A sustainable, world-class partnership
Tsebo’s ambitious nature is one of the many reasons why we have been able to survive and thrive for the last 50 years. An example of our enduring tenacity is our recent partnership with Sun International’s Sun City Resort. To date, this is our biggest engineering contract, and we are incredibly proud of this accomplishment.
Sun City is one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations and was built back in 1979. The Valley of Waves is one of the country’s most exciting water parks and, when it was first established in 1992, it was the biggest in the world. The challenge lies in keeping Sun City’s mammoth engineering infrastructure in pristine condition throughout the years, ensuring that one of Africa’s largest themed resorts remains relevant and exciting for guests to enjoy.
The scope of work
Sun City has a complex and extremely diverse engineering setup. To start with, the resort itself resembles a small city and needs to be self-sufficient due to the remote location. Additionally, the infrastructure is over 40 years old and requires continuous coordination, maintenance and care from an experienced service provider with extensive engineering and energy management knowledge.
As an entertainment complex operating 24/7, Sun City was looking for a service provider that would provide a good organisational fit through an always-on, problem-solving approach. They wanted a partner that would not only respect their customer-centric business by conducting themselves professionally with meticulous cleanliness and attention to detail, but also through strong ethical values, productivity and economic mindfulness.
Tsebo’s role in Sun City’s infrastructure
Tsebo was initially contracted to complete an asset condition assessment. Once the assessment was completed, Tsebo proposed a strategic CapEx repair and replacement roll-out that considered the lifespan of equipment and budgetary implications of replacement over time. This is a more cost-effective approach to doing business and offers a staggered solution to equipment investments. “Tsebo’s strategy to preserving existing equipment rather than opting to replace it every time an issue arises, made them stand out from the crowd,”said Sun City General Manager Brett Hoppé. “They understand that we have to work within an allocated budget and have found a way to ensure we can continue our operations without incurring additional costs.It’s this kind of considerate problem-solving, economic mindfulness and flexibility that makes Tsebo a great partner.”
The Tsebo difference
One thing that has reassured Brett about the Tsebo partnership is the fact that our team seeks to collaborate and understand the resort’s unique needs. Working together, we explore sustainable solutions and implement them accordingly. This led to the partnership encompassing more than just the initial assessment, so that today, Tsebo is responsible for all of Sun City’s engineering requirements.
This includes everything from changing lightbulbs in each of the over 1750 bedrooms to ensuring that the Valley of Waves is beautifully restored and maintained through regular system upgrades and constant maintenance.
To achieve this, Tsebo devised a three-pronged operational model comprised of:
- An Infrastructure Team – to conduct major maintenance and repair;
- A Rapid-Response Team – to enhance the customer experience by quickly dispatching technicians on scooters to fix smaller faults in rooms etc. and
- A Rooms Care Programme – to take 20 rooms out of circulation at a time for full inspection and ongoing maintenance work.
In addition, Tsebo introduced on-the-job training to upskill Sun City’s maintenance staff and established basic systems and processes to ensure that the correct checks and balances were in place for effective engineering services and monthly reporting.
Sun City’s location is quite remote. Back in 1979, when it was first built, the nearest power source was over 30 km away. While infrastructure has improved since then, the resort remains responsible for its own roads, water, and power supply. All of these elements need to be assessed and managed by Tsebo to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
The benefits of partnering with an experienced business
“In the current economic climate, it’s amazing that Tsebo has such an impressive track record. When it came to outsourcing our complex engineering requirements, partnering with such a reputable company – one with over 50 years of accumulative intellect and expertise – was a deep consideration for us. We are proud of our association with Tsebo and thankful for the world-class partnership we’ve built,” Brett concludes.
