Southern Sun Hotels
A South African multinational hotel group operating full-service, resort, urban, mid-market, and budget accommodation brands.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Southern Sun Hotels is a South African multinational hospitality group headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg. The business traces its origins to 1969, when hotelier Sol Kerzner and South African Breweries established Southern Sun Hotels as a joint venture. It began with six hotels, including the Beverly Hills in uMhlanga, and was described at the time as the largest hotel group in the Southern Hemisphere. Over subsequent decades, the company expanded through acquisitions, brand development, partnerships, property investment, and the operation of conference, food-and-beverage, and wellness facilities. The group’s history is closely connected with the separation of hotel and casino activities in South Africa. In 1983, the casino operations were separated into Sun International, while the hotel business continued under the Southern Sun name. The 1985 acquisition of the Holiday Inn South Africa group expanded the portfolio from 27 to approximately 50 properties. Southern Sun also developed relationships with international hospitality companies, including Accor and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and participated in the creation and restructuring of Tsogo Sun, a business combining hotel and gaming interests with black-empowerment investment partners. Southern Sun’s brand architecture covers several hospitality segments. Southern Sun Hotels generally represents full-service, four-star properties. Southern Sun Resorts serves leisure destinations, including areas near the Kruger National Park, uMhlanga Rocks, the central Drakensberg, and Plettenberg Bay. SunSquare targets full-service urban accommodation, while Garden Court occupies a broad mid-market position. StayEasy is directed primarily at value-conscious business and general travelers, and SUN1 provides basic, low-cost rooms designed to accommodate up to three people sharing. Alongside these chain brands, the group operates or has operated individually named luxury properties such as Beverly Hills, Sandton Sun, Sandton Towers, 54 on Bath, Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa, Mount Grace Hotel & Spa, Paradise Sun, and the InterContinental Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport. Its wider hospitality activities include conference venues, notably the Sandton Convention Centre, as well as restaurants, bars, spas, and other hotel-based services. The company operates more than 90 hotels across South Africa and selected international markets in Africa, the Seychelles, and the Middle East, according to the cited reference material. The business was known as Tsogo Sun Hotels from 2012 until its return to the Southern Sun identity in 2022. The rebranding followed a longer corporate history involving the consolidation and later separation of hotel and gaming interests. Tsogo Sun Hotels changed its name back to Southern Sun in May 2022, and its JSE trading symbol changed to SSU in August 2022. Southern Sun remains an active listed hospitality group, with Hosken Consolidated Investments identified as a significant shareholder through the group’s corporate history.
History
Southern Sun Hotels was created in 1969 through a partnership between hotelier Sol Kerzner and South African Breweries. Its initial portfolio contained six hotels, among them the Beverly Hills hotel in uMhlanga near Durban. The company quickly became a major force in South African hospitality and was regarded at the time as the largest hotel group in the Southern Hemisphere. A major structural change occurred in 1983, when the group’s casino activities were separated from the hotel business and became Sun International. The hotel assets continued under the Southern Sun identity. In 1985, Southern Sun acquired the Holiday Inn South Africa hotel group, increasing its domestic portfolio from 27 to about 50 hotels. The company later used partnerships with international operators to broaden its market coverage. In 1991 it entered a joint venture with Accor South Africa to develop Formula 1 and Formula Inn properties, and it also delisted from the JSE that year to become a wholly owned subsidiary of South African Breweries. In 1995, Southern Sun participated in the formation of Tsogo Sun Holdings, a bidding consortium involving black-empowerment partners that was established in connection with Tsogo Sun Gaming. The group also reached an agreement with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to operate three South African hotels. In 1999, Southern Sun acquired a 50 percent interest in The Cullinan Hotel Proprietary Limited, a consortium with Liberty Group that owned three hotels. The Sandton Convention Centre opened in 2000, adding a substantial conference and events capability to the hotel business. A 2002 restructuring gave Tsogo Sun 51 percent black ownership through various empowerment consortiums, with the remaining interest held by SABMiller at that stage. Hosken Consolidated Investments subsequently became the group’s largest shareholder. In 2005, several hotels were rebranded under the Southern Sun Hotels, Garden Court, and StayEasy names, and the first SunSquare property opened. These changes established a clearer multi-brand architecture covering upscale, mid-market, urban, and budget demand. Between 2009 and 2011, the group expanded its gaming and hospitality interests through acquisitions including Blackrock Casino and the Caledon Casino, Hotel and Spa. A merger with Gold Reef Resorts added seven casinos. In 2012, the group completed a reverse listing on the JSE to consolidate its casino and hotel businesses under the Tsogo Sun identity. The hotel division continued to develop its brands and properties during this period. In 2013, it acquired Accor South Africa’s interest in the Formula 1 hotels and rebranded those properties as SUN1. It also completed the consolidation of the 734-room Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani complex and invested in the Southern Sun Ikoyi hotel in Lagos. SABMiller disposed of its interest in the group in 2014. In 2015, construction began on a 500-room SunSquare and StayEasy complex in Cape Town’s City Bowl. The group began managing Crowne Plaza Rosebank and Holiday Inn Sandton in 2016. In June 2019, the business was unbundled into separate hotel and gaming interests, helping establish the hotel operation as a more distinct corporate business. In February 2022, Hospitality Property Fund was delisted from the JSE and became wholly owned by Southern Sun, then known as Tsogo Sun Hotels. The hotel company returned to the Southern Sun name in May 2022, and the JSE changed its trading symbol to SSU in August. The contemporary group operates more than 90 hotels in South Africa and selected markets in Africa, the Seychelles, and the Middle East, in addition to conference venues, food-and-beverage outlets, and spas.
