Members
Member News| Nukakamma: The Township School Powering South Africa’s New Hospitality Workforce
When a young graduate from a township stands before more than a hundred colleagues at Club Med Durban and confidently teaches them French, it signals more than a feel‑good moment. It reveals a shift in how South Africa prepares talent for the global hospitality market.
That scene is the product of Nukakamma Hospitality School, a fast‑rising training institution in the Eastern Cape that is quietly reshaping the country’s talent pipeline.
Founded in Addo, by French businesswoman Laurence Armand, Nukakamma has built a model that blends technical hospitality training, academic reinforcement, sports and French language initiation delivered in partnership with the Alliance Française of Port Elizabeth. The approach is holistic, but the objective is simple: produce young professionals who can operate confidently in international environments.
For brands like Club Med, this matters. French remains central to the company’s identity, and staff must be able to connect with guests whose English is limited. A few words in French can improve service, build rapport, and elevate the guest experience, a competitive advantage in a sector where differentiation is increasingly human‑driven.
Nukakamma’s results are attracting attention. Nukakamma trained more than 140 staff for the opening of Club Med Durban. The school operates inside a real lodge, the Molo Lolo Eco‑Lodge, giving students immediate exposure to operational realities.
Behind this momentum is what Nukakamma calls “Team France”: a coordinated ecosystem of embassies, consulates, Alliances Françaises, FSACCI, and French hospitality brands (Club Med, Accor, Ladurée, Belmond...) investing in South Africa’s youth.
Nukakamma is a Level 1 B‑BBEE Non‑Profit Company, fully funded through the commitment of our partners — either by sponsoring their future employees or by supporting key development projects within our school. We are honoured to count among our recent supporters: Fondation Veolia, UNDP, Moët Hennessy, Fondation EDF, and others who believe in the power of transforming youth potential into professional excellence. If you feel your organization could contribute to this mission and join the companies already shaping the future of South African hospitality, we would be delighted to connect.
Disclaimer:
This article is an external contribution and was not produced by the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FSACCI). The views, opinions, and statements expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of FSACCI
