Newsletter vol1 2008 - Southern Sun Resorts

S u n R i s e
Newsletter Vol.1
December 2008
Southern Sun Timeshare
on the Rise again
SunSwop returns
to the Sun Circle
Southern Sun Resorts -
your Lifestyle Hallmarks

MESSAGE FROM DEON VILJOEN,
Director of Operations, Southern Sun Timeshare Resorts
Welcome to the maiden issue of SunRise, the first in a regular
series of newsletters we'll be presenting to our most valued
business partner: you, the owner of Southern Sun timeshare.
In future, a special circle made up of some
36,000 owners will receive our newsletter
every quarter – a communiqué packed with
news, views and insights into the Southern Sun
lifestyle experience and the innovations that
are helping to shape it. An exhilarating journey
lies ahead. We wish you to be involved in it
every step of the way.
Why launch SunRise now?
Because the time has never been better.
As your managing agent, I have excellent news
for you. There is much to say, but I have one
cardinal message underpinning it all: Southern
Sun Timeshare is on the rise once again.
We have long been leaders in timeshare, in
South Africa and internationally. Now, thanks
to a dynamic growth strategy and re-energised
commitment to timeshare, Southern Sun
Timeshare is blazing a new trail and taking
things to the next level.
It gives me enormous pleasure to report that,
as part of our comprehensive strategy for
renewal, we have successfully acquired full
ownership of SunSwop. From now on, it is to
be our own independent vacation-exchange
system. SunSwop is now your first and onestop
port of call for depositing your timeshare
weeks and exchanging into resorts in South
Africa and across the globe. Crucially, the
acquisition of SunSwop means that you will
be able to exchange back into Southern Sun
Timeshare Resorts with far greater ease than
you could before.
These far-reaching developments came to a
head in November this year. RCI had, for the
past ten years, owned and run SunSwop, and
after many months of top-level meetings, we
have achieved our goal of securing exclusive
ownership of SunSwop. As a result, we have
decommissioned RCI as our vacationexchange
service provider in favour of reestablishing
SunSwop in that vital role.

Southern Sun Timeshare
on the Rise again
In addition, we have enlisted Interval
International, a global force in vacation
exchanges, to facilitate our international
exchanges and back-end operations.
Let me emphasise that we have not replaced
RCI with Interval International: we have
replaced RCI with SunSwop. RCI has been a
long-standing business partner of ours and it
will honour all of its existing agreements with
Southern Sun Timeshare members, who are
free to continue their membership of RCI as a
separate, optional agreement of their own if
they so wish. This element of choice is critical.
Previously, Southern Sun Timeshare owners
were automatically members of RCI;
henceforth, they automatically become
SunSwop members. The difference is that our
owners can now choose if they want to belong
to RCI or not. For the first time the choice is
theirs. Until now, there has been only one
company offering week-for-week exchanges
in South Africa. Now there are two of them,
and we are delighted to be trailblazers in
transforming the industry in this way.
In keeping with these large-scale changes, we
have, moreover, rebranded our resort division
with a fresh new logo, new colour and new
livery, and have formulated a marketing plan
to accentuate the hallmark, the defining
feature, of each of the destinations within our
family of resorts. Most significantly, we've set
out to rejuvenate the way in which timeshare
itself is understood and perceived. To signal
this new beginning, we have gone so far as to
change our own name.
It is thus my great privilege to announce
that Southern Sun Timeshare Resorts has
been retitled and will be known from now
on as Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts.
As for the future, you will have seen that we
have undertaken extensive renovations at our
resorts. One of the many positive results of
these upgrades has been that resale units at
Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts have come into
very high demand. I am pleased to report that
we have had double-digit growth in resale
prices for three consecutive years so far – a
trend we expect to see continually, going
forward.
The ultimate aim of our growth strategy is to
start new Lifestyle Resort developments and
bring them to market. Our intention is both to
capitalise on additional property rights at
places such as Sabi River Sun and Drakensberg
Sun and to acquire entirely new sites as well.
You, our Lifestyle Resort owners, will receive
first choice as we reach these milestones, and I
plan to alert you to these prestigious
opportunities via this new publication of ours,
SunRise.
So: We have resumed ownership of SunSwop.
We are set to transform the vacationexchange
landscape in this country. We have
rejuvenated our brand, upgraded our facilities,
updated our name, and we are geared to
expand our portfolio of benchmark resorts.
These innovations hold powerful benefits,
both for our members and the vacation
ownership industry as a whole. We look
forward to introducing a unique hotel
exchange benefit for our timeshare owners in
the very near future. More information
regarding this great benefit will follow in your
next edition of SunRise!
Southern Sun, dear partner,
is indeed on the rise once again.
December 2008 SUNRISE
2

