Hospitality For Me Is A Calling, Not Just A Career – Maddison

He’s passionate, soft spoken, and dynamic, that is how many industry colleagues have described John Maddison, a South African hospitality guru that has made Ghana his home in the last few years. In this interview with Lucky Onoriode George, Publisher of African Travel Times Magazine, he bares his mind on his very promising journey into one of the most important industries in the world.

May we meet you?

My Name is John Maddison the Chief Operating Officer [COO] of Centerpoint Africa in Accra, Ghana.

Take us down memory lane, how did you join the hospitality industry?

This takes my memories back to when I was still doing my national service after I finished high school. It was 1988 I was serving in the South African Airforce, based in Hamanskraal, out in the bush, north of Pretoria. At the time we were deployed for ani-aircraft training at ADAG 250, 21 Squadron. I loved our coat of arms, a scorpion with a lighting bult, very “GV”, army slang for, rough and tough.

At that stage in our lives, we were simply immortal and invincible! There was a saying about national service at that time “It’s the two best years of your life, but 2 years you never want to repeat again” Haha”, it is because of the friendships, comradery, experiences, and memories acquired during this time will stay with you for the rest of your life.  In addition, it was believed that service taught discipline, independence and built character in a person. It was also considered as life’s greatest initiation to the real world!

I recall, early one summer evening strolling down the barracks isle and saw one of my fellow airmen, Greg Harrison kneeling next to steel storage chest completing something looking like a workbook for an assignment of sorts. Intrigued and curios of what he was doing, I enquired, “Greg what are you up to?” At first, he hesitated, then said to me that he was studying.

This jerked more of my curiosity as none of us were studying anything else besides what the Airforce was prescribing for our training at the time.  I asked, “what are you studying?” He replied, “Hotel Management”. At this stage in my young adult life, I have never heard of hotel management, management, yes, but hotel management, this is a first for me.

I guess I lived a sheltered life in a small country town called Brits, close to Hartebeespoort Dam in Northwest and therefore did not have all exposure like the big city folk. Interested, I continued and asked Greg what it all initiated as I was not familiar with Hotel Management, he then started to explain what it involves, Accounting, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Sales, and Marketing and then he mentioned Culinary Arts.

This immediately got my attention as I had a passion for cooking, at the time it was not common for a “guy” to enjoy cooking as it was seen to be more for the fairer gender. He then handed me the textbook; I reviewed the content. As I handed the soft cover text book back to him, I replied, “This is something I could be interceded in” Unknown to Greg, I decided to do my 2 years compulsory military training after high school, allowing me to put it behind me before going to study, but more importantly, because I did not know what I wanted to become or study at the time and therefore was hoping to figure it out during this time . I still see Greg’s big smile, sparkling brown eyes, face full of freckles and his thick curly red hair as he appreciated someone else taking an interest in his studies. Well, unknowing to Greg today, it was that very day in our barracks he planted the hospitality seed in my mind.

I started doing a bit of research and the general view was that the tourism industry is set to be the next “BIG” thing in South Africa post Nelson Mandela’s release and with the international community lifting the travel sanctions to South Africa, would result in a tourism “Boom”. Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990.

Upon completing my national service at the end of 1989, I applied to the WITS Technicon Hotel School in Johannesburg for their Hotel Management Diploma program, despite needing 2 years of industry experience, I received invite for an interview where I was met by a selection panel comprising of the Dean Dr. Mornet and members of the faculty. The consensus was, they liked my enthusiasm but would still require me to gain the 2 years of mandatory experience as they had a 50 percent dropout rate and wanted me to be sure that this is indeed the career part I wish to follow.

The issue with the high drop out rate was that student saw the hotel business as a glamour career, but only suffer a rude awakening and discover  its long hours,  hard work and little time for friends as well as  family on weekends,  holidays, festive season, new year’s eve, among others as when people have fun that is the time we work the hardest, never mind talking about, heavy big pots, hot kitchen and washing , floors, dishes and brrrrrr….. My pet hates cleaning the walk-in deep freezers.

