Once more we had the privilege to have Mr. Braam West from the South African Butler Academy (SABA) at Rhulani Safari Lodge and confirm that our long term relationship with SABA is a key success factor for us. In this new edition of the traditional training week, in which Rhulani's owner Marisa also took part, we once again achieved the right mix of inspiration, learning and fun.

Marisa's conclusion at the end of the week was extremely positive: “The quality of service we have achieved over the years thanks to SABA makes us proud. With no doubt Rhulani delivers an unparalleled product in the bush industry.”

We have been working with SABA for ten years now, where we have experienced all kinds of ups and downs together. But the continuity pays off and the annual refresher training never gets boring. Marisa says: “Because we have been working with SABA since 2014, we are currently operating at a high level of proficiency. Nevertheless SABA is able to surprise us every time and pushes us one notch up.“

This year’s training with its customization to our particular needs, with the knowledge coming in the format of a game, the costumes for the role playing exercises and the specific product knowledge about Rhulani, has launched our operation to another level. Unforgettable the performance of our ranger Alasdair as a fictional guest, Mrs. Smith.

“In addition, each and every team member was allowed to discover and focus on their own strengths and was given a chance to shine, from management to scullery, we were learning hand in hand”, Marisa says. “This has an enormous positive impact on the team’s motivation.”

Mr. West and his assistant, Mr. Banda, gave 110% to make sure Rhulani Safari Lodge continues to deliver an extraordinary product. And the success of the training even goes beyond that. Jointly we continue to offer people in the area unique development opportunities and we contribute to create success stories, like the one of George: from night guard, to maintenance, to waiter, to bush butler. In the words of Mr. West, this is in the end why we do what we do.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your beautiful email. It means so much to us to hear that you share our belief that true service comes from the heart. 

The cooperation is also something special for our partner SABA. Mr. Newton Cross, Owner and Principal of SABA, says: “Rhulani has always held a special place in our hearts, and we strive to make every aspect of our training and service exceptional. We strongly believe that SABA training should be a spoiling factor for your teams. Our goal is to provide them with the necessary tools and knowledge to deliver outstanding service to your guests. We want them to go above and beyond, ensuring that each guest's experience at Rhulani is truly unforgettable.”

We are already looking forward to our next training week in 2024!