Ndabezinhle (Ndaba) Dube joined the President Hotel in September 2019 as food and beverage operations manager, after a lengthy spell at the Vineyard Hotel where he started as barman in 2009. He quickly identified wine as a particular interest and worked his way up the ranks becoming a sommelier maître d' and overall senior restaurant manager for the hotel, followed by director of operations.
Ndaba joined the President Hotel at the beginning of spring 2019, continually pursuing to make a difference and as a part of a well acclaimed President hotel team.
He is also one of the judges on the Winemag Best value tasting category.
His first wine experience was at The Square Restaurant at the Vineyard Hotel in 2009, when they searched for someone with flair and personality to fulfill the role of maître d'. Ndaba Dube was clearly the right man for the job. The ambitious young professional entered the world of hospitality when he was hired part-time as a waiter, but he quickly moved on to other roles that would expose him to a broader scope of the hospitality industry.
He joined the Vineyard Hotel as a barman and when the hotel was looking for someone to assist the restaurant manager, he was the natural choice. According to food and beverage duty manager, David Wibberley, they wanted someone that was eager to be coached and had a thirst and passion to succeed.
Alongside his culinary colleague, the Vineyard Hotel chef Samantha Temmers, Ndaba participated in Showcook’s inaugural Distell Inter Hotel Challenge in 2013. The event saw the Cape’s top 10 deluxe hotels competing for top honours in a competition which saw the chefs each preparing a 3-course meal to be accompanied by specially-selected wines from the resident sommelier. In the hotly-contested wine stewardship section, Ndaba emerged as the best up-and-coming sommelier. “A worthy accolade for a worthy candidate,” remarked Roy Davies, the Vineyard Hotel’s general manager, on Ndaba’s triumph.
Off the back of his Inter Hotel Challenge win, Ndaba spent time at Graham Beck Estate in Robertson and Kaapzicht in Stellenbosch, participating in the harvest at both estates and furthering his knowledge and insight into the winemaking processes.
See Ndaba's all of qualifications:
- 2016 Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration (B. Bus Admin) Degree, majoring in Finance and Sociology – University of South Africa (UNISA)
- 2016 Certification: PGDip UCT Graduate School of Business (short course) in Wine Business management
- 2018 Certification (Passed with Distinction): UCT Graduate School of Business (short course) Hospitality Leadership Program
- 2018 Certification: Leadership skills and Effective Engagement - Worlds view Academy (9 Conversations in Leadership training)
- 2018 Wine Judging Academy (Michael Fridjhon) Certification of Competence with Distinction (In association with UCT Graduate school of Business)
- 2015 Wine and Spirit Education Trust: WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits (QCF)
- 2014 Cape Wine Academy: Certificate wine course
- 2013 Wine and Spirit Education Trust:
WSET Level 1 Award in Wines
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits