There is much to say for hard work and dedication in climbing the ladder of success. And this was proven once again by a young South African hotel cleaner who has risen through the ranks to become a proud business owner.   

Port Elizabeth’s Francine Zana, who started working as a hotel cleaner at the age of 19, now owns Exclusive Hospitality, which consults with hotels and home owners to train their staff.

According to W24, Zana was never ashamed of her job, even when other teenagers made fun of her.  

When other teenagers were waking up in the morning to go to school or spending their weekends lazing about in front of the television, Zana was busy cleaning someone’s house, in a mall or hotel. 

Zana began her career as a room attendant at The City Lodge Group and worked her way up to operations duty manager at The Log Collection Hotels within the short period of three years.

According to her website, her buoyant personality and meticulous attention to detail came to the fore when she was approached by multi-award winning No 5 Boutique Art Hotel, formerly known as Shamwari Townhouse.  

She also received the Department of Tourism’s prestigious national Lilizela Tourism Award in 2017 for her contribution to the tourism industry.

Her long list of clients includes some of the biggest groups in the industry, such as The Log Collection Hotels, City Lodge and the Mantis Collection.  Zana has also consulted for numerous private home owners with regard to housekeeping and service orientation.

“I never thought I would ever be a cleaner in my life. We used to think being a domestic worker was for older women. And there I was, a young person among the elders, trying to survive,”  

Francine Zana

We applaud Zana’s never-say-die attitude which shows the sky’s the limit when you are driven by determination and a passion to succeed.  

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