After been turned away at the hotel school, I found myself working on a hunting lodge out in Groot Mariko, literally a one-horse town, doing everything but hospitality. I was building dams, patrolling the fences and counting antelopes with my military issue, open roof, army brown, short wheelbase” Landy”, she was my companion and pride and only joy, in the middle of nowhere. The highlight of my week was visiting town for diesel and provisions. Let me not forget kerosine as we had no electricity and relied on kerosine fridges and fire for cooking.

This transition was not too foreign to me as it was not mush different to my national service out in the bush, at least here was les mosquitos than the swamps and wetlands in South Mozambique.

Three months into my lodge adventure I learnt the Protea Hotel in my hometown was looking for a trainee. Rumor had it that the manager was struggling to find a suitable candidate. I decided to hand in my application at the reception on one of my short breaks from the hunting lodge. Low and behold, a day later, I received an invitation for an interview. I dressed in my best suit to make a good impression, the same suit I wore to the hotel school, ash grey, white shirt and red paisley tie, that’s when paisley was in. I Needless to say, I did not suffer the same disappointment as at the Technicon earlier that year. Instead, I was offered the opportunity to be the trainee manager, and this is where it all started. One year later I walked into my first lecture in the same hotel school who turned me away. This was to the amazement of the dean Dr. Mornet and faculty as I was truly blessed and received a full scholarship from Protea Hotels for their corporate Hotel Management Development program at WITS Hotel School. This was a result of my hard work and effort as well as the faith and trust Mr. Frans Meischke the hotel manager had in me, his mentorship and encouragement were key to my success. I completed the 3-year course and furthered my studies, part time, on my own in marketing and finance, later also tourism at the University of Pretoria. I started my career in food and beverage and became the youngest F&B Manager in the group before moving to Dubai in 1995 to gain my first international experience.

Why hospitality?

I have enjoyed cooking and entertaining from a young age, my mum was my real inspiration in the kitchen along with my passion for culinary arts. My dad also cooked well along with my uncle George who also owned restaurants and bars in Durban, he was also a great inspiration to me.

It just seems to be in my blood as it gives me great pleasure when I see people enjoy my hospitality and my cooking, I believe the heart of a home is in the kitchen. Besides food, I have a special appreciation for good wine as it could elevate social and dining experiences.

So, when I was offered an opportunity to do a course in winemaking, subsequent to my international wine qualification I jumped at it, it even resulted in delaying me moving to Ghana for three months, this was a true bucket list achievement, something I always wanted to accomplish, from harvesting in the vineyards, pressing the grapes, lab work to the finished product in the barrel. This is the ultimate labor of love for any wine enthusiast.

Where has the industry taken you?

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work abroad, it was always my dream to work in Asia. As a young hotelier I believed that international experience would benefit my career. Being the Food &Beverage Manager at The Balalaika Protea Hotel, I took advantage of an opportunity and approached Mr. Bill Ford our regional director from Protea head office during a GM’s conference our hotel hosted. I expressed my interest in gaining international experience. He kindly reached out to a friend who was the general manager of the Shangri-La in Hong Kong and requested a trainee position for me.

Weeks passed and one day after having a heated difference of opinion with my direct report on staffing levels, I received a call from a recruitment agency, asking if I would be interested to work in Dubai, this was completely out of the blue and caught me off guard. Still charged with emotions, I instantly said yes, not even knowing where Dubai was on the map, hilarious come to think of it today.  After consulting with my Dad that evening, who happened to have sent a team to Dubai for a project, he gave me the assurance that it’s a progressive and exciting new destination in the UAE, Middle East.

Since the appointment to Dubai was on my own merit and materialised earlier, I pursued the opportunity ahead of Hong Kong, also since the Shangri-La’s option was a much more junior position.

I joined the Al Habtoor Group in Dubai at their Metropolitan Hotel with a very large F&B operation with almost 20 outlets, after a few years I joined Dusit Thani Dubai, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this was most certainly the most challenging hotel opening of my career. I was on the opening team for two new hotels and extended and redeveloped one.

A few highlights in the early days of Dubai when it was still a village where every hotel supported each other during big domestic and international events such as the shopping festivals, powerboat races, golf tournaments, concerts including the Guinness Book Record for the longest cake in the world, just to mention a few. The destination was a popular place to visit for celebrities, Micheál Pfeiffer, Grace Jones, Wesley Snipes, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Naomi Campbell and the list goes on.

