In this, its 40th anniversary year, City Lodge Hotels is proud to announce that it has achieved broad-based Black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) Level 1 status as of 4 March 2025. This exciting development – the first time the group has achieved Level 1 – is the result of conscientious commitment to transformation, diversity, and inclusion (TDI).
Guests at The Protea restaurant at Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City
City Lodge Hotels has obtained an impressive 92.95 total points, and a 1.5 B-BBEE level gain through our participation in the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme. The points were earned in the key measurement criteria as follows:
Enterprise ownership: 23.34 pointsManagement control: 14.65 pointsSkills development: 12.05 pointsEnterprise and supplier development: 34.91 pointsSocio-economic development: 8.00 pointsParticipation and absorption of learners from the YES programme and achieving 1.5 x YES target and 5% absorption
Town Lodge Bellville co-working spaces
Digging deeper in these results, the group has achieved:
Black ownership: 26.52%Black women ownership 12.13%Black new entrants: 6.67%Black designated groups: 5.31%Black youth: 0.53%Black disabled: 0.45%Black unemployed: 0.06%Black people living in rural areas: 0.09%Procurement recognition: 135.00%
In the 2024 Integrated Annual Report, City Lodge Hotels reflects on its dedication to continuous growth and improvement: “Since the group’s inception, we have diligently ensured no salary disparity based on race, gender, or age. This stems from our firm belief in equal opportunities and the need to advance the role of women within our business and the hotel industry at large. A testament to this commitment is that 45% of our Board are women, and more than 35% of our Executive Committee are women, a figure we actively strive to increase.”
Andrew Widegger, CEO at City Lodge Hotels
Andrew Widegger, chief executive officer at City Lodge Hotels, commends the work of the TDI Committee, explaining: “Comprising members from our Exco and senior management, the TDI Committee convenes every quarter to monitor the five pillars of transformation: ownership, management control, skills development, education for sustainable development, and socioeconomic development. The close monitoring of these elements of B-BBEE ensures the group’s transformation objectives are met.”
He adds: “Diversity training was initiated by human resources and is designed to complement the principles and values upheld by the TDI committee. We strive to align our staff demographics with those of our guests and the broader population of the country, with a focus on enabling organic transformation.”
“This is a proud moment for us all, as achieving B-BBEE Level 1 is a collective milestone that embodies the core values and dedication of our hardworking team across our 58 hotels and four hotel brands – Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel, Town Lodge, and Road Lodge.”
