Entrepreneur Bheki Dube connects curious travellers

“I believe that at heart we are all descendants of African griots. We are storytellers, writers, and poets. Nothing exists without the context.”

I didn’t expect such a philosophical answer from Bheki Dube, but then the entrepreneur behind the Curiocity brand of upmarket hostels and hotels takes his business seriously.

For Dube, who began his career as a teenage tour guide on the streets of Johannesburg, and founded Curiocity when he was just 21, the hospitality industry is about far more than just a bed for the night.

After backpacking through SA and noticing the trend to poshtel (a combination of posh and hostel) happening abroad, Dube saw a gap in the market. Taking inspiration from the design-led hostels being opened by Generator and Selina, in Europe and South America respectively, Dube identified the perfect opportunity to shake up an industry.

“I wanted to create a stay that put experience at the forefront. People aren’t coming here to stay locked up in their rooms. They want to connect with what’s shaping these ecosystems around them,” he says. “Curiocity manifested as this ability to share a neighbourhood’s story. A community’s story. A country’s story. We aim to connect the curious through travel and the stories that shape our systems.”

It was also about being in the right place at the right time. Dube opened his first Curiocity in 2013, taking advantage of the dramatic regeneration of Maboneng.

“I was able to convert an old printing house into the first hybrid hotel-hostel in the city,” recalls Dube. “Merging it with my background in experiences, we created a destination with strong spaces where people can connect. And we pride ourselves on that. We connect the curious. That’s in our DNA.”

Salt Boutique Hotel is a five-star eight-bedroom destination in the seaside suburb of Blouberg. Complementing this upscale option is Salty Crax, an adventure-led backpacker’s offering a more affordable night’s stay.

But both properties remain true to the Curiocity DNA in that “it’s all about experiences”, says Dube. “There’s pop-up dining, surfing, yoga and sunset experiences on the beach.”

It also marks a new business model for Dube; an asset-light approach that sees him partnering with property owners looking to leverage the Curiocity brand while shifting the offering to attract a more well-heeled corner of the market.

“The Salt portfolio represents the era that we are in as a business,” says Dube, adding that he’s not leaving behind the hybrid-hostel roots of the brand.