Shireen Onia – FEDHASA Cape Board Member
Shireen Onia didn’t set out to build a career in hospitality, but hospitality, as she puts it, had other ideas. Today, as a business and personal development coach, keynote speaker, and FEDHASA Cape Board Member, Shireen brings a perspective that stretches well beyond the traditional boundaries of the industry. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, customer experience, and human potential, and her belief that hospitality’s greatest asset has always been its people runs through everything she does. This Women’s Month, she speaks candidly about resilience and what it really takes to lead with authenticity.
1. What first drew you to hospitality and tourism, and what’s kept you in it all these years?
Hospitality chose me! I originally wanted to be an accountant. While working in retail, someone recognised my positive attitude and the superior customer experience I created and encouraged me to pursue hospitality management. That single moment changed the course of my career.
What has kept me here is the incredible impact this industry has. Hospitality isn’t confined to hotels or restaurants anymore. Every industry wants to create memorable customer experiences, and they’re looking to hospitality for the skills and leadership to make that happen. Today, as an entrepreneur with businesses that support the tourism and hospitality sector, I’m still driven by the same passion. I serve on industry boards because I believe I have a responsibility to give back and because I know I still have something to contribute, especially when it comes to championing exceptional customer experiences and investing in the people who make them possible.
2. Women are still underrepresented in senior roles across the industry. What do you think businesses should be doing to change that?
Businesses need to create intentional pathways for women to lead, through mentorship, sponsorship, leadership development, and equitable opportunity. It also means challenging outdated assumptions about who looks like a leader. Women don’t need to be “ready enough” before they’re given a seat at the table. Often, they simply need someone to believe in their potential, just as someone once believed in mine.
When women lead, businesses become stronger, cultures become healthier, communities are built, and the industry becomes more representative of the people it serves. Women are already empowered – they simply need to step forward into that power with confidence, education, self-motivation, agility, and focus.
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’s rebuilding myself after adversity.
I lost my job twice after returning from maternity leave, and was brave enough to fight both cases. I made the difficult decision to close two businesses. At the time, these were among the lowest points of my life, both personally and professionally. But looking back, they are also what has driven much of my success today.
Adversity has a way of revealing what you’re really made of. Instead of allowing those circumstances to define me, I rebuilt and went on to build businesses with purpose, create opportunities for others, and continue serving the city, the country, and the industries I love.
That lived experience has changed me as a leader. It has taught me empathy and resilience. Today, when I mentor and coach entrepreneurs and individuals through difficult seasons, I speak from experience. Success isn’t about never falling. It’s about having the courage to get back up, and helping others believe they can do the same.
4. What advice would you give a young woman just starting out who wants to end up in a leadership role one day?
Whether you’re the youngest person in the room or starting over later in life, don’t let a number define what you’re capable of. Leadership is earned through your attitude, work ethic, willingness to learn, and the way you treat people. People will remember how you made them feel far more than what you said or did.
Say “yes” to opportunities that stretch you and build your competence before you chase the title. Find mentors who will challenge you, not just cheer you on.
Most importantly, be yourself. Authenticity is your greatest advantage. Leadership is about having the courage to lead in a way that’s true to who you are.
5. What makes you feel positive about the next generation of women coming into tourism and hospitality?
What gives me hope is that the next generation of women understands that you can’t pour from an empty cup.
They are far more aware of the importance of mental health and holistic wellbeing, especially in an industry that is fast-paced and often relentless. They recognise that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of themselves.
As a neurocoach and speaker on holistic wellbeing and mental health fitness, I’m a strong advocate for asking for help and prioritising every aspect of wellbeing. For too long, we’ve celebrated burnout as a badge of honour, and that has to change. When people feel supported and take care of themselves, they show up with more empathy and energy for those around them. The future of hospitality is about creating workplaces where people are seen, heard, and able to contribute meaningfully and thrive. I believe this generation has the courage to set that the new standard – and that’s an exciting prospect.
