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How to become a Hospitality & Tourism Manager

Runs hotels, restaurants, events or tourism operations - a hands-on, people-facing side of business.

What does a Hospitality & Tourism Manager actually do?

More about this career

Manages the day-to-day running of hotels, restaurants, events or tourism operations – staffing, guest experience, budgets and logistics, all at once, often under pressure. Tourism is a major South African industry, so there’s real range here: from operational roles (front office, food and beverage) straight after your diploma, building up to general management, to more specialised event or tour-operator work.

Where this degree can take you

  • Hotel Manager
  • Event Manager
  • Food & Beverage Manager
  • Tour Operator

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
  • Tourism or Consumer Studies (helpful)
  • English (strong)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 1 of 4 degrees
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 1 of 4 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

4 degrees at 4 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Durban University of Technology

Partly verifiedNo cut-off published

Diploma in Hospitality Management

Arts & Design · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Accounting – Mathematics at level 2, or Mathematical Literacy at level 3, or Accounting at level 3.

DUT did not state a single APS number on this page. Closes 30 September 2026. From DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus. Applications go through the CAO (cao.ac.za), not directly to DUT; general closing date 30 September 2026 (fee R250 SA / R300 international).

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Tshwane University of Technology

Partly verified

Diploma in Hospitality Management

Tourism & Hospitality Management · 3 years

TUT APS 24 points

  • English: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Mathematics, Technical Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy – Any one of these three at level 3.

Closes 30 September 2026. From TUT’s 2027 First-Year Course Information and General Information PDFs. Applications opened 1 April 2026 (fee R240).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Zululand

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

Bachelor of Consumer Science (Hospitality and Tourism)

Science, Agriculture & Engineering · 3 years

UniZulu APS 28 points out of 48

  • English: 50%

From UniZulu’s own 2026-labelled faculty handbooks, which contain no 2027-specific intake or closing-date information at all - do not assume a date, and treat this as the most recent official figures available rather than confirmed-current for 2027.

Source: View the official page (unizulu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Vaal University of Technology

Partly verified

Diploma in Hospitality Management (Food Service Management)

Human Sciences

VUT APS 20 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Hospitality-related subject – One of Hospitality Studies, Hotel Keeping, Tourism, Catering, Accounting, Business Studies or Consumer Studies at level 4.
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

VUT also requires chef uniforms as a practical condition of enrolment. APS 20 on the Mathematics route, 21 on the Mathematical Literacy route. From VUT’s 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. Academic applications close 30 September 2026 (residences 31 October 2026); fee R110.

Source: View the official page (vut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?