S.A. On Tour: Cape Town

Samantha Williams is an award winning revenue specialist and currently holds the senior management position of Commercial Director at Profitroom. Before joining Profitroom she worked as a senior revenue and product manager working with a mixed portfolio of over 75 hotels and prior to this held sales and marketing manager positions for leisure resorts and hotels in the UK. Highly respected and with a strong background in hospitality, revenue management and leadership she has worked across numerous hotel marketing and management disciplines and is able to relate to the challenges that hoteliers face. 

She is passionate about helping hoteliers maximise and grow their revenue and is an advocate for personalised, automated processes and integrated systems that help to make the sales process easy for employees and more engaging for guests. At Profitroom Samantha leads on the strategic and operational activities to deliver transformative, tangible results for leisure hotels and resorts in the Africa, Europe and beyond.

Alderman James Vos is the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town. With a portfolio that covers matters of trade, tourism, investment and business support, James heads up a team that is instrumental in driving meaningful economic opportunity in Cape Town.

During his time as a Public Representative, when he also served as a Ward Councillor, Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Tourism, James received numerous civic awards, including the International Merit Award. He is also among the youngest to receive the life title of Aldermanship.

James believes that the most powerful instrument for improving the quality of life and creating jobs is economic growth. To achieve this, his mission is to drive travel and trade to Cape Town and make the metro the easiest place to do business.

James oversees various programmes that support workforce and entrepreneurial development.

He loves spending time in the outdoors with his wife and two daughters and has a passion for aviation.

For over 20 years, Michael has been developing and training leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. Having resided in the UK for 16 years and presented leadership training in over 25 countries, he has a wealth of international experience and practical know-how.

Working with government departments, businesses, corporates, NPO's as well as sports teams to build leaders, strengthen companies, envision, and inspire.

Michael is an adventurer at heart, together with a small overland team he has driven in a 4x4 from London, UK to Cape Town in South Africa, climbed Kilimanjaro, and visited 66 countries.

Hello, my name is Lee-Anne Singer, Marketing and Sales Director at the Singer Group. The Singer Group is a well-known travel and hospitality company with a track record of almost 60 years. I have over 25 years’ experience in the tourism industry, and my role focuses on business development for the Group, identifying new business opportunities and partnerships. Along with my team, we are responsible for the sales and marketing of our eleven brands.

I currently serve as Chairperson of FEDHASA Cape, where, along with the board and our executive team, we strive to be the representative voice for the hospitality industry via coaching, collaboration and commercialisation projects. I am also honoured to be part of the Cape Town Tourism board, where I sit on the tourism committee. I also serve on the board of Glendale, a home for intellectually disabled adults, where my portfolio includes communications and fundraising.

I have spoken at various conferences and events, of which the International Travel Tech Conference in Tel Aviv was a definite highlight. Another career highlight was winning the ‘Western Cape Positive Role Model’ title in the Gender Mainstreaming Awards.Prior to joining the Singer Group, I worked in various roles within the media industry, including CNBC Africa, The Property Magazine and Top Women in Business and Government. 

All this said, my biggest, and most exciting project is raising my three children Ruby, Joseph and Daniel.

Chris Is the General Manager at The Peninsula All Suite Hotel Cape Town, where he has worked for the past 19 years. He entered the Hotel Industry in the late ’70 as a trainee at the Carlton Hotel, Johannesburg and has been pioneering change in the Hospitality Industry ever since.

Considered by many in the industry as a maverick, not willing to accept the status quo, but respected for his commitment to the development of human capacity and doing the right thing regarding sustainability.

Chris studied through the American Hotel and Lodging Association and is a Certified Hotel Administrator; in 1988 he attended the Professional Development Program at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He is an experienced hotelier having managed many properties throughout South Africa and the UK. 

Over the past decade at The Peninsula, Chris attributes the properties financial success to the many initiatives they have undertaken to preserve our precious resources and develop the potential of youth through training.

Heidi Rowley has been a part of the Reach For A Dream Family for the past 33yrs, starting as a volunteer and then heading up the Western Cape Branch as Regional Manager for 28yrs. Her journey has taken her on a rollercoaster of emotions, but it continues to be a humbling experience, along with all our stakeholders, to share in the immeasurable impact Reach For A Dream has made in the lives of so many dreamers.

Andre Knobel is an accomplished professional in the field of payment solutions and operations

management. Since 2022, he has served as the Head of Operations for CallPay Payments Solution, a

leading company in the fintech industry. With a deep understanding of the rapidly evolving payment

landscape, Andre has been instrumental in driving the success of CallPay's operations and ensuring

seamless payment processing for their clients.

With a strong background in finance and technology, Andre brings a wealth of expertise to his role.

His strategic vision and hands-on approach have contributed significantly to the company's growth

and the delivery of exceptional services to their customers. Under his leadership, CallPay has

continuously improved its efficiency, scalability, and security, making it a trusted partner for

businesses seeking robust payment solutions.

As an accomplished senior sales leader with 16 years of experience, Cagdas Duran has a proven track record in building strategic partnerships, taking lead in global expansions, client engagement, and consultation across diverse industries. His expertise spans technology, finance, International trade, and legal sectors.

Currently at Protect Group, Cagdas leads sales, strategic partnerships and operational activities to deliver transformative, tangible results for leisure hotels and resorts across Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey. He advocates for tailored, white labelled, automated refund processes and integrated systems, making the refund process seamless and swift for the guests.

With a keen eye for problem-solving and a motivational leadership style, Cagdas excels in delivering and growing complex global customer operations and leading large-scale transformation projects. He is with Protect Group for three years, and he moved to Cape Town in October 2022 to initiate Protect’s 15th global office around the world. Having lived and worked in the USA and Canada for a decade, now South Africa marks his third expat journey.

Through his experiences as a global citizen, embracing diverse cultures, and attending international conferences and seminars, Cagdas is equipped to connect with people from all backgrounds. His commitment to mentoring and fostering genuine connections further enhances his impact on both personal and professional levels. As a former basketball player and Formula 1 enthusiast, Cagdas brings a competitive spirit to everything he does. He has traveled to 39 countries and has a big passion for travel, continuous learning, and engagement with emerging technologies.

Liam Alexander serves as the head of online and digital at Quivertree Digital, a prominent company in the digital marketing industry. With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, majoring in Marketing, he demonstrates an impressive blend of academia and hands-on knowledge in the digital space. Beyond his professional commitments, Liam harbors a strong fascination for computers and tech. He is passionate about constant learning and loves to stay updated with the latest advancements in his field.