in management, and there wasn't a straight line to becoming a general manager. I moved from finance into operations and worked across different areas of the hotel business. I went through front office, became a front office supervisor and front office manager, worked in marketing, moved into the rooms division, and eventually got my first opportunity to become a General Manager.

Along the way, I was also fortunate to be involved in hotel openings and to work in very different environments. My career later took me beyond South Africa, including an international task force assignment in Ethiopia and then an opportunity in Saudi Arabia. Those experiences exposed me to different cultures, different ways of working and a much broader view of hospitality and leadership.

And now I've come back home to South Africa to lead Pullman Cape Town City Centre, which is a completely different brand and environment again.

When I look at that journey, I think it explains a lot about the leader I am today. I have worked at different levels of a hotel and in very different roles, so I understand that every person contributes to the success of the business. I know what it is like to be the casual employee working a function, and I know what it is like to sit in the General Manager's chair and carry responsibility for the entire business.

I've also learnt not to be afraid of starting again or stepping into something unfamiliar. Moving from finance into operations, taking on hotel openings, becoming a first-time GM and later working outside South Africa all required me to stretch myself. But probably the biggest thing I've carried with me is the importance of opportunity. There was a point in my life when I had to leave university because financially there simply wasn't another option. Then somebody gave me an opportunity through a learnership, and that changed the trajectory of my life.

So today, while I am very focused on performance, accountability and high standards, I'm equally passionate about developing people and recognising potential. I know first-hand that the person working as a casual today could be sitting in the general manager's chair one day. Sometimes all they need is someone to see the potential and give them that first opportunity.

Hospitality is ultimately a people business. How do you build a workplace culture where employees feel supported, motivated and able to grow their careers?

I think people need a leader with a clear vision. They need to understand where we are going, what we are trying to achieve, and, importantly, the role they play in getting us there. But I also believe a good leader should listen more than they speak. Some of the best ideas and some of the most important feedback come from the people who are closest to our guests and the operation every day.

For me, building the right culture means creating an environment where people feel heard, respected and comfortable enough to contribute. It also means recognising potential and giving people opportunities to grow. My own career is a good example of what can happen when someone sees potential in you and opens a door, so developing and empowering people is something I feel very strongly about.

At the same time, support has to come with accountability. I set high standards, but I also make sure my team has the tools, guidance and trust they need to deliver against those standards. Ultimately, I want people to feel that they are part of something, that their contribution matters and that they can build a career with us, not simply come to work every day to do a job.

You have championed initiatives such as #SheLeadsAfrica to develop future leaders. Why is mentorship particularly important for women entering hospitality?

Mentorship is incredibly important for women entering hospitality because, while we have made progress, women still need greater access to exposure, sponsorship and leadership opportunities. Sometimes it is not about whether you are capable; it is about having someone who sees that capability, guides you and is prepared to open a door for you.

I know the difference that can make because my own career was shaped by people who saw potential in me and gave me opportunities before I necessarily saw them for myself. That is something I now feel a responsibility to pay forward. #SheLeadsAfrica, an Accor initiative led in our region by Verona, our vice president of people and culture operations for the Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye, speaks strongly to that. What I particularly value about the initiative is that it is not only a conversation about women empowering women. “She” and “He” both have a role to play. Men in leadership also have a responsibility to mentor, sponsor and advocate for female talent.

At Pullman Cape Town, I have tried to bring that to life by giving our female Heartists opportunities, exposing them to different parts of the business and, importantly, giving them a seat at the table. Because mentorship shouldn't only be about giving advice; it should also be about creating opportunities. Ultimately, if we want to see more women leading our industry, we have to be intentional about preparing them, exposing them and opening those doors.

What changes have you seen in opportunities for women in hotel leadership during your career, and where does the industry still need to improve?

There has definitely been progress. When I look back 10 years, there were far fewer female General Managers than we see today, and leadership teams across the industry have become much more diverse. Women are being given opportunities to lead larger and more complex hotels and to take on roles that perhaps historically were more male dominated, and that is encouraging.

But I don't think we can say we have arrived yet. We need to continue building the pipeline, particularly beyond General Manager level into regional, corporate and executive leadership positions. We also need to make sure that diversity is not simply about representation, but that women are genuinely being given the same exposure, development opportunities and access to decision-making roles. For me, the next step is really about being intentional. We have to identify female talent earlier, mentor and sponsor them, and create opportunities that prepare them for those bigger roles. The progress is visible, but we need to make sure it continues at every level of the industry.

Guests' expectations continue to evolve. How do you balance operational excellence with creating memorable experiences that keep people coming back?

It starts with setting clear goals with the team and, importantly, involving them in that goal setting. People need to understand not only what we are trying to achieve, but what service excellence means for our guests. Operational excellence gives us the foundation – consistency, standards, and getting the basics right every single time. But quality is ultimately defined by the guest experience. We can believe we have delivered everything perfectly from an operational perspective, but if that is not how the guest experienced it, then we haven't achieved service excellence.

The memorable part often comes from our people – understanding the guest, listening to them, anticipating what they may need, and creating those small, personalised moments that they remember long after they leave. So for me, it is not really a choice between operational excellence and memorable experiences. The two must work together. Strong operations create consistency, and empowered Heartists bring the human element that gives guests a reason to come back.

Looking back, was there a defining career moment when you realised you were ready for senior leadership?

I think it was being appointed general manager for the first time. I had spent years working my way through different areas of the business, but being entrusted with an entire hotel and people was the moment that made me realise I was ready to lead at that level. What gave me even more confidence was seeing the results that followed, not only in the performance of the hotel, but in the people I was able to develop and the culture we created.

It taught me that I didn't have to change who I was to be a strong leader. I could lead with grace, empathy, hold people accountable, deliver results, and still remain true to myself. That was probably the moment I stopped questioning whether I belonged at the table and understood that I had earned my place there.

If you could sit down with your younger self at the start of your hospitality career, what advice would you give her?

I would tell her to believe in herself and not be afraid when life doesn't go according to plan. Things change, and sometimes the path you didn't plan for becomes the one that takes you exactly where you need to be. Take every opportunity you are given, no matter how small it may seem, and make the absolute most of it. Work hard, stay curious, and never underestimate what you are capable of. Looking back, some of the opportunities that seemed small at the time ultimately changed the course of my life.

What message would you like to share with young women who hope to one day lead some of Africa's top hotels?

I would tell young women not to be too fixed on what their career is supposed to look like. Mine certainly did not follow a straight line, and some of the opportunities that shaped me most were not the ones I had planned for. Be willing to start where you are, learn the business properly, and make something of every opportunity you are given. Hospitality rewards people who are curious, resilient, and prepared to understand more than just their own department.

I would also tell them not to underestimate themselves. There will be moments when you walk into a room and wonder whether you belong there. Keep learning, keep delivering, and let your work build your confidence. And when you do get the opportunity to lead, remember where you came from. Leadership is not only about how far you go; it is also about how many people you help move forward with you.