eturns to
In November 2008, months of corporate
negotiations came to fruition when Southern
Sun acquired exclusive ownership of the
vacation-exchange organisation SunSwop.
Originally a 50-50 joint venture between
Southern Sun Timeshare and RCI when it was
founded some 18 years ago, SunSwop was
taken under RCI ownership ten years ago when
Southern Sun sold its share to them. During
that period RCI administered all of the
timeshare deposits and holiday exchanges
made by owners at Southern Sun Timeshare
Resorts.
The re-acquisition of SunSwop means that our
timeshare division – now renamed as Southern
Sun Lifestyle Resorts – owns and manages an
independent, world-class vacation-exchange
system of its own.
In the process, Southern Sun Timeshare has
discontinued its affiliation with RCI as its
exchange service provider and has instead
bestowed that function on SunSwop. At the
same time, an outsource partner, the global
player Interval International, has been
appointed to facilitate back-end operations.
Describing the initiative as a groundbreaking
event for Southern Sun Lifestyle owners and
the vacation ownership sector as a whole,
Deon Viljoen, Director of Operations, said he
and his board were “elated” by the move,
which was “part and parcel of a greater
Southern Sun market repositioning.”
He went on to clarify what the SunSwop reacquisition
entailed. “We have discontinued
our affiliation with RCI in favour of reestablishing
SunSwop, which we owned in the
past and which we now own again. So we're
not replacing RCI with Interval International.
We're replacing RCI with SunSwop. When you
phone the call centre, be it for a local or an
international exchange, the line will be
answered, 'SunSwop, how can I help you?”
“If you own at a Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort
you will automatically be a member of
SunSwop, in the same way that in the past you
were automatically a member of RCI.”
“As for our owners who currently have
spacebanks and exchanges and so on with
RCI, RCI will honour all of those agreements.”
“However, as a private arrangement of your
own, you can still belong to RCI, as well as to
SunSwop – but for the first time you now have
the choice to do this. Until now there has been
only one exchange organisation offering this
kind of service: now you have two.”
“We believe it is a very positive step, both for
Southern Sun Lifestyle owners and the
industry at large, and we are delighted to be
the trailblazers in this regard. We are very
excited and energised by the new move.”
“We asked members lots of questions,” Mr
Viljoen explained. “'When did you buy? Are
you satisfied with the brand? Would you
recommend Southern Sun Lifestyle to friends
and colleagues?' And so on. The results were
astounding.”
“I was overwhelmed by the brand awareness,
the high level of commitment, and the pride
we had amongst our members. Stemming
from that, we examined the different services
we are currently providing at our resorts. We
provide them with a management service, the
Southern Sun branding, a full accounting
service, a resale division, and a share registry
division.”
“The one area where important concerns
were raised was in vacation exchanges. It was
then that we started asking how we could
provide a comprehensive package of services
to our resorts, and we decided to resume
ownership of SunSwop.”
“Only by re-acquiring SunSwop could we thereby
ensure improved quality of service delivery to our
owners – and most importantly, their access back
into Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts whenever they
deposit their weeks.”
“Because where the biggest criticism lay is
that our resorts had become regarded by non-
Southern Sun Lifestyle members as the
resorts into which to exchange. Our very own
members who spacebanked would find that
3 SUNRISE December 2008

the Sun Circle . . .
they could not get back into Southern Sun
Lifestyle Resorts and instead, they'd find
themselves sitting at the back of a long
queue.”
“We wanted to ring-fence Southern Sun
Lifestyle owners so that they could receive
elevated preferential treatment in their
vacation exchanges. This is why we set out to
regain control of SunSwop. We wanted to own
it again as Southern Sun in order to ensure
service delivery, the best quality, and
preferential treatment of our owners, who
have overwhelming pride in Southern Sun.”
The SunSwop acquisition seeks to rejuvenate
the portfolio of services that Southern Sun
Lifestyle provides to its owners. But, according
to Mr Viljoen, the initiative is but one
component of a larger, bolder plan by
Southern Sun to reinvigorate its timeshare
division and – indeed – the Southern Sun
group as a whole.
“When we launched Southern Sun timeshare
in 1970s, it was the leading developer in the
world – in the world, I must emphasise, not
only in South Africa. We've never lost our
leadership position, and over the past 30 years
our timeshare has been regarded as the best
and most highly sought-after in South Africa.
“But we have needed to expand that portfolio
and that is what we are now doing.
About three years ago Southern Sun decided
to re-energise the timeshare division, and we
developed a new growth strategy for it. That
was all approved about a year-and-a-half ago
in conjunction with our seven share block
companies. Together we decided to put
timeshare back on the high road.”
This strategy of renewal included
comprehensive upgrades of all of the public
areas at resorts – from entrance and reception
areas through to the exteriors of the buildings
– as well as back-of-house territory such as
boilers, lifts, air-conditioning plants, and so on.
“In the process,” said Mr Viljoen, “we started
winning awards and receiving renewed
interest both from our owners and the
marketplace.”
“That happened at the same time as Southern
Sun itself set about repositioning itself as a
company. Essentially we as a whole made the
decision to become a market-focussed
company instead of a bottom-line one. We put
a lot of energy, design and thought into our
branding and started concentrating on service
delivery to our guests to see exactly what it is
that they want in each of our different
Southern Sun brands.”
“We want to elevate the cognitive perception
that customers have of Southern Sun, and
we've been so successful that we won this
year's Ipsos Markinor/Sunday Times Top Brands
award as the most recognised and bestbranded
hotel company in South Africa.”
Mr Viljoen said that the timeshare division was
definitely a crucial focus area in the company's
overall initiative to reposition itself in the
marketplace. “Southern Sun has embraced
vacation ownership. We are re-energising it,
we are rejuvenating it, and launching it again
under the banner Southern Sun Lifestyle
Resorts. The ultimate aim is to start new
developments and bring them to market.
We're working on that currently, and this
phase of our strategy will start being
implemented by mid - to end 2009. I have a
great company and great team of general
managers. Here we go. Southern Sun
Timeshare is on the rise once again.”
Mr Viljoen was proud to announce that Peter
Pienaar has been appointed as General
Manager of SunSwop. Mr Pienaar has vast
experience and knowledge, having been
involved in the industry since 1995. He worked
for 11 years at RCI, where he received exposure
to all aspects of the industry, ranging from
e xc h a n ge o p e ra t i o n s a n d ge n e ra l
management to sales and marketing, and
product development.
December 2008 SUNRISE
4

