John de Cahna has been in the hospitality and tourism industry for more than 50 years, and is now starting a new adventure, that of retirement - but not before imparting some of his knowledge to the youth of today.

This year, The Beverly Hills Hotel hosted the ENZA initiative to help the local youth.

This iconic hotel in Umhlanga, Durban is world famous and prides itself by its high standard of customer service, beautiful and unmatchable infrastructures, as well as the most gorgeous views of the Indian Ocean.

The event was a huge success, hosted by the charismatic General Manager, Mr John de Canha. He welcomed 90 boy students to a 2 hour event that looked into his long and impactful career with Tsogo Sun. Being an expert in the hospitality and tourism industry, he spoke to the students about how a career in this field is definitely a step in the right direction- especially with the long term goal of creating their own businesses one day. “You have to get excited when you see the amount of development that is happening on the North Coast and the uMhlanga Ridge. We need to get the right role players to set the ball rolling and create a strategic way forward for KZN Tourism”, stated John de Cahna during his presentation.

Project Enza's Nhleko added: “I am grateful to all the partners of this particular project without which my vision would not have become a reality.” Apart from the learners gaining invaluable knowledge, they also got to visit a five star hotel and experience the operational aspect of working in the hospitality industry. This is probably something they would never have had an opportunity to do.  

All the students departed with a positive attitude, and expressed gratitude to having enjoyed such a unique opportunity.

Note to Editor: Project Enza, who facilitated this special initiative, was established by entrepreneur Thandekile Jessica Nhleko and was born out of her love and passion for the hospitality and tourism industries. She is passionate about creating opportunities for learners to realise their future potential in the industry.