The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s fastest growing hotel companies, has been honoured for its ambitious business development across the African continent at the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) in Sandton Sun, Gauteng, South Africa, on 4-6 November.

Andrew McLachlan, the group’s Vice President Business Development for Africa & the Indian Ocean Islands, was given the prestigious ‘Mover & Shaker’ award. The HICA prize is awarded to an individual who through their skills, ingenuity and energy has already had an extraordinary impact in the industry, and recognises his outstanding leadership role and contribution to hospitality investment in Africa.

Between January 2007 and March 2009 McLachlan tripled Rezidor’s portfolio from eight hotels (open or under development) in five African countries to 21 Hotels in Africa (open or under development) across 13 sub-Saharan African countries. Over this period the Rezidor portfolio expanded with properties in nations such as Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa under McLachlan’s headship.

The Hospitality Investment Conference Africa, is an annual event on the local and international hospitality and investment calendar. This year’s event was hosted by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), in association with the conference’s founding partners and the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism of South Africa.

The event proved to be a big success and was attended by the South African Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk. Mmatsatsi Marobe, CEO Tourism Business Council of South Africa, stated on the HICA website, “His attendance serves as confirmation of his commitment to promoting investment opportunities for South Africa and the continent as a whole. The department’s continued support for the conference, as well as the launch of the South African Tourism Investment Portfolio for 2009 at HICA serves as further confirmation”.