Why has the change to SunSwop
happened?
Southern Sun has decided once again to own and
operate a dedicated exchange service for Southern
Sun Lifestyle Resort owners, with the specific
intention of providing quality exchanges into
selected resorts and preferential access back into
Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts. In addition, we
intend adding a range of benefits to Southern Sun
Lifestyle ownership, one of which will be the
ability to redeem your timeshare week for access
to the entire range of Southern Sun hotel
properties throughout South Africa.
H ow d o I b e c o m e a m e m b e r o f
SunSwop?
As an owner of a timeshare week at a Southern
Sun Lifestyle resort, you are automatically a
member of SunSwop.
What are the benefits of SunSwop
membership?
You enjoy preferential access back into
Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts. In future you
will have access to hotel exchanges along with
preferential pricing on new timeshare
developments, as well as a host of other
benefits such as SunSwop Travel services and
more.
How does this affect any weeks that I
have spacebanked with RCI?
Your spacebanks will remain on your RCI
membership file until they have been
exchanged against or they expire. You might,
however, have to pay a membership fee to RCI.
RCI has not yet given an indication of what this
fee will be, but they will be notifying all owners
in due course.
Will I still be able to exchange to resorts
other than Southern Sun Lifestyle
Resorts?
Through various alliances, we have been able to
ensure that you would be able to exchange to
selected resorts within South Africa. We have
chosen resorts on quality criteria as well as on the
basis of geographical distribution.
Frequently
Who is Interval International?
Interval International is a membership-based
organization that offers a comprehensive
package of year-round benefits, including the
opportunity to trade the use of shared
ownership vacation time for alternate
accommodations. Based in Miami, Florida, the
company has been a pioneer and innovator in
serving the vacation ownership market for
more than 30 years. Today, Interval has a
network of over 2,400 resorts in more than 75
countries, and offers its resort clients and
approximately two million member families
high-quality products and programs through 27
offices in 17 countries. You will shortly receive
your Interval International Resort Directory,
which showcases their affiliated properties
across the world.
How will I know which international
resorts I can exchange into?
You will, within the next few weeks, receive an
International Resort Directory from Interval
International.
5 SUNRISE December 2008
Will I still be able to do international
exchanges?
Yes, you will still be able to do exchanges to
international resorts. SunSwop has signed an
affiliation agreement with Interval International,
and through their network of over 2400 affiliated
worldwide properties you will have a wide range
of exclusive properties into which to exchange.

Asked Questions
When does the change to SunSwop
take place?
From the 2nd February 2009, on this
day, our Call Centre will be open for
business and we look forward to
receiving your calls.
Where can I find more information
about the new SunSwop?
You can call the following number :
0861 005 511
(08h00 – 17h30 Monday to Friday)
to assist with all your SunSwop queries, prior to
the opening of the SunSwop Call Centre on the
2nd February.
You can also e-mail: info@sunswop.co.za
If I have weeks that I want to deposit for
2009 which fall due prior to the SunSwop
Call Centre opening in February 2009,
what should I do?
You would only be able to bank weeks with
SunSwop from the 2 February 2009. Should you
wish to bank a week for January 2009, one option
is that you do this with RCI, in which case you
would need to pay a membership fee to RCI.
SunSwop will accept deposits of all weeks beyond
1 February and you will receive the full points
value for these deposited weeks.
Why do I need to pay my levy before
banking my week?
The reason for banking the levy in advance is that
you receive an instant benefit when banking, and
in terms of your Use Agreement, you need to pay
your levy when you transact with your week.
Although you may only intend using the
spacebank at a future date, your membership file
would have been credited with the relevant
trading value at the point of depositing it into the
club, and your deposited week would almost
certainly be taken up by another SunSwop
member. Therefore it is essential that the levy in
respect of the deposited week is paid before any
benefit attached to that week is utilized.
What exchange fees will I pay when I
use SunSwop?
Exchange fees for 2009 are as follows:
Into another Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort:
R399.
Into another resort in South Africa which
is not a Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort:
R699.
Into an International Resort:
R1460.
What telephone number will I call to
d e p o s i t my w e e k a n d to re quest
exchanges with SunSwop?
From the 2nd February 2009, the SunSwop
telephone number to call in respect of all your
deposit and exchange requests is:
0800 992 648
Where can I find out more information
regarding the status of my RCI
membership?
You can contact the RCI call centre on:
011 258-1000.
We will be hosting SunSwop
Awareness sessions in:
Johannesburg
Monday 19 January 2009
Cape Town
Friday 23 January 2009
Durban
Thursday 29 January 2009
Should you be interested in attending one
of these events, please respond to
shirleye@southernsun.com,
or contact: Shirley Earle - 031 561 2323
The list of resorts in South Africa
into which you can continue to
exchange is:
Western Cape
Bantry Bay International Timeshare Resort
Hastings Hall
Mount Sierra
The Place on The Bay
The Riviera
The Peninsula
The Strand Pavilion
West Coast
Club Mykonos Langebaan
Port Owen Marina
Garden Route
Beacon Island
Wilderness Dunes
Perna Perna Mossel Bay
Eastern Cape
Brookes Hill
Fish River Sun
KZN South Coast
Wild Coast Sun
Caribbean Estates
Margate Sands
La Cote d'Azur
KZN North Coast
Breakers
Cabana Beach
Salt Rock Palms
Sodwana Bay Lodge
Umhlanga Sands
KZN Midlands
Midlands Saddle and Trout Resort
KZN Drakensberg
Champagne Lane
Champagne Sports Resort
Champagne Valley Resort
Drakensberg Sun
Little Switzerland
Castleburn
Fairways
Mpumalanga
Burchell's Bush Lodge
Crystal Springs
Kruger Park Lodge
Millstream
Ngwenya Lodge
Pine Lake Sun Country Estate
Sanbonani
Sabi River Sun
North West Province
Bakubung Lodge
Kwa Maritane
Magaliespark
Sun City Vacation Club
Limpopo
Mabula Bush Lodge
Sondela Nature Reserve
Zimbabwe and Swaziland
Lokuthula Lodges
Ezulweni Sun
You will shortly be receiving a
SunSwop Resort Directory.
December 2008 SUNRISE
6

