Part of your daily routine could include getting coffee before dashing to work at your regular spot and getting served by the same warm face, in fact, you end up getting familiar with them, knowing them by name and even sharing a laugh about your Monday morning struggles.
But more often than not, this kind of consistency is becoming rare in South African cafés and restaurants. That friendly face you saw last week might already be gone, not due to poor management or high turnover, but because flexible staffing is rapidly becoming the norm in the hospitality industry. It’s not instability; it’s strategy.
Unlike many other sectors, hospitality is driven by peaks and dips in customer demand. One day, you need a full team on deck; the next, half that number will do. In South Africa, where the unemployment rate remains high, hospitality presents an accessible entry point into the workforce but it’s also one of the most volatile in terms of staffing needs.
Tourism arrivals climbed to 8.92 million in 2024, a 5.1% increase from the year before. The sector employed around 1.8 million people, with projections suggesting an additional 620,000 jobs by 2035. But even with this growth, seasonal shifts remain a defining factor. Business owners are learning that traditional staffing models don’t fit a sector that operates on high seasonality.
The Economics of seasonal demand
Take a beachfront restaurant in Durban: during the quiet winter months, 12 staff members might suffice. But come the December holidays, they’ll need at least double that to meet the festive season rush. A boutique hotel in the Winelands might cruise through weekdays with minimal staff, only to double up when the wedding season kicks in.
Under traditional models, businesses are stuck between two extremes: either retain a large permanent workforce and absorb heavy payroll costs during off-peak periods or run with a bare-bones crew during peak season, risking poor service and lost revenue. Both options are unsustainable, especially in a highly competitive market where customer expectations are sky-high and profit margins razor thin.
Flexible staffing offers a smarter alternative. By keeping a core team of experienced permanent staff and bringing in trained workers only when needed, businesses can better align their labour costs with actual demand. It’s not about slashing jobs, it’s about working smarter.
Better quality, not just cheaper labour
Staffing often accounts for 25–35% of a hospitality business’s operating costs. When revenue swings wildly based on seasons, holidays, or even load shedding, having fixed staff costs can quickly cripple a business’s cash flow.
Flexible staffing helps balance the scales. When the tables are full and rooms are booked, businesses can afford to bring in more hands-on deck. When things slow down, they can scale back without resorting to layoffs or last-minute, untrained hires. It creates a level of agility that’s crucial in a country where economic shifts and infrastructure challenges are part of everyday life.
A common misconception about flexible staffing is that it means sacrificing quality, particularly in our country, where some restaurant chains have faced criticism for relying on undocumented foreign nationals. In reality, flexible staffing often produces better outcomes.
Rather than scrambling to hire anyone available during busy periods, forward-thinking businesses are building pools of pre-vetted, trained staff who are already familiar with their systems, standards, and expectations. These flexible workers often bring experience from multiple venues, making them more adaptable, efficient, and service-oriented.
The smartest businesses go a step further by investing in tailored training for their flexible teams. They create systems that ensure consistency across shifts and locations, moving away from the outdated practice of rushed onboarding just to plug staffing gaps. The result is a more reliable, high-performing workforce that enhances the customer experience.
Adapting to South Africa’s unique challenges
The South African hospitality industry isn’t just seasonal, it’s unpredictable. Load shedding can cut seating capacity overnight. A local festival might spark a sudden influx of diners. Consumer spending habits shift with economic changes. Flexible staffing equips businesses to respond to these changes in real time.
When a hotel needs to downsize temporarily due to power outages, flexible staffing allows them to make quick adjustments. If a restaurant sees a sudden boom because of a sports event or tourism spike, they can scale up without sacrificing service quality.
Flexible staffing is a strategic shift. Just as tech companies are turning to freelancers and fractional executives, hospitality businesses are embracing everything from part-time marketing consultants to on-demand revenue managers. This approach allows them to stay lean, agile, and competitive.
Boutique hotels might now work with shared operations consultants or part-time financial planners. Restaurants might hire pop-up event specialists or freelance social media experts. And on the front lines, they’re building long-term relationships with dependable waitstaff, baristas, chefs, and housekeepers who enjoy the freedom and variety that flexible work brings.
This shift also benefits permanent employees. By easing the burden during peak periods, it reduces burnout and improves job satisfaction. Businesses are also embracing scheduling tools and streamlined onboarding to make this model seamless and scalable.
Flexibility is the future
As South Africa’s hospitality industry grows and evolves, flexible staffing is becoming best practice. Those who adopt it early are carving out a competitive edge, while those clinging to traditional models may find it harder to keep up.
The rise of flexible staffing is not just changing how restaurants and hotels are run. It’s redefining what it means to build a successful, resilient hospitality business. In a sector defined by constant change, flexibility is more than a hiring strategy, it’s a survival skill.
