Watch the full panel discussion here.
Panellists (from left to right): Peter Pienaar: General Manager, Business Development, Southern Sun; Tony Forbes: Business Development Executive, Beekman Group and iExchange; Karen Halvorsen: Co-owner, Cape Escape (rental); Nicky McCulloch: Co-owner, Cape Escape (resales); Peter Edmondson: Managing Member, TravTrust Investments (sales for Dream Vacation Club) and Jonathan Kilroe-Smith (Group CEO for Club Mykonos Langebaan) who moderated the session.
The Role of Exchange In The Evolving Landscape
The panel highlighted exchange companies’ critical role in maintaining owner satisfaction by offering flexibility and adapting to evolving holiday needs.
Tony Forbes (Business Development Executive, Beekman Group and iExchange) highlighted:
“Where the exchange companies come in is being able to leverage what you own—a fixed week or a points product—and turn that into something that’s still relevant for where they are at that point in their lives. So, it’s the flexibility that the exchange companies bring to the mix.”
Peter Pienaar (General Manager: Business Development, Southern Sun) explained how they offer exchange as one of a multitude of options that enhance the value of timeshare ownership:
“From our perspective, we operate a vertically integrated business model that offers owners a variety of choices. They can use their week as planned, place it in the rental pool, rent it directly through us, or deposit it into our exchange company.”
He noted that, interestingly, this creates a unique dynamic within their operations:
“Our timeshare rental division competes with the resort-managed rental pools to secure available weeks, while we simultaneously encourage owners to contribute their weeks to our exchange company, Sunswop. Over time, we’ve seen owners cycle through these options based on their needs. This balance has allowed all these services to coexist effectively.”
He added that Southern Sun has introduced innovative products, such as the option to convert timeshare weeks into points in its Frequent Guest Programme, which can be redeemed for hotel stays nationwide:
“For the cost of a levy, owners gain increased value and flexibility, enabling them to enjoy holidays tailored to their changing lifestyles.”