SOUTHERN SUN RESORTS – YOUR LIFESTYLE HALLMARKS
Southern Sun is breathing fresh new life into shared vacation ownership
in South Africa.
In keeping with the spirit of renewal, we're
polishing our family of resorts up to a high
shine and updating our corporate look and
feel.
We have new livery, new colours and
freshly minted logos for our resort division
and our latest addition, SunSwop, our own
holiday-exchange operator. But the biggest
change is in our name itself. We're no
longer Southern Sun Timeshare Resorts. It's
a big bright summer, and it's out with the
old, in with the new. Now we are known as
Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts.
Deon Viljoen, Director of Operations,
explained why the name-change is so
important. “We have by design selected
the words 'Lifestyle Resorts',” he said. “The
word ‘Timeshare’ refers to a form of
property ownership, to a way in which
people can own a stake in a vacation
property.” Fine and well; but there’s far
more to it than that. You don’t just have
timeshare – you live it, you experience it.
It’s part of your way of life, and probably
the best part too, the part that comes alive
when you’re on holiday, when you’re free.”
“So ‘Timeshare’ doesn’t fully encapsulate
what our products, our resorts and our
services are all about. It’s like looking at one
of our award-winning resorts and saying,
‘Well, it’s a pile of bricks, glass and wiring
sitting on a piece of a land.’ That’s true
enough I guess, from one perspective – but,
let’s face it, it’s very limited perspective and
hardly does justice to the place.” It’s the
same thing with ‘Timeshare’. “We want to
change the way vacation ownership is
understood, and that’s why we selected the
word ‘Lifestyle’.
When you own a share in your holiday at
Southern Sun, it is a lifestyle that you
experience.” He chuckled. “I mean, with us
you don't just pick up your keys and then
go and have yourself a self-catering
holiday. There are spas, there is golf, hiking,
entertainment, and more – it's not just a
resort. Everything is geared around the
guest and the focus is on giving you a
lifestyle experience.” Not just one lifestyle
either. Here you are presented with a menu
of differentiated lifestyle offerings, because
each of the resorts has its own character
and tone – its own special something. In a
word, its own hallmark.
For instance, take Drakensberg Sun Hotel,
which was the overall winner of the 2008
Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards. That's
our environmentally-friendly, communitylinked
destination. Its hallmark is “the Pearl
of the Mountains.”
Sabi River Sun, on the other hand, is a major
golfing destination, and when you think of
Sabi and associate the spirit of the
placewith the atmosphere of a magazine,
the publications that come to mind are
Getaway, 4x4 and AA magazine. Sabi's
hallmark is “the heart of the Lowveld.”
In contrast, Pine Lake Country Estate is a
tranquil retreat, but the main thing is that
it's your hub for exploring Mpumalanga.
Want to visit the game reserve? Go for it.
You can see the wildlife, knowing that
tonight you'll be relaxing again in Pine
Lake's luxury comfort. Rest up for a few
days, read a good book – and when you're
recharged, strike out again. Its hallmark is
“the gateway to the country.”
Umhlanga Sands: that's our vibrant, noisy
destination for parents who want to give
their kids a big, big treat. Entertainment
teams are laid on for the youngsters, there's
music around the pool all day, and by early
evening everything's calm – until the next
morning, when it's rock 'n roll again. The
hallmark is “the kid is king.”
Cabana Beach is two blocks down the road
from Umhlanga Sands, but it could be light
years away. There, the atmosphere is
something else. Elegant, spacious, calm
and luxurious. Its hallmark is “the timeless
classic.”
Legendary Beacon Island is the oldest of
the Southern Sun Resorts, but it's young
and trendy in its looks and in its heart. It's a
home away from home, a resort where you
feel recognised, young, pampered and
fashionable. Beacon Island's hallmark is
“the place to be and be seen.”
7 SUNRISE December 2008

