Our name
The Palace of the Lost City
Sun International is a name shaped by heritage, ambition and place.
It reflects a company that began in southern Africa and grew by creating destinations that brought people together through hospitality, entertainment and shared experience — often in places where few imagined it possible.
The origins of Sun International date back to the late 1960s, when the group’s foundations were laid under the leadership of Solomon “Sol” Kerzner, a pioneer of hospitality and destination development in southern Africa.
The word “Sun” reflected more than geography.
It captured:
- Warmth and welcome
- Leisure and escape
- A sense of optimism and possibility
These ideas were brought to life most visibly with the opening of Sun City in 1979, a destination that would go on to define a new category of integrated resort in Africa and establish the Sun name as synonymous with memorable experiences.
From destination to group identity
As the business evolved, the Sun name extended beyond a single resort.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the group expanded its portfolio of casinos, hotels and resorts, gradually consolidating its operations and identity under the Sun International brand. In 2004, the group formally adopted the name Sun International Limited, reflecting a focused leisure and entertainment group with international reach.
The name became a unifying thread across:
- Iconic destinations
- Diverse guest experiences
- A growing footprint
What the name represents today
Today, Sun International is a proudly South African company with a strong sense of place, operating to international standards.
The name stands for:
- Iconic destinations
- Diverse guest experiences
- A growing footprint
It is a name built over decades, strengthened through reinvention and renewal, and carried forward by the people who bring it to life every day.
Continuity, not reinvention
Unlike companies that adopt new names to signal a strategic break, Sun International’s name reflects continuity.
It honours the group’s origins while remaining relevant in a changing world — spanning physical destinations, digital platforms and new ways of engaging guests, without losing sight of what the name has always stood for.
