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As more and more international and local trends confirm, customer expectations provide industries with really meaningful measurements of quality assurance and customer satisfaction.
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About our assessors
All that you need to know about our Assessors, including a database to find the nearest assessor in your area.
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The benefits of being star graded
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Your establishment is immediately seen as being part of a legitimate and credible organisation.This offers substantial consumer confidence.
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Graded establishments may use the Grading Council logo (star) in all their marketing material.
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Only graded establishments and conference venues have the opportunity to advertise in our official printed accommodation guide – The Star Guide. This guide is the only accommodation guide distributed by SA Tourism via its call centre and offices worldwide.
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South African Tourism endorses and uses star graded establishments on the official South African Tourism website www.southafrica.net
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Grading assists organisations in positioning their products.
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Government departments are required to procure accommodation from graded establishments only.
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Grading is a constant quality control tool as customers can log all feedback online and through our SMS line 31649.
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The Grading Council actively markets star grading directly to consumers, tour operators and travel agents
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South African Tourism endorses and uses star graded establishments on the official South African Tourism website: www.southafrica.net
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Minimum requirements
The Minimum Requirement document contains a description of each area within the establishment and those will be the areas that the assessor will be judging, when making a final recommendation. The document is essentially a detailed guide as to what the management or owner of an establishment needs to have in place in order to begin to offer a quality product or service offering.
It should also be remembered that these are only the Minimum Requirements and to gain a better understanding of the higher levels of quality, one needs to download the Grading Criteria documents relevant to you category.
To obtain the Minimum Requirements documentation please contact your nearest Assessor by
clicking here.
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The Star Grading criteria
The Grading Criteria documents take an in-depth look at each aspect and area of the establishment service offering. There are separate documents for each category and definitions as to the nature of the different types of establishments.
Once the management or owner of an establishment is satisfied that they can match the standards covered in these documents then application for grading can begin. There are also business, license and safety documents that will need to be completed (contact TGCSA for further advice, or go to Application on the website).
On application the establishment will be notified as to when and how the assessment will take place. Every effort is made to ensure the establishment is clear as to what is expected of it, prior to the assessment commencing.
During the assessment the assessors continually refer back to the documents mentioned above and the acquired knowledge gained from previous experiences. The assessor then makes a recommendation to the Awards Committee. Final ratification of assessor recommendation rests with the Council.
It should be remembered that the function of TGCSA is not that of policing, rather as a partner. The council is always ready and willing to offer any possible assistance to any establishment wishing to be graded.
To obtain the Star Grading Criteria documentation please contact tour nearest Assessor by
clicking here.
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What is involved?
Our minimum requirements for grading include the following:
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Public liability insurance
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Compliance with local authority regulations – fire safety certificate; building accessibility regulations; hygiene regulations
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Registered as a business with the provincial authority
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No unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, gender, citizenship, physical and mental conditions, etc
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Smoking regulations
The establishment owner/manager will be responsible for indicating on the application form general compliance with minimum requirements, providing proof where necessary. The establishment owner/manager will make an application with the TGCSA and will select the assessor whom they wish to assess their business.
Within 1 month of the application the assessor should visit the establishment where an assessment will be done. The assessor will discuss the results of the assessment with the owner/manager and submit his/her recommendations in writing to the TGCSA with photographs.
Assessors’ recommendations are verified and approved by the TGCSA Awards Committee, which meets once every month. Should an establishment be unhappy with the final result of the grading, they may follow an appeal process. A number of establishments, at least 10% every month, are randomly selected for an audit to ensure that assessors are applying the grading system correctly.
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Renewal
Each property is assessed at least once a year as a grading is only valid for a 12-month period. Additional Audit Assessments may be conducted if a number of complaints are received or alternatively if conditions noted during the annual assessment indicate that a return visit is necessary. Each establishment is assessed individually within its category. The assessor compares each establishment to the grading criteria and similar properties. An assessor will always evaluate a property in the context of its operation and market.
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Some important issues to take note of
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The property chooses their grade, (subject to approval) and their assessor
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Assessments are announced by the assessor
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The grading criteria have been developed for South Africa and consider our unique product offerings
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The property is only graded on what is present and not penalized for not having a facility service
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The operator's knowledge of his/her market and product is considered during the assessment.
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