• Southern Sun boosts guest experiences and cuts network issues by 90% with HPE’s self-driving, AI-native network
• End-to-end automation and SD-WAN transformation deliver more reliable apps, lower costs, and a future-ready foundation for smart, sustainable hotels

Johannesburg, South Africa – April 22, 2026 – HPE (NYSE: HPE) today announced that Southern Sun, one of South Africa’s leading hospitality groups is elevating guest experiences and operational efficiencies by modernizing its network infrastructure with the HPE self-driving network. Built on an AI-native, cloud-native network architecture with integral security, the intelligent network delivers exceptional wireless experiences to guest and staff, and a reliable infrastructure for enhanced digital experiences across its properties. 

Southern Sun implemented the HPE self-driving network to advance its service-led strategy and drive value to a lean IT team. The new architecture delivers resilient connectivity for Wi-Fi, IPTV, IP telephony and cloud applications, reducing connectivity issues by 90 percent and doubling application reliability. The AI-native infrastructure now powers service-driven guest experiences, such as buffer-free streaming, the ability to support mobile check-in, and personalized in-room digital services and is ready to support IoT-enabled smart rooms to drive energy efficiency and sustainability. The new self-driving network also enables Southern Sun to dynamically scale bandwidth capacity and segment traffic for events and users who need more capacity to keep everything running smoothly.

Our aim is to be guest-led and operationally agile. We want resources focused on service excellence and creating memorable experiences. This adoption of self-driving networks allows us to focus on the services we can deliver, rather than the complexity of network operations.

“Our aim is to be guest-led and operationally agile. We want resources focused on service excellence and creating memorable experiences,” says Ryan Smith, Group IT Infrastructure Manager, Southern Sun. To support this, the functions behind the business, including IT, need to be consistent, simple to manage, and quick to scale. HPE provides this through a single, AI-native, cloud-native network architecture. “This adoption of self-driving networks allows us to focus on the services we can deliver, rather than the complexity of network operations.”

Southern Sun deployed HPE Aruba Networking Access Points to deliver high-performance indoor connectivity and extend reliable coverage to outdoor guest areas.  HPE Aruba Networking Central, provides a single view across all properties and insights that help the IT team optimize network performance, identify and resolve issues before they impact the business, cutting troubleshooting times from days to hours, enabling real-time network visibility and control. By deploying HPE Aruba Networking User Experience Insight (UXI),  the IT team gains continuous end-to-end visibility into connectivity and application performance, proactively detecting and resolving issues before they impact guest experiences.

The group will also implement HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN to replace legacy MPLS  with cost-effective broadband, improving resilience, load balancing and reducing connectivity costs by up to 20 percent. HPE Aruba Networking CX switches provide wired access within properties, with cloud-native operations for easy install, standardized configurations, and simplified troubleshooting. Southern Sun is looking to enhance its security with HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager, enabling dynamic segmentation and stronger access control. Future plans for SASE and Zero Trust will further support secure, scalable digital services.

By leveraging HPE’s secure, AI-native networking platform, Southern Sun can operate more efficiently while creating a future-ready infrastructure that supports innovation, personalized services, and sustainable growth in hospitality.

“We’re proud to support Southern Sun as it strengthens its digital foundation and enhances the guest experience across its properties,” said Mandy Duncan, country manager, South Africa & Africa, Networking, HPE. “By leveraging HPE’s secure, AI-native networking platform, Southern Sun can operate more efficiently while creating a future-ready infrastructure that supports innovation, personalized services, and sustainable growth in hospitality.”

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