In the heart of the Eastern Cape, a five-star heritage hotel is doubling as a classroom, giving young women from rural communities the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in luxury hospitality.
Behind the Cape Dutch façades of the Drostdy Hotel in Robert Sobukwe (formerly Graaff-Reinet), guests checking in may be greeted by someone taking their first steps towards a career in hospitality.
Owned by the South African College for Tourism (SACT), the five-star hotel serves as a working training environment where students learn by doing. Rather than practising in simulated settings, they gain experience in a live hotel, interacting with paying guests and developing the skills required in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
Founded in 2001 by the late Dr Anton Rupert, SACT was established to create educational and employment opportunities for unemployed young women from rural South Africa. Today, the college and the hotel operate under a shared leadership model designed to bridge the gap between hospitality education and industry expectations.
Executive Director Tebello Polisane-Casper oversees both institutions, helping ensure that classroom learning is closely aligned with the realities of working in a luxury hotel.
“Tourism is a live environment,” she says. “Our students are interacting with guests every day and graduate with practical experience in a high-end hospitality setting.”
For many students, the opportunity is significant. Access to practical training at luxury hotels has traditionally been limited, particularly for young women from rural communities with few industry connections. By integrating the college into the hotel, students begin building professional experience from the outset of their studies.
Learning through experience
Hospitality is an industry built on people, and many of its most valuable lessons cannot be taught in a lecture theatre.
At Drostdy Hotel, students rotate through different departments, learning everything from guest services and reservations to food and beverage operations. They also experience the pressures of working in a real hotel, where every interaction contributes to the guest experience.
The approach reflects a broader shift towards work-integrated learning, giving graduates practical skills alongside formal qualifications.
Women leading the way
Women make up much of the global tourism workforce, yet leadership positions remain disproportionately occupied by men. Polisane-Casper believes visible female leadership can help change that.
She began her own hospitality career as a student waiter before moving into management and now leads both the hotel and the college.
“The hospitality industry is demanding, but it can also be incredibly rewarding,” she says. “True empowerment comes through collaboration, mentorship and creating opportunities for others.”
That philosophy is echoed throughout the hotel. Wine Shop and Events Manager Anra Smith joined Drostdy as an intern reservationist and has spent the past 16 years building her career within the organisation.
She believes creating a supportive environment is essential for students entering the industry.
“We have a responsibility to create a space where students can learn, make mistakes and grow in confidence before launching their careers,” she says.
Preserving heritage while creating opportunity
As South Africa continues to celebrate the achievements of women, Drostdy Hotel offers an example of how heritage buildings can serve more than a historical purpose.
Alongside welcoming visitors to one of the country’s best-preserved Karoo towns, the hotel is helping prepare a new generation of hospitality professionals, proving that tourism can be both an economic driver and a pathway to meaningful opportunity.
