FEDHASA Cape Board Member and Work-integrated Learning Coordinator at the Cape Town Hotel School, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Beverley Seager has spent her career taking everything she loves about hospitality and pouring it directly into the people who will decide its future. As Work-integrated Learning Coordinator at the Cape Town Hotel School, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, she sits at the point where industry meets education, bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world for the next generation of hospitality professionals. This Women’s Month, she speaks about what it means to pass a passion on, and why she believes the industry’s greatest asset is the young women already waiting in the wings.
1. What first drew you to hospitality and tourism, and what’s kept you in it all these years?
Since my teenage years, I’ve been drawn to the world of hospitality, and hotels, in particular. The idea that no two days are ever the same appealed to me, and working in hotels proved that to be true. Hospitality is about caring for people, often in beautiful environments, and those are aspects I really love.
There is also a feeling that comes with working in this industry, something that is difficult to put into words, but instantly recognisable to anyone who has experienced it. That feeling, and the passion and excitement it carries with it, has kept me engaged for all these years.
2. Women are still underrepresented in senior roles across the industry. What do you think businesses should be doing to change that?
The concept of equal opportunity is vital. When assessing a candidate, the focus should be on their strengths and what they bring to the role, not their gender or any assumptions that come with it. Remuneration must also reflect the position, not the person filling it. Pay equity is not a progressive idea – it is a basic standard of fairness that the industry still needs to fully embrace.
3. Looking back on your career, what’s the achievement you’re proudest of, not just for the result, but for the difference it made?
Without question, it has been the opportunity to work in higher education. Teaching has given me a platform to share my passion for hospitality with the people who will carry it forward, to nurture and mentor ambitious young students at the very start of their journeys.
Seeing those students go on to build successful careers is a source of immense pride. For me, ensuring that the hospitality industry continues to grow from strength to strength, year after year, with each new generation, is what makes the work so meaningful.
4. What advice would you give a young woman just starting out who wants to end up in a leadership role one day?
My advice would be to be brave, to challenge yourself, and not to be afraid of moving out of your comfort zone. Remember, the working world is ruthless, and to succeed, you need to push yourself, because no one is going to do it for you. Believe in yourself, be yourself, and never give up.
5. What makes you feel positive about the next generation of women coming into tourism and hospitality?
Even as students, I see women who are passionate, eager, and ready to pursue careers in this industry with real conviction. What I appreciate most is their individuality and willingness to show up as exactly who they are.
Hospitality needs to evolve with each generation, and I believe these young women are more than ready to lead that evolution.