The Place to be seen . . . .
“Phenomenal, just phenomenal. It used to
sound like an aeroplane taking off, what with
the noise of the wind and the sea and the
natural elements – and now there's no sound
at all. People are complimenting us all the time
on how quiet the units are. The response we've
had has been fantastic.”
Jacques Moolman, General Manager at Beacon
Island, was describing one of the two extensive
revamps that have been undertaken at the
resort, in this case the replacement of all of its
windows.
The grande dame of South African timeshare,
Beacon Island was built forty years ago and its
aluminium-framed windows had taken the toll
from long exposure to the sea. Now, as part of
a two-year project costing an overall R3.5-
million, they are being replaced by UV-filtered,
soundproofed safety-glass manufactured to
state-of-the-art specifications.
“We used bobcats, jackhammers the size of a
tractor that you sit on. One day we had 45 of
these things inside there, chopping down
windows and shop fronts. It was major. The
electrics, the plumbing, all the walls, all the
floors – all were redone.”
The rejuvenated Cascades area hosts an array
of contemporary facilities, from a multimedia
tourism information centre and an upmarket
boutique, to a hair salon, a beautifully designed
spa with four treatment rooms, and high-tech
steam rooms produced in Scandinavia. The
indoor swimming pool was retiled with nonslip
tiles and its cascade facility repaired, while
the gym has been completely refurbished and
installed with the latest equipment.
PowerPlate vibration-technology exercise
machines are also on hand. “Fifteen minutes
on one of them is equivalent to an hour's
gymming, which reduces the time you spend
at gym while on holiday.”
“The Fishbowl” is a newly-instated soft-room
activity centre for toddlers, and a dazzling
entertainment centre is available for teenagers
and families. Upstairs is “The Gazebo Lounge”,
an informal, luxuriously comfortable glassenclosed
space with sea views.
Referring to the damage the resort sustained
during sea flooding this September, Mr
Moolman said, “Everything in the public areas
that could be repaired has now been repaired,
although we're still busy repairing damaged
back-of-house facilities.”
Beacon Island, he said, looks fresh and modern.
Work began this year on the sea-facing units;
in 2009 the units on the other side of the hotel
will have their turn to be removed and refitted.
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 044 533 1120
Fax: 044 533 3880
In addition to being delighted at how quiet the
seaview units are, owners have also remarked
on how the windows have eliminated drafts,
giving the rooms better temperature control.
“The new glass has a UV film,” Mr Moolman
said, “so you don't have the glare either.”
The second major renovation at Beacon Island,
this one even larger in scale than the other,
began in August and is already all but complete
barring final snagging: a top-to-bottom
revamp of the Cascades Entertainment Centre.
“We ripped out literally everything,” Mr
Moolman said. “I can't even say we left behind
a shell, because there really was nothing.”
“We want it to be your home away from
home, and what we try to achieve is that
you feel recognised –
and also young and spoilt!”
Jacques Moolman
GENERAL MANAGER
BEACON ISLAND
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204
December 2008 SUNRISE
8

The Timeless Classic . . . .
Ron Klambt speaks with meticulous care, with
graciousness, and with quiet, assured pride in
the resort of which he is General Manager, the
stately Cabana Beach.
“We are not crowded, we are not loud, we are
not formal, and” – he pauses and lets out the
softest of chuckles – “we are not cheap.”
Cabana Beach: it's about family, spacious selfcatering
rooms, and quiet places. The food?
You are spoiled for choice. “We always
associate a drink with each resort Ours is
Malibu Pina Colada. We are positioned as the
timeless classic, and the essence of our
message to guests is to rejuvenate and relax.”
“Situated in an exclusive area, the resort is
designed in the style of a Mediterranean village
and set in subtropical gardens with beautiful
views of the Indian Ocean. We've won the RCI
Gold Crown award for many, many years
running, and we are renowned for providing
guests with a truly memorable holiday
experience.”
“It's a high-quality destination offering
tastefully appointed cabanas and suites, and a
wide range of exciting restaurants – we have
four of them in all. In addition, along with our
entertainment facilities, we have an
outstanding range of leisure activities, from
tennis courts to championship squash courts.”
“The resort focuses on providing exciting yet
relaxing holiday experiences for the whole
family through comfortable, well-equipped
self-catering accommodation with the luxury
of a hotel facility. So you're certainly not just
dumped in a flat and left there – the whole
resort is geared around your holiday
experience.”
“Guests always tell us, well, we've come to
Cabana Beach for the last thirty years, and
every time we come here, we see something
new, something exciting, something which
improves the quality of the place.”
“We are constantly improving our property.
It is never static: we are in the business of
constant improvement.” With this in mind, he
describes the resort's latest renovations.
“We've just undergone a R5-million soft
refurbishment – that means new carpets, new
c u r t a i n s , n e w u p h o l s t e r y. T h e s e
refurbishments began in May and we are
finishing the rooms in November. We also
repainted the building at a cost of R2-million,
and the response we have been getting from
guests is very positive towards the nice full,
vibrant colours and the fresh, clean-looking
lines.”
“In addition, we have also refurbished our gym
– we spent about R900,000 on new equipment
for aerobics and the weights section.”
“Cabana Beach may well be Southern Sun's
timeless classic,
yet it is anything but static.”
Ron Klambt
GENERAL MANAGER
CABANA BEACH
9 SUNRISE December 2008
When he is asked if his general managership of
Cabana Beach is a rewarding experience for
him, he agrees that it definitely is, but
modestly diverts attention away from himself
and towards his staff.
“The good quality staff that we have is really
our driving force, and they underpin the quality
of our product. A product on the market
doesn't mean anything unless you have the
staff to underpin it.”
“Guests don't just check in for one day, after
which they are gone. They live with us; they see
us every year. The recognition factor is
important – the friendly, caring attitude that
the staff project, not only to the guests
themselves but to their children, their whole
family – so that when they come back, they
feel at home straight away and warmly cared
for. They should know that if they have any
problem, whatever it may be, they can
approach the staff, receive an instant response,
and enjoy a trouble-free holiday.”
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 031 561 2371
Fax: 031 561 3522
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204

