Cresta Marakanelo, the local leading hospitality company, in partnership with the University of Botswana Business Faculty, has unveiled and bestowed for the first time its academic excellence awards.
They also introduced the Cresta Marakanelo Management Trainee Programme for the best two graduates, picked exclusively from the hospitality and tourism stream and designed to catapult the new crop into the company’s future leaders.
Concerned about the scarcity of management skills, particularly amongst the locals, Cresta Marakanelo and the University entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in which Cresta pledged to make the awards an annual event.
This year’s awards were scooped by Oteng Thokweng and Julia Mbaakanyi, two university graduates who excelled in the hospitality and tourism sectors, respectively, to obtain a prestigious trophy, cash and an opportunity to train at Cresta Hotels.
“One of Cresta Marakanelo’s challenges in maintaining a progressive localization plan for general managers is the shortage of management skills amomg locals – a skill that is critical for any organization, including the hospitality industry,” noted Cresta’s CEO Tawanda Makaya.
He continued: “Cresta Marakanelo is prepared to lay a foundation for your future by mentoring you on various business aspects. What you do with it is up to you. The degrees you have achieved are a life rehearsal and life is in your hands to lead,” Makaya reminded the recipients.