In 2001 I took an assignment with Dusit in Koh Samui Island in Thailand at Santiburi Dusit Resort, this luxury beach resort was one of my best appointments ever, the resort and destination were amazing. Here I had the pleasure of serving with Malcolm McKenzie-Vass, former VP Ritz Carlton Southeast Asia.

We upgraded the resort, developed a golf estate and a siter resort on the island. I was very vested into the industry and community as I served as the President Culinary Association, member of SKAL and Rotary. In 2004 I returned to South Africa and joined Southern Sun Hotels, The Palazzo Intercontinental Hotel at Montecasino. Here I assisted with 3 hotel openings, during my time, in addition I was very honored to have been involved with MasterChef SA, as Southern Sun was a key sponsor.

In Thailand I got exposed to the Spa industry and started a family business in the wellness industry with a Spa, mobile Spa and a locum service. To gain more experience in the QSR and franchise business I was engaged with a research company on developing the Sub-Saharan Africa roll-out strategy for Burger King and Food Lovers Market in West Africa. Now I am a director of my own company in Ghana, serving the Greater Region and continent.

How did you find yourself in Ghana?

This all came about due to a flamboyant Ghanian client “he was simply bigger than life itself” this relationship eventually evolved into a friendship that resulted in him introducing me to Ghana in 2008.

We embarked on an endeavor by suppling the hotel and restaurant industry with South African meats, produce and wine as part of a pre-market entry strategy for a supermarket chain that was aiming to enter Ghana, West Africa. We often hosted Wine and Dine culinary events showcasing our finest produce, raising awareness with the “who is who” in Accra.

It was at this time I fell in love with the warm, friendly and hospitable people, vibrant culture, and traditional culinary scene, along with the country’s tropical climate. It reminded me of Thailand, my second home now to Ghana. With my friend being the nephew of the Ashanti King, Asantehene Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu 11 gave me a unique insight into the cultural hierarchy with its social structures in the communities.

What is your journey here so far?

In 2017 I volunteered for an assignment after being approached by a director of an International Financial Services origination to develop and implement a PIP Property Improvement Plan. 18 months later I moved on to focus on establishing our business in Ghana. To my surprise we quickly gained traction, with hotel and restaurant owners, developers, and entrepreneurs in the industry. I also coordinate our monthly GM forum engagements in Accra, Serve on the ExCom for GASBC Ghana South African Business Chamber, a committee member of the NHAG National Hospitality Association of Ghana and a proud SKAL member.

You have grown from being a manager to management and development person, how did you make the transition?

I have always enjoyed development and therefore often found myself involved in it somehow, I presume its due to my affinity for creativity and innovation, so the transition was not so dramatic but rather a situation of sharpening my skills and knowledge on a technical and leadership front. However self-learning is a daily habit and aligning myself with leading industry professionals locally and abroad has been a great support and resource.

However, years of experience have also provided me with much practical knowledge from different parts of the world, yet we find ourselves facing the same or similar situations with challenges or opportunities. Whilst we can’t live in the past, I believe it’s a place where we can learn valuable lessons and derive wisdom from.

How difficult is the transition?

The transition was quick and rapid, almost caught me off guard, but then 2020 came along, totally unexpected and changed everything. I lived and worked in Asia and weathered SARS, Swine and Bird flu that decimated the travel and leisure markets at the time, but never for more than 3 months or so, I even volunteered unpaid leave on one occasion in a strategy in perseverance as ex-patients where the first in line of fire in times of strife, it gained me much respect and had the desired outcome, whist I saw many of my peers returning home.

This created a great opportunity to tour Thailand with my family and spend quality time with them, as our industry is very time demanding, a 24/7 operation that never sleeps. Moreover we were a luxury resort, a member of Leading Hotels of the World with discerning international guests that only expected the best, leaving little time for vacation.

What also assisted me during the pandemic was my diverse experiences in business hotels and resorts in different markets and destinations, this enabled me to make effective and quality decisions. In addition I was blessed with great clients and a network that valued my partnership and contributions as they stood by me even in times of hardship, as they believed in me and appreciated the invaluable relationship I had with their business. Of course, we all had to make compromises, that goes without saying, we all had to survive.