The Pearl of the Mountains. . . .
Make no mistake: Herman Muller, General
Manager at Drakensberg Sun, is a man on a
mission. In 2008, 136 properties entered the
Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards.
Mr Muller's resort entered three of the award's
six categories – with outstanding success. It
was a finalist in the environmental
management category, winner in the category
of waste recycling, and the award's overall
winner.
In short, Drakensberg Sun is the country's top
resort when it comes to environmental and
social responsibility. But does Mr Muller now
intend to rest on his laurels? Not a chance.
“We are hugely proud of these achievements,”
he says, “but you've got to understand that it's
a process, not a [once-off] event. You can't just
plant an indigenous tree, then think you've
done your bit for the environment.”
“With us, environmental responsibility isn't
just a matter of rules and regulations, a file
lying on the shelf. It's strategically a part of
how we run the business and a part of our
policies and procedures, which is quite a
different viewpoint to take.”
“We're all actively involved in this
responsibility, from the cleaner who splits the
refuse between plastic and wet waste, all the
way up to myself.”
“It's completely integrated into our principles
and the way we run our business, from
calculating our carbon footprint on a monthly
basis to doing something about vehicles
leaking oil in the car park – if a vehicle leaks oil,
we have a procedure to combat that leaked oil
so that when it rains, the oil doesn't run down
into the gardens.”
“A lot of people think waste is just what comes
out of the kitchens. That's not the case.
Waste is also what comes out of the gardens
and what comes out after you've recycled your
water.
“To give you an example, we removed about
257 trees in the past 18 months and we've
planted just over 350 trees. But with those
bigger trees that we felled, we threw the
stumps into a trench, covered them with
topsoil and sprayed them with raw water – so
that hopefully in three years' time we will be
sustainable in generating our own compost for
the garden.”
Drakensberg Sun has fifteen environmental
policies in all, one of them relating to a matter
that is seldom considered: noise pollution.
“We monitor the decibel levels of the noise
made by birds in our forest,” Mr Muller says.
“Any activity that we allow in the forest cannot
exceed that decibel readings, because then you
are hearing the activity and not the birds.
“One of our other policies concerns
community development. We are involved in a
programme with our local government in
which we plant indigenous fruit trees in the
gardens of our staff. Our initiatives don't
happen just on our property – they go further
than that.
“Another example is that on our
entertainment programme, every week we
take the children on the resort out to plant a
tree, and we also offer daily guided walks up
the mountain.”
Why is environmental responsibility so pivotal
to the way resort defines itself? “One is that
we are located in a World Heritage Site and
want to be known as the resort that comes up
with initiatives. The other is that it makes good
marketing sense.” As he says, many resorts in
the vacation-ownership sector have enjoyed
improvements and clean-ups over the years.
“Our success with our environmental
responsibilities sets us apart: we want to be
known and talked about.”
“When I think of Drakensberg Sun, I see a
picture of a National Geographic property
situated in the Central Berg, and by that I mean
that it has photographic scenery and that it's
environmentally aware – it's educational, it's
holistic, and it offers an enriching, sociallyaware
experience that you'll take home and
keep in mind long afterwards when you're back
in the city.”
“. . . . . we are located in a
World Heritage Site
and want to be known
as the resort that
comes up with initiatives.”
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 036 468 1000
Fax: 036 468 1224
Herman Muller
GENERAL MANAGER
DRAKENSBERG SUN
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204 December 2008 SUNRISE 10

The Gateway to the Country . . . .
Pine Lake Country Estate – Southern Sun's
smallest, quietest lifestyle resort – has
consistently received distinguished accolades
for service excellence, and even fifteen
minutes on the phone with its General
Manager, Sonja Mathews-Pheiffer, feels as
soul-restoringly restful as fifteen days in the
countryside. “We are,” she says, “all about
rejuvenation, about getting your spirit going
again.”
Where recent renovations at other resorts in
the Southern Sun family have been big, bold
and high-tempo, Pine Lake's have been in the
order of deft and discreet touch-ups to its
finely tuned, highly accomplished offerings –
such as the installation of a 24-hour back-up
generator to carry 100% of the resort and a
new reception area, where a coffee bar, lounge
and small library now complement the
ambience of the check-in facilities.
What has been the resort's recipe for success?
“We are extremely small – the resort has only
34 chalets. We don't have food and beverage
facilities, so we have to have a good rapport
with restaurants and other facilities in the
surrounding area so that when we advise
guests where they should go, we are on top of
the range of services that are available out
there.”
“And we have a very small team – we've only
got seven permanent staff members. Between
the seven of us, we run the resort, and because
our team has been together for the past ten
years, we know each other very well.”
“What happens is that the people who come
to Pine Lake use it as a springboard into the
area, and we are absolutely perfectly situated
for that purpose. We are a twenty-minute
drive away from the Kruger National Park,
40km from Sabi River Sun and 70km from
God's Window, along with other local
attractions such as Bourke's Luck Potholes and
the Blyde River Canyon.”
“If you want to travel about and see the sights,
we are well-situated; if you are looking for the
game-drive experience, we're well-situated for
that, too.”
We are the perfect springboard for you
to gain access to the Lowveld.
“We don't really provide guest entertainment.
It's entirely a chill-out place where you
read a book and watch the lake – we're on a
lakefront. In addition, we have a gym and a
biokineticist who is attached to it. We are
about rejuvenation, about getting your spirit
going .”
T h e r e f u r b i s h m e n t s a r e d e l i c a t e
enhancements dotting the i's and crossing the
t's. After all, last year Pine Lake Country Estate
was winner of the RCI Resort of the Year award.
“We have received Gold Crown awards for
fourteen years running,” says Mrs Mathews-
Pheiffer, “and last year we managed to achieve
the status of top resort in South Africa.”
The property's hallmark is
“the gateway to the country.”
Sonja Mathews-Pheiffer,
GENERAL MANAGER
PINE LAKE SUN
11 SUNRISE December 2008
“It's a stunning place, but as I say, we're not
high on entertainment. We like checking you
into your Chalet, making sure our guests are
fine, but otherwise we don't impose on you.
We do about three or four walkabouts during
the week to check up that everything's okay;
the rest of the time we pretty much just like to
make sure that our guests rest.”
“Especially for people in Johannesburg, this is
where you are going to come and relax. You
don't hear trucks, you don't see them and you
don't hear ambulances. Every now and again
you might hear the odd helicopter belonging
to one of the rich people in the area, but other
than that it's a peaceful destination where you
can reconnect and spend quality time with
your family.”
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 013 750 0709
Fax: 013 751 3873
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204

