Group training in hospitality supports Namibia’s label as a top destination in Africa

Continuous vocational training and upskilling are key components of the success of Gondwana Collection Namibia, the conglomerate of lodges and hotels now consisting of 14 establishments spread across the most popular Namibian destinations.

Regular training courses for the group’s employees have been presented from Janurary to April this year at the Gondwana Training Academy, located at one of the group’s very first lodges, Kalahari Farmhouse at Stampriet.

The most recent course focused on both young employees and managers, highlighting the company’s history, philosopy and the overarching importance of nature for the tourism industry in general.

The Leadership Academy is about self-empowerment, teaching emloyees to take ownership and to become leaders regardless of where they fit into the organisation.”We learned how every individual employee has an impact on the success of the company” two of the course participants stated.

The training courses are specifically aimed at Gondwana employees and include training for housekeeping and maintenance personnel, cooks, bartenders and managers. The focus is on excellent customer service, tourism, communication, technical know-how, self-discipline and leadership, motivation, planning, organization and many more aspects with a bearing on tourism and enterprises.

At the beginning of the year, targeted programmes are offered to groups of employees. This is followed up by the training team throughout the rest of the year with the focus on practical work flow.

External specialists support the Gondwana Academy in areas such as housekeeping, bar coaching for fine coffee, tour guide training, hygiene and safety training. These areas are covered in the formal training at the Academy while the implementation is monitored when the employees return to their respective lodges.

Gondwana’s overall goal is the marketing of Namibia as a top destination in Africa.

Pictured are the Gondwana employees who attended the Housekeeping course earlier this year.