Also, we were able to navigate this period because of our relationships in the industry, securing alternative revenue streams that kept us going. I think a crucial pivoting point in our business was that we were forced to reinvent ourselves by engineering and crafting new services and products making us more resilient as well as adding more value to our clients. This allowed us to enter 2022 much stronger.

What are the challenges?

With our current growth rate, I think scaling your business is a challenge as it requires more resources, so this becomes a fine balance between leveraging our financial capabilities and talent development along with new suitable team acquisitions that fit in the organization.  Strategic partnerships and collaboration have become key to your success, providing we share the same vision, objectives, and values.

Staffing has been a major huddle in the sector, how have you been handling this?

Yes, globally our sector sees a major shortage of skilled and experienced personnel, especially in the aftermath of COVID, where many professionals migrated into related or alternative industries as they lost faith in the hospitality and travel industry, with most likely more favorable working conditions. Brexit, the aging population of developed nations, major leisure destinations along with the rebound of the cruise line industry is luring the remaining labor force abroad.

Currently I am working on establishing the Chaine Des Rotisseurs in Accra, and in addition working on facilitating the market entry for an international Hotel & Culinary School to Ghana, serving the domestic market and the sub-region. This is all in the effort to improve and develop the industry.

We offer internal training as well as mandatory compliance training for all our concerns. For our outlying operations we offer trainee and intern opportunities during weekends or vacations whereby students from the community or area are provided the opportunity to gain industry exposure, skills, and experience. We are selective and screen all applicants prior to their commencement as we look for candidates with the right attitude and development potential for the property and ultimately the industry. This kind of succession planning and development programme has proven very successful, and we usually retain the stars and nurture them in a career in the hospitality and or property industry.

In more established locations the national service and interns from colleges and universities also offer an opportunity for new recruits.

We ultimately aim to become the preferred employer in the region, but also aim to identify and recruit the finest young and upcoming individuals early in their careers, allowing them to grow with us.

How would you rate the sector?

With the industry bouncing back to pre-COVID levels, is a testimony and reaffirming that the hospitality and real estate market in this segment have a bright future. It is anticipated that this trend will continue and that we can expect a heathy growth in the next few years to come as reported by international financial institutions as well as the Ghana Tourism Authority [GTA].

How would you rate the sector?

We will see several new market entrances, with the major brands stealing the spotlight, Hiton in the next few months with Accor and Marriot also poised to reaffirm their position in the Ghana market. There is also interesting development of a well-known Middle Eastern property operator and hospitality brand that may make their first début in the next year or two. Despite these exciting times ahead, private owned hotels and domestic brands will be challenged with the “Big Boys” with the lasted concepts, designs, and technologies in their new properties. This will force the domestic operators and owners to reevaluate their property quality, service offerings and technologies, but more importantly securing and retaining their human capital by reviewing salaries and benefits. This threat may result in a reduced market share and the escalation in labor cost. The high cost of finance also poses a challenge to properties wanting to improve their assets by refurbishing aged hotels and restaurants.

The above will also be prevalent in the extended stay properties, residential and restaurant industry. There is still a huge drive in the premium to luxury market in Labone, Cantonment, East Legon, Airport West and Airport Residential as they are prime locations. Despite this there is a huge deficit for accessible and affordable residential properties for the everyday Ghanian .

In food retail, Shoprite is currently holding their position in shopping centers, with a few new stores planned in strategic locations, they are taking a more prudent and conservative approach. Palace has made some bold moves in Labone, Tema and West Hills.  Maxmart has also seen some expansion in Airport and Labone, Marina Mall opened a new outlet in East Legon, Fairway continue to delight shoppers with their small but convenient upscale shopping experience, but Mecolm has been the star of the show with their innovative new design concepts and mini stores, currently leading the pack, also boosting with the largest footprint in the country.

QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) and franchise operators are also looking at diversifying their portfolios. KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Barcelos, 2^nd Cup, Pizza Inn, Creamy Inn, Chicken in, Eddy’s Pizza, Rocomamas have seen fair amount of success in recent years, Ocean basket is the new kid on the block, although uptake has been rather modest. Famous Brands from South Africa are poised to expand their brands from Nigeria to Ghana and Ivory Coast, and Hard Rock is also keen to explore new locations in the region.

International players have seen rivalry from Pizza Man and Chicken Man expanding aggressively, old Favorites like Star Bites, D’café, Honey Suckle, Cheesy Inn and a few more has held their position.

The newly opened Babel in Labone has got everyone talking about their amazing Lebanese cuisine and authentic setting, despite not serving alcoholic beverages. Airport has seen the debut of an array of new eateries such as Japanese Fried Chicken, a popular gelato destination for most is Pinocchio, Tribeca with their Polynesian fusion pork bowl and burger concept, as well as Ilona Restaurant, Indian and international cuisine in a contemporary setting, Le Maison French fine dining as all entered the dining arena in recent months. Osu has seen 805 restaurants opening their doors with a second outlet from their airport operation and within close range of a new sports bar hot spot, Legends.

Household neighborhood favorites like, Papaye’s chicken continue to be consistent, Philipo’s Talapia joint still the tastiest BBQ fish around and Azmera continue to offer the best Ghanaian food experience in Accra, Roman Ridge for locals and visitors that wish to explore an authentic as well as extensive traditional spread, in a well-appointed setting, complimented with warm and friendly hospitality.

The industry is thriving and continue to entertain Ghana.

What is the relationship with relevant government agencies?

Our focus is mainly on the private sector. Notwithstanding, we maintain a good and cordial relationship with the government and participate as well as support where possible. It is crucial to always maintain a heathy relationship with the governing and compliance authorities to ensure we adhere to all the regulations during new or ongoing concerns.  In addition it’s critical to be a member of the various relevant associations to stay abreast of any new regulations or requirements, also being able to address issues on national level affecting our business.

Taxes are a major challenge too, what would you advise the government?

Levies and taxes are necessary and is something we can’t escape, but it’s too complex and fragmented, a more simplified and consolidated structure would go a long way to make it easier for business owners and consumers alike. Financial institutions and fintech companies should also be engaged to find more innovative solutions for collections, I believe there is much more to be done here. A broader collection base would also alleviate pressure from industry at large.

Once simplified, a national training and awareness campaign should be undertaken, and with this approach taxpayers will be better informed as well as understand the importance of paying tax. The revenue authority will also benefit from increased tax collection. But taxes we can’t avoid, we must pay our dues to the “Emperor”. It’s also prudent to seek professional advice to ensure you don’t over state your payments or understate your obligation as it may only result in unwanted or unexpected liabilities in future. Here  honesty is the best policy, it works out cheaper in the long run.

I have heard many people complain that the rates in Ghana are one of the highest on the continent, why so?

Post the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Ghana has had some of their worst financial woes in recent years. This brought about the collapse of the currency by losing 50% of its value, currently struggling with an estimated inflation of 42 percent, with the country heavily reliant on imported goods the cost of living is, rather steep!

In the last year to 14 months, we have seen prices in shops, restaurants, and bars more than double, not even talking about the price hikes in utilities and tariffs as well as salaries for employees, trying to compensate. The increased operating costs and the cost of property in prime commercial and leisure locations has a direct impact on the rate as business owners have no option but to pass on these expenses to clients to ensure their business is sustainable on the long run.

This is further exasperated with the cost of lending. The recent IMF $3billion bailout has improved business confidence and sentiment that has stabilized the devalued Cedi somewhat.

Do guests get value for their money or is it just the forces of demand and supply?

Room rates in major business hubs has been benchmarked against the dollar in the local currency, as dynamic rates are in the order of the day, it was easy to bring this strategy to the market. Properties that are relying predominantly on the domestic market is under preasure to increase their Cedi rates.

This is also because of the property market holding its own despite the economic challenges. In some hotels, more so than restaurants, have seen their food and beverage cost of sales margins being eroded to pass on value to the clients, compensating for the higher room rate, especially for patrons from the domestic market.

