Southern Sun clinched its own gold medal at this year’s Ipsos Markinor/Sunday Times Top Brands awards by racing ahead of Sun International and Protea Hotels in the Business to Business category, specifically surveying various hotel brands in the industry.

Neil Fraser, director of Sales and Marketing at Southern Sun said this award is one shared with pride by everyone at Southern Sun Hotels across the country. “Southern Sun deliberately focussed its entire brand strategy to ensure that we become the day-to-day, moment-of-truth, top-of-mind hotel brand in South Africa. This is a highly competitive category and this prestigious award goes to every single member of staff at Southern Sun. Together, they really made it happen, so this one’s for the team!”

Eighteen months ago, Southern Sun aggressively embarked on an internal behavioural change programme called Siyakhanya, meaning “We Shine” with the aim of developing a sustainable competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. “We needed to ensure that our collective staff behaviour is aligned with our Southern Sun brand promise of true Southern Warmth”, says Fraser. “I believe this programme helped us to optimise the potential and capacity of every member of staff to deliver distinctive, consistent and compelling customer experiences. By engaging and involving staff in a purposeful change journey with measurable, achievable deliverables and clear accountabilities, we believe that we truly have a winning team on board”.

Southern Sun is already recognised as the leading hotel group in South Africa offering the widest distribution of hotels in major urban centres and key leisure destinations and will be the largest provider of accommodation during the FIFA World Cup events. Fraser adds: “We are on a winning streak and this award reverberates internally and that we are ready to take on the world in 2010. However, regardless of the looming event, the core values of Southern Warmth must shine through in everything we do and all we have to offer, all the time. If we keep getting this right, then that’s the lasting reward”.

About Southern Sun:
Southern Sun is the leading hotel group in South Africa, providing world-class accommodation across all markets and offering the widest distribution of hotels in South Africa in major urban centres and key leisure destinations.

Southern Sun's hotel portfolio comprises various own brands, segmented to guests' needs, as well as managed global brands. Our collection of 81 hotels, with 13,319 rooms, combine local favourites with some of the world's most respected hotel brands: Southern Sun Hotels and Resorts, SunSquare, Garden Court, StayEasy by Southern Sun, Southern Sun Timeshare Resorts, InterContinental Hotels and Formula 1.

This made Southern Sun the leading Southern African hotel group, which is ranked amongst the top 36 hotel groups worldwide. With over 40 years of experience in servicing the local and international business and leisure traveller, Southern Sun is focused on building its portfolio of successful global brands and continues its expansion in Africa, the Indian Ocean Island and the Middle East.

Southern Sun is wholly owned by Tsogo Sun Holdings, one of South Africa's most successful entertainment and hospitality groups. Tsogo Sun Holdings comprises Southern Sun Hotels and Tsogo Sun Gaming.

For more media information, please contact:

Priya Naidoo at Southern Sun Hotels on 011-510-7500 or priyan@southernsun.com

Gracelle Gerber or Yvette Krause at Baird’s Renaissance on 011-504-4000, gracelle@bairds.co.za or yvette@bairds.co.za or 083-272-6385