Plettenberg Bay

"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."

"In the late 1960s, Sol approached Ted Sceales, then the chairman of SAB, with a proposal to build and operate a chain of resort properties in South Africa, aimed at both domestic and foreign tourists. The proposal went way beyond SAB’s modest plan to build motels for travelling salesmen. Sol’s proposal was straightforward. He would contribute his controlling interest in The Beverly Hills and a 50-year land lease that he had recently acquired on Durban’s Marine Parade, while SAB would fund the construction of resort hotels in Durban (on Sol’s land and on other sites), in the Eastern Transvaal (near the Kruger National Park), in Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, and at other sites still to be agreed. Financially, Sol’s proposal was simple: SAB would put up the money, he would do the work and they would split the ownership 50/50."

"Most, if not all, of the black residents of King William’s Town had never put foot in a hotel and, therefore, had none of the skills or knowledge required to cook or serve in a five-star establishment. I had to come up with a plan. With the help of Mossie Mostert and the mayor of King William’s Town, I got permission to use the magistrate’s office as an interview site. Word was put out in the community that Southern Sun intended to hire 120 workers for a new hotel in the Cape, and that we would offer free training courses to teach the new recruits the skills of cooking and serving. The plan was to send the new staff to the only hotel school in the country, located in Pretoria, where they would receive six months’ training in the art of restaurant operations before starting work in Plettenberg Bay. Unfortunately, they would not be allowed to take their loved ones to Pretoria or Plett, but at the end of the course, they could take a two-week break back home before going to Plett. Despite these strict conditions, when Mossie and I arrived at the magistrate’s office, we were astounded to find hundreds of eager applicants cheerfully lining up to be interviewed. Many of the potential new recruits clutched battered little suitcases or bags, ready to travel to Pretoria."