This has also sparked more imaginative and inventive menu creations by incorporating more local content and produce. The domestic agricultural sector has also taken advantage of this by growing more locally grown produce formally only available on the import shelves in high-end supermarkets or distributors.

In the local meat market, a huge growth has been observed in the pork industry. As imported meats have skyrocketed, even local chicken prices are at a premium due to the cost of feed as most contain imported grains.

At the end of the day the perception of value is driven by the consumer, based on price, quality and experience, when they feel they are not fairly treated they will simply vote with their feet upon their next visit. This is perhaps where smaller independent hotels can gain a competitive advantage combined with bespoke and personalized services.

What would you say drives occupancy; is it leisure, conference, or business?

Firstly, occupancy is driven by several factors: Demand based on the economy, regional or international events and activities, both in leisure and business, location relevant to business or the uniqueness of a leisure destination, the visibility and accessibility, physically and on-line. Your market demographics are also a contributing factor as well as the purpose of their visit or travel, as well as their brand loyalty.

Other drivers are your sales and marketing strategies, with a key focus on personalised client engagement and online reputation management; quality and reputation as well as, safety and hygiene.

The most crustal part of your business are your people, followed with a guest centric culture will ultimately set you apart of the rest, employees are often undervalued, and guests not appreciated, bring the best out in your people and they will do their best for your guests. Ultimately, we in the “Happy making business!” Guest retention and gaining market share is the name of the game. Finally, people create hotels and experiences, not buildings. 

You have been here for years now, which is favourite food?

Firstly, I love food, flavours and a bit spice are what does it for me, therefor Ghana is up my alley, I must confess I am a sucker for a good Red Red, Goat light soup, chicken groundnut soup, a good waakye and Jollof with stew and Kontomire beats spinach hands down. For a snack who can say no to spicy kelewele and Cincinga.  My go to beverages are fresh pineapple and watermelon juice, Coconut water, ice clod fresh palm wine or Club beer.

My first love is Thai cuisine, Indian and Mediterranean accompanied with a good wine to compliment my meal, the company I keep and the occasion. As a good South African, a great steak, wors, lamb chops on a “Braai” BBQ are always a winner and enjoyable social event.

You are also running Centrepoint, what is it all about?

Centerpoint is a multi-disciplined company that aims to offer a turnkey or bespoke solution to the food retail, property development and hospitality industry.

We strive to create invaluable relationships with all our stakeholders and clients, by doing this we establish formidable partnerships in the marketplace.

Our expertise are focused on property development, IT, Finance, Sales and Marketing, HR, Hotel and Facility Management. We are uniquely equipped to add meaningful value to your business needs, allowing you to excel and optimise your performance, ultimately achieving your objectives, aspirations, and dreams.

Our diverse team has extensive experience in Europe, Middle East, and Asia, but more importantly Ghana and Africa. We aim to offer business solutions allowing your enterprise to thrive.

Our company name Centerpoint was inspired by the center of the earth 0°N 0°E [Greenwich and Meridien lines] and therefore the center of the world. However, the closest country is Ghana, in Africa, with its most southern peninsula Cape Three Points being the nearest land area to the earth’s center. This centricity is reflected in our client, team, and stakeholder engagements as they are the center of our world, we are always at your service.

“At Centerpoint our quest is to create a better world and a future for all the lives we touch”

Where do you see the project going forward?

We are very upbeat about the energy and traction right now in the industry, we have received an huge influx of projects and new clients, in addition we have also seen refurbishment that stalled during the pandemic back on track, new requests for refurbishment proposals, innovative and exciting restaurant and club concepts are being built, bold and ambitious mixed use developments in key commercial districts that will change the landscape in Accra, creating new inner city destinations, Hotel and Resort management projects, Lodges and conservation initiates and vacation clubs. This resulted in us also expensing growth in our IT solutions services, facility management and accounting services.  If this trend continues, I can only be optimistic about business potential going forward despite the economic climate.

Your advice to the government?

I am not a politician and have no experience in government, but my thoughts are: Focus on enabling and supporting private enterprise, this in return will grow the economy, resulting in sustainable tax revenue that will ultimately fuel the core function of government; find solutions for more affordable electricity, despite it being relatively consistent and stable, the costs wear business owners down across the b