​​​Hard work, ambition, commitment, teamwork and a passion for the industry. This was the message from one of South Africa’s most respected hotelier Sol Kerzner that inspired students at the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) on Tuesday, 15 July 2014.

Sol Kerzner, one of the school’s patrons, shared some of the secrets to his success when he sat down for a lunch, organised, catered and served by STH’s students.

“One needs a combination of things to make a success out of your life”, said Mr Kerzner. “To learn and be educated in order to understand the industry were of vital importance to me. One needs to have a passion for the work that you do, because then when you work, it is not a chore, it’s exciting.”

When asked what he would do if he was president for a day, Mr Kerzner replied: ““That’s really tough. Over the years South Africa has been written off. But we’ve stayed resilient and the country marched on. I have great confidence in our country, but we need good leadership. Honestly, we need another Nelson Mandela, not me.” Mr Kerzner added that he will always remember Nelson Mandela’s humility and the respect that he had for other people.

Kerzner concluded: “To the aspiring tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs gathered together in this room, I’d like to say that nothing could be accomplished without driving ambition and hard work. Work as a team, that’s a recipe for success.”