- 2022
Southern Sun name restored
[1]Tsogo Sun Hotels returns to the Southern Sun name, with the JSE symbol changing to SSU later in the year.
- 2019
Hotel and gaming interests unbundled
[1]The business separates its hotel and gaming interests.
- 2013
Formula 1 properties become SUN1
[1]The group acquires Accor South Africa’s interest in the Formula 1 hotels and rebrands the properties as SUN1.
- 2012
Reverse listing under Tsogo Sun
[1]A reverse listing consolidates the casino and hotel interests under the Tsogo Sun identity.
- 2005
Multi-brand hotel architecture expands
[1]Properties are rebranded under Southern Sun Hotels, Garden Court, and StayEasy, while the first SunSquare property opens.
- 2000
Sandton Convention Centre opens
[1]The group opens a major privately developed convention centre in Sandton.
- 1991
Delisting and Accor joint venture
[1]Southern Sun delists from the JSE and forms a joint venture with Accor South Africa for Formula 1 and Formula Inn properties.
- 1985
Holiday Inn South Africa acquired
[1]The acquisition expands the group’s domestic portfolio from 27 to approximately 50 hotels.
- 1983
Casino and hotel businesses separate
[1]The casino operations become Sun International while the hotel business remains Southern Sun.
- 1969
Southern Sun Hotels is founded
[1]Sol Kerzner and South African Breweries establish Southern Sun Hotels with an initial group of six hotels.
Products and positioning
A multi-tier hospitality group spanning upscale full-service hotels, leisure resorts, urban hotels, mid-market properties, and budget accommodation, with additional conference, food-and-beverage, spa, and leisure operations.
Full-service hotels
Southern Sun Hotels
The core full-service hotel brand, generally positioned in the four-star segment. Properties serve business and leisure travelers with accommodation, restaurants, meeting facilities, and other standard full-service amenities.
Leisure resorts
Southern Sun Resorts
A collection of resort properties in leisure destinations including areas near Kruger National Park, uMhlanga Rocks, the central Drakensberg, and Plettenberg Bay. Some properties include timeshare accommodation.
Urban full-service hotels · 2005
SunSquare
An urban full-service brand intended for city locations and travelers seeking a contemporary hotel format with accommodation, dining, and business-oriented facilities.
Mid-market hotels · 2005
Garden Court
A broad mid-tier hotel brand with a substantial South African presence and at least one property in Kitwe, Zambia. It serves practical business and leisure travel needs.
Budget and economy hotels · 2005
StayEasy
A value-oriented hotel brand focused especially on business travelers and guests seeking straightforward accommodation at a lower price point.
Budget hotels · 2013
SUN1
A low-cost accommodation brand descended from the group’s Formula 1 properties. Its rooms are designed to provide basic accommodation for up to three people sharing.
Luxury hotel · 1964
Beverly Hills
A landmark luxury property on Lighthouse Road in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal. The hotel is identified as South Africa’s first five-star property and marked its fiftieth year of operation in 2014.
Luxury resort
Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa
A hotel, golf, and spa property in the Kogelberg Biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The property joined the Southern Sun group in April 2020.
Luxury urban hotels
Sandton Sun and Sandton Towers
Luxury properties in Sandton serving business, diplomatic, conference, and leisure demand. The former InterContinental Sandton Towers Hotel was rebranded as Sandton Towers in 2022.
Convention venue · 2000
Sandton Convention Centre
A major conference and events venue in Sandton opened by the group in 2000. It extends Southern Sun’s offering beyond rooms into corporate meetings, conventions, and large-scale events.
Brand decisions
2022
Restore the Southern Sun corporate identityStrategyBackground
The hotel business had operated as Tsogo Sun Hotels since 2012, despite the long-established Southern Sun hotel brand.
Action taken
Tsogo Sun Hotels changed its name back to Southern Sun in May 2022, followed by a JSE symbol change to SSU in August.
Aftermath
The company resumed its historic hospitality identity while remaining a listed hotel group.
2019
Unbundle hotel and gaming interestsStrategyBackground
The combined hotel and gaming structure had linked two distinct operating businesses.
Action taken
The group separated its hotel and gaming interests through an unbundling completed in June 2019.
Aftermath
The hotel operation became a more distinct corporate business and later returned to the Southern Sun identity.
2013
Rebrand Formula 1 properties as SUN1StrategyBackground
The group acquired Accor South Africa’s interest in the Formula 1 hotel properties.
Action taken
The Formula 1 properties were renamed SUN1 and positioned within the group’s budget accommodation portfolio.
Aftermath
The change gave the group a more clearly owned low-cost brand for budget travelers.
2012
Consolidate hotel and gaming interests under Tsogo SunStrategyBackground
The group had accumulated both hotel and casino assets through acquisitions and corporate restructuring.
Action taken
A reverse listing on the JSE consolidated the casino businesses and Southern Sun Hotels under the Tsogo Sun identity.
Aftermath
The hotel division operated under the Tsogo Sun Hotels name until the Southern Sun rebrand in 2022.
1985
Acquire Holiday Inn South AfricaM&ABackground
Southern Sun sought to expand its domestic hotel network.
Action taken
The group acquired the Holiday Inn South Africa hotel group.
Aftermath
The reported portfolio increased from 27 to approximately 50 hotels across South Africa.
1983
Separate casino activities from the hotel businessStrategyBackground
The group operated both hotel and casino interests during its early expansion.
Action taken
Casino operations were separated into Sun International, while the hotel activities continued under Southern Sun.
Aftermath
The restructuring established Southern Sun as a distinct hotel-focused business while creating a separate casino company.
Sources1 sources
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