The Heart of the Lowveld . . . .
In the past year the majestic Sabi River Sun has
enjoyed vigorous renovations to its reception
area, bar and conference facilities, and the
restaurant has received particular attention.
Not only has the facility been refurbished, but
its menu itself has been revitalised and
expanded.
“We've done away with the buffet set-up we
used to have there,” said Roger Petyt, the
resort's generous and outgoing General
Manager.
“The restaurant now offers a full à la carte
menu, which we're finding is a lot more
satisfying for our residents. We've also created
themed evenings. So, on Mondays it's the
traditional à la carte menu, plus a prawn
special. Then we have an evening of African
cuisine featuring dishes from Tanzania,
Ethiopia and Morocco, as well as warthog,
ostrich and so on. It gives our guests another
reason to visit the restaurant, because it's a
dining experience you're not likely to get
anywhere else.”
Indeed, what's true of the restaurant is true of
Sabi River Sun as a whole: it's a resort that
weaves together a tantalising mixture of
experiences for an upmarket clientele.
As Mr Petyt says, “It's a tranquil environment
offering you all the great choices and
adventures that you would possibly not get
elsewhere grouped in such close proximity to
each other.”
“There are skyway trails and microlight flights.
You can go to the Kruger National Park, which
– with its new public gate – is only 14km away,
and the town of Graskop is just 40km away,
where you can take part in a range of other
extreme adventures. Everything is like an
octopus, with little tentacles that lead away
from the resort to whatever else the
surrounding area has to offer.”
“On the resort there are five floodlit tennis
courts – there are squash courts and bowling
greens and a jogging trail. Alternatively, you
can enjoy a round of golf on our championship
golf course.”
The golf course is possibly the most
prestigious one in the area and it is highly
sought-after, both by the members of the golf
club and by our Lifestyle Resort owners. On
Saturdays, when we have the local golf
competition, a whole nucleus of people
congregate at Sabi River Sun.”
For less energetic guests, the resort provides
nature walks, bird watching and sight-seeing
tours. “We offer all of those diverse activities,”
Mr Petyt says, “but at the same time, on our
more than 220 acres, there is an air of
tranquillity about the resort.”
“As you drive through the front gate, you get a
wonderful view down the thirteenth fairway
of the golf course – rolling, plush green lawns
with trees on either side.”
“Vacation owners at Sabi River Sun are
typically at the more mature end of the
market. They are people who bought units
fifteen to twenty years ago, and what has
happened is that over the years their families
have moved on, the children have grown up,
moved out and now when they return, it's
sometimes with their families, sometimes on
their own.”
“So our residents are usually at the mature end
of the market – but at the same time younger
generations are definitely rising through the
ranks and making enquiries about purchasing
here. That's a good sign. It shows the resort's
longetivity and underlines that the demand
for Sabi as a destination is as strong as it's ever
been.”
“The moment you drive
through our gates,
you know one thing:
You know that you're
away on holiday.”
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 013 737 7311
Fax: 013 737 7314
Roger Petyt,
GENERAL MANAGER
SABI RIVER SUN
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204 December 2008 SUNRISE 12

The Kid is King . . . .
Talk about action from the get-go! When
SunRise called Derek McKillop, General
Manager at Umhlanga Sands, one of Southern
Sun's most energetic Lifestyle Resorts, he
answered the phone laughing and out of
breath. The place had just been hit by “a small
hurricane,” he said, leaving “umbrellas and
everything all over the place.”
As he explained, richly amused, “We were
having our management meeting when there
was a huge gust of wind and a sudden
downpour. Well, we abandoned the meeting
and everyone charged out to grab umbrellas
and got soaking wet! “But it's really not a
regular thing.”
In another sense, small hurricanes are not just a
regular occurrence but the resort's year-round
24/7 preoccupation. Small hurricanes of a
different kind though: children.
This attention to safety and cleanliness
extends beyond the resort's perimeters to its
surrounds, in particular the beachfront and
promenade. Both Mr McKillop and Mr Klambt,
the general manager at the nearby Cabana
Beach, serve on the local UIP (Urban
Improvement Precinct), enabling them to
make sure “that the whole promenade area is
safe, clean and tidy.”
Via the UIP, Mr McKillop is involved in the
area's summer programme, which sees
security guards patrolling the beach and
collecting refuse. The promenade, he said, is
looking “absolutely stunning,” as is the
property itself. In the past two years all of the
corridors and rooms have been refurbished,
along with the reception area and the action
bar. The family pool has been fitted with heat
pumps, and next year the adult pool is to be
renovated. In addition, the plan is to replace all
the beds – a huge undertaking, given the
resort's size.
“It's amazing,” Mr McKillop says, reflecting on
those many, many small hurricanes.
“At this property our motto is 'kid is king'.
We have live entertainers and at ten in the
morning they gather around the pool, turn the
speakers towards the hotel, start off with a
theme song, and tell them: Get up everybody
and come and join us in fun! That goes on until
eight o'clock at night, when we tell the kids:
Right, go back to your rooms and go to sleep!”
Coco's is the resort's action bar – for the adults,
of course, not the aforesaid small hurricanes –
and each night it has a different kind of band
providing live entertainment. “The focus of our
property is on entertainment,” Mr McKillop
said. “There's a volleyball court and minisoccer,
and our entertainment crew really goes
out of its way with our guests.”
“But 'kid is king' is our keynote, though,” he
said, referring to the on-site Spur restaurant,
the candy shop and the resort's entertainment
centre, with its games arcade and two ten-pin
bowling alleys. The emphasis in all of this fun is
on safety and security, and minders are
assigned around the swimming pool to look
after the exuberant children.
Derrick McKillop,
GENERAL MANAGER
UMHLANGA SANDS
13 SUNRISE December 2008
“We've got a base of people who have been
coming here for the past thirty years, and
when you speak to them, you find that they'd
been coming here when they were children
themselves and their parents were still around.
Now they're grown up with kids of their own
and they bring them here as a family tradition
– people have handed down their units to their
grandchildren. The number of long-term
owners at Umhlanga Sands is astonishing.…
This is a stunning resort.”
“A great thing about this property
is being able to walk out and
have a lovely stroll down the whole
beachfront hassle-free and in a
clean environment.”
Resort Contact Details:
Tel: 031 561 2323
Fax: 031 561 4408
Levy / Admin: 031 561 2204

