Restaurants, pubs, taverns and even fast-food outlets across South Africa will soon be rated for the first time in terms of a formal star grading system, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa said on Tuesday.
The focus on the food and beverage sector is part of the council’s efforts to set up unique grading criteria for a huge range of facilities used by visitors to the country and locals.
Assisted by business advisory firm Grant Thornton Kessel Feinstein, the council has held workshops with representatives of the sector to establish the criteria for rating the purveyors of food and drink.
”This is the first time that a formal star grading system will be implemented in the food and beverage sector,” the council’s executive director Salifou Siddo said in a statement.
”The new star grading system will assist the consumer in making an informed buying decision. Although voluntary, the star grading system will assist in setting, maintaining and improving the standards of operation in the industry”.
The food and beverage sector was an extremely complex and fragmented one and incorporated a diverse range of establishments, service standards and concepts, he said.
The working group dealing with this sector had researched similar systems around the world and would adapt these to South Africa, he said.
The council, a public-private partnership set up with a mandate from the Environment and Tourism Ministry, has already established a new one-to-five star grading scheme for hotels, self-catering and other types of accommodation.
It is currently working on star grading systems for exhibition and conference venues, and will implement a unique grading system for caravan and camping facilities across South Africa towards the middle of the year.
It also plans to grade backpacker and hostelling establishments, tour operators, and tourist transport service providers. – Sapa