Aligning Hospitality Education with Industry Expectations in South Africa: A Qualitative Study of Employability Competency

Transformation in the hospitality industry increasingly requires graduates who possess not only technical knowledge and operational skills, but also behavioural and interpersonal competencies for sustainability in the industry. This demand from higher education students focuses on employability skills, knowledge, and abilities relevant to the hospitality industry post-COVID-19. This study explored industry practitioners’ perceptions of the transversal competencies required for graduate employability in the South African hospitality industry. An interpretivist research philosophy was adopted to support a subjective viewpoint through a qualitative research study, implemented through interviews with 17 purposively selected industry practitioners in Gauteng, South Africa. This includes managers and supervisors responsible for overseeing student internships during their work-integrated learning programmes. Data were analysed using interpretive thematic analysis supported by Atlas.ti v25 software program. The findings reveal that, in addition to technical knowledge and practical skills, employers highly value behavioural competencies such as adaptability, positive attitude, passion, work ethics, and the ability to think critically under pressure. The study further highlights the need for stronger collaboration between industry and higher education institutions to improve curriculum relevance, internship structures, and competency development. The findings contribute to hospitality employability literature by identifying industry-informed transversal competencies necessary to enhance graduate preparedness and employability within the post-pandemic hospitality sector.