Exclusive First-in-Market Positioning

“Investing in a hotel development in uMhlanga was a huge risk, particularly when the hotel was aimed solely at the wealthy. Sol would probably have preferred Durban’s Marine Parade but simply did not have the funds. And, putting aside the budget limitations, if he had invested in the popular Parade, he would not have been the “first”. In uMhlanga, he was taking a risk on the location but knew that he would be the only one doing so. If he got it right, his hotel would have something that he rated highly: he understood that people paid for exclusivity. In doing so, he set a precedent for a lifetime of being the first to establish exclusive destinations, underpinned by his talent for drama and flair.”

“Even before concluding the deal with SAB in 1969, Sol had identified Plettenberg Bay as a potential jewel on the future tourist map of South Africa. The first time he set eyes on it, Plett was a tiny village near the Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) end of the Garden Route, which runs primarily from George to Storms River. The village comprised a short main street with a tiny stone church, elevated above two spectacular ocean bays on the southern side. A mountain range to the north curved around the sides of the village until it touched the sea. Cradled by the mountains, this little gem overlooked an ocean replete with whales, dolphins and other exquisite marine life. A small peninsula divided the two bays at the point where the Piesang River trickled – and sometimes gushed – into the sea.”