In May 2015, the South African Butler Academy (SABA) performed the second “Butler course” at Rhulani. This time, Newton Cross and Braam West revised the internal processes, hygene in the kitchen, and the organization of storage rooms.

For all of us, it was a real pleasure, when Newton and Braam arrived at Rhulani. Last year, SABA had set the foundation to confirm Rhulani’s first class level in the quality of guest service, in addition to the 5-star grading of the infrastructure.

Newton was pleasantly surprised that from the successful first course a lot of things were still present; the friendly smile from the staff, the "Good morning, how are you?" or the "I am EXCELLENT, thank you for asking, lovely to see you!”, as standards when interacting with guests, but also with other staff, which is a lot of fun. But also other details have not been forgotten, as the 10 day menu cycle, table set-up for dinner, turn-downs in the room, the folding of towels or toilet papers, and much more.

Still, it was appropriate to spend the first day with a quick recap, to bring everyone at the same level. Each day began with a short yoga session, an excellent way to start the day with a big smile. But then new topics came in the focus: the efficient planning and hygene in the kitchen, the organization of the storage, laundry and cololer room, the introduction of a label system, the structuring of the morning briefing. All of this should help Rhulani to make another step forward. As Newton said, the success of a 5-star lodge largely depends on standardized processes and defined routines.

At the end of an intesiven week, new working shifts were tested and agreed, so that the available resources can be used more efficiently. “We have now plenty of new ideas to spoil our guests even more", says Rhulani’s owner Marisa, who activiely participated in the course.

Rhulani wants to thank Newton and Braam for a fantastic and inspiring contribution on our way to become the best in the industry. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Read about the first course with SABA here.