The Rezidor Hotel Group, which operates under the brand names of Radisson Blu, Park Inn, Hotel Missoni, Regent and Country Inn, has extended and broadened its partnership with Mvelaphanda Holdings, the group anounced at the start of February.

Their existing joint venture, covering the management of the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, will be extended to all existing and future Rezidor hotels in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, and will cover all five Rezidor hotel brands.

"Mvelaphanda as a black-empowered company and significant player on the South African market is the ideal partner for Rezidor?s operational business and development in the region", said Rezidor president and CEO Kurt Ritter.

"We recently have inaugurated a new regional office in Cape Town under the leadership of Maarten Van Den Nieuwenhuijsen, regional director Southern Africa. This office launch and agreements like the one with Mvelaphanda bring us closer to our owners, and further strengthen our leading position in the African market and our future development", said Ritter.

Rezidor's global long term strategy includes a strong focus on emerging markets like the African continent where the group currently has 34 hotels with more than 7800 rooms in operation and under development in 13 countries across the region, and sees a huge potential for further projects.

The joint venture with Mvelaphanda will cover the following properties: Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, Cape Town (177 rooms), Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton, Johannesburg (301 rooms), Radisson Blu Hotel Port Elizabeth (173 rooms), Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel, Sandton Johannesburg (215 rooms, opening in 2010), Park Inn Sandton, Johannesburg (273 rooms, opening in 2010), Hotel Missoni Cape Town (154 rooms, opening in 2011), and Radisson Blu Hotel Blaauwberg, Cape Town (140 rooms, opening in 2010).

Mvelaphanda is a diversified investment company ? founded in 1997 by South Africa's current Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale.

The company is active across a range of sectors ? from natural resources and energy through banking, financial services, tourism, healthcare, logistics, industrial services, and security. Mvelaphanda is a black-owned enterprise and as such influential in South Africa where black economic empowerment is increasingly emphasized.

Mvelaphanda CEO Mark Willcox said: "Rezidor and Mvelaphanda have built up a strong relationship in the past 9 years, which resulted in the formalization of this multinational partnership.

"We are of the opinion that our relationship could unlock potential in the hospitality industry, within the countries that we will be working together. Mvelaphanda will be an active role player in the new partnership. The focus will be to assist Rezidor in the identification, development and management of hotel properties."

Van Den Nieuwenhuijsen said: "We are confident that this partnership with Mvelaphanda will help us accelerate our expansion plans across the brands and enable us to meet rising demands for quality accommodation, as well as providing a hotel product to suit all sectors and budgets."