Southern Sun Resales:
When you own a vacation at Southern Sun
Lifestyle Resorts, you own a lifestyle
experience. But have you considered that you
also own a valuable investment?
The conventional wisdom is that timeshare is
a depreciating asset – and that you'll endure
untold agonies if you try to sell it. At Southern
Sun Lifestyle, we defy that thinking.
Your shared vacation is an appreciating asset,
and we have a team of knowledgeable,
accredited resale agents who take away the
hassle and hustle of resale and deliver flawless
results to you.
“Resale units at Southern Sun Lifestyle have
come into very high demand,” said Deon
Viljoen, Director of Operations. “I am pleased
to report that we have had double-digit
growth in resale prices for three consecutive
years so far – a trend we expect to see
continually going forward.
“Resales of Southern Sun timeshare have
increased, and that increases the value of what
our owners possess.”
“Not only do we have highly regarded resorts
with great facilities and services, but the actual
investment value in Southern Sun vacation
ownership is increasing. If you hold your
timeshare for anything more than two to three
years, you're going to get the same back if you
sell it. If you hold it longer than that, you're
going to see a return on it.”
That's great news for Southern Sun Lifestyle
owners. But why is it unwise to try and sell
privately through the classified ads for
instance?
“You don't know what the market value of
your vacation ownership is,” Mr Viljoen said.
“We do, because we do it all day and every day.
We can advise you what the market value is,
because you might end up selling at below
market value without even realising it.”
Optimising your investment
“I emphasise that they are accredited by Southern Sun.
They are supported by us, it's our brand that is involved,
and we will therefore ensure that you get the best and most reliable service.”
Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts Resale Agents:
PENNY MANDE
is our accredited agent for Sabi River Sun and Drakensberg Sun and is a veteran in
the business, having started at Southern Sun in 1981.
She has worked at numerous resorts and has consistently been among the
winners of the Top 10 Sales Professionals for the past ten years. Penny won
the Top Sales Professional award in 2003, and this year, Southern Sun's Dubai
Trip award.
Tel: 021 439 9880 Fax: 021 439 8389
pennym@eastcoast.co.za
GAI GORDON
joined Southern Sun in 1995 and, after initially being based at Breakers resort,
transferred to Umhlanga Sands, where she is our accredited resale agent.
Her watchword is a variation on her home resort's hallmark, “the kid is king.”
For Gai and her staff of four, the motto is “the client is king.”
She has been recognised in the RCI Top 50 awards on many occasions as well
as the Southern Sun Commitment to Excellence award.
Tel: 031 561 2201 Fax: 086 631 6520
GaiG@southernsun.com
SUE THOMPSON
is our accredited resale agent for Cabana Beach. She has been in the hotel
and hospitality industry her entire adult life.
Her career in Southern Sun began in 2000, when she worked at Breakers
resort, thereafter moving to Cabana Beach in 2005. Sue has been recognised
in the Top 50 Sales Professional awards for the past six years, and in 2003 was
rated among the Top 10.
Tel: 031 561 1230 Fax: 086 698 8148
Suet@southernsun.com
“And then there's our accomplished
experience at managing the sales process
itself.”
“We invite you – and we encourage you – to
make use of our resale agents. We have four
accredited timeshare resale agents for
Southern Sun Lifestyle owners.”
“I emphasise that they are accredited by
Southern Sun. They are supported by us, it's
our brand that is involved, and we will
therefore ensure that you get the best and
most reliable service.”
BRIDGET WICKS
is our accredited agent for Beacon Island, where she grew the timeshare resale
and rental division by 800% in her first year at the resort in 2004.
She has achieved steady year-on-year growth ever since. Bridget was among
the winners of RCI's Top 10 Sales Professionals for both 2006 and 2007.
Tel: 044 533 2064 Fax: 086 631 6472
bridgetw@southernsun.com
December 2008 SUNRISE 14

SunSwop queries until 1 February 2009
086 100 5511 (Mon - Fri from 08h00 - 17h30)
SunSwop deposits & exchanges from 2 February 2009
080 099 2648
SunSwop Administration Office:
031 561 2323