Siyanda Dlamini is not just building hotels, he’s building hope, heritage, and a new definition of African excellence.
As the Founder and CEO behind the Regency Apartment Hotel, he has transformed his lifelong passion for hospitality into a multimillion-rand empire that exudes innovation, elegance, and authenticity.
His story, from humble beginnings in Pietermaritzburg to leading one of South Africa’s most admired luxury brands, is a testament to resilience, faith, and fearless ambition.
Born in 1983, Siyanda was raised by a strong, faith-driven mother who taught him discipline, humility, and purpose. Those early lessons became the foundation of a leadership style that values people as much as performance.
His love for hospitality was ignited in high school through a catering club, where he discovered not just a skill, but a calling. By 17, he had set his sights on the hospitality industry.
By 25, he made history as one of the youngest, and among the first Black, General Managers in the Protea Hotel network, blazing a trail for others to follow.
In 2018, his dream came to life with the opening of the Regency Apartment Hotel in Pretoria, a R350 million development led by a youth-driven, customer-obsessed team.
The hotel marries upscale sophistication with local warmth, creating a brand that feels both global and deeply African. “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Siyanda says. “I’ve never done anything small. It’s been big, or nothing at all.”
The road, however, was far from easy. In an industry still marked by inequality and systemic barriers, Siyanda faced skepticism as a young Black entrepreneur daring to compete at the highest level.
Yet he stood firm, leading with empathy, discipline, and unwavering faith. “If you can’t work with your team and be considerate of their needs, you won’t get far,” he believes. That mindset has earned him loyalty, respect, and results.
His excellence has not gone unnoticed. Siyanda was proudly recognised among Forbes’ Under 40 CEOs, a powerful acknowledgment of his leadership, innovation, and transformative influence in Africa’s hospitality landscape.
Today, Siyanda is charting bold new horizons for the Regency brand, with expansion plans that include a world-class conference center and new properties across South Africa.
His mission reaches far beyond business. He’s on a quest to inspire a new generation of African entrepreneurs, proving that vision, belief, and resilience can rewrite any narrative.
Siyanda Dlamini, the visionary hotelier behind Regency Apartment Hotel, embodies what it means to dream fearlessly and lead purposefully.
Through his work, he is not only redefining hospitality, he’s elevating the African spirit of excellence, one guest experience at a time.
