Sangweni-Siddo, who joined the City Lodge Hotel Group in September, received the award for what Tourism Minister, Derek Hanekom, described as her trailblazing efforts in developing and opening the Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre, which has now been operating for eight years.
Situated overlooking the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication (historically known as Freedom Square) in Kliptown, Soweto, the hotel and its facilities have brought a much-needed accommodation, tourism and business travel dimension to Soweto, an area so closely linked to South Africa's history and struggle for democracy.
Sangweni-Siddo, who remains a director of Freedom Square Hotel (Pty) Ltd, was commended by Minister Hanekom for her exceptional contribution to the tourism industry and for elevating the status of tourism as a vital sector in the South African economy.