About Us

Who We Are

Founded in 1901, Cullinan Holdings originated as the renowned diamond mining company famous for discovering the world’s largest rough diamond. Today, we are a diversified Group of companies, featuring significantly in Southern Africa’s Tourism, Leisure and Marine sectors.

The Tourism businesses have major offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban, and offices in all the major tourism hubs such as the Kruger Park, Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, St Lucia, Windhoek, Kasane (Botswana) and Victoria Falls. Our tourist transport operation has vehicle depots in the major centres. The Marine division operates from Cape Town, including having two retail shops. Growth has come from a combination of organic growth and through acquisition of selected businesses across the travel, tourism, and marine sectors, which has allowed us to cement our position as a leader in these industries.

Cullinan Holdings is owned by the Tollman family, who have a long history in tourism and travel. The Tollman family also owns the prestigious Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which has three iconic hotels in South Africa, and Xigera Lodge in the Okavango Delta. Michael Tollman has been the CEO of Cullinan Holdings since 2009.

Pillars of Our Success

Consistency and Focus:

We pride ourselves on delivering consistent and focused services across all our sectors. Our integrated business model allows us to maintain high-quality service and provide exceptional value to our customers.

Growth and Sustainability:

Through continuous improvement of internal processes and efficiencies, Cullinan is poised for organic growth and strategic acquisitions going into 2025 and beyond. Sustainability is at the core of our operations, ensuring long-term success and community impact.

People-First Approach:

We prioritise attracting and retaining top talent within all our divisions, placing a strong emphasis on training and development. Our commitment to our employees distinguishes us in the competitive landscape.

Community Engagement:

Actively seeking opportunities to benefit the communities where we operate, we strive to make a positive social impact across all companies and divisions within the Group.

Our History

Cullinan Holdings has undergone a remarkable transformation since its inception as a diamond mining company. We operate some of the most reputable brands in Southern Africa, focusing on long-term partnerships, attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry, and actively looking for opportunities to benefit the broader community in the areas that we operate.

Travel and Tourism:

This remains our dominant segment, encompassing some of the most reputable brands in Southern African travel and tourism. Our integrated business model ensures control over the supply chain, enabling us to offer high-quality travel packages with excellent value.

Today, our Travel and Tourism companies include travel wholesalers, retail travel agencies, DMCs, tour operators and our ever growing Cullinan Transport Division, which includes luxury charter leaders in the sector.

Marine and Boating:

Our Marine division includes several renowned leisure boating brands, licensed to supply premium products to the yachting, yacht-building, powerboat and scuba-diving industries.

Leadership and Legacy

Led by Michael Tollman and our Executive Board, Cullinan Holdings benefits from the extensive experience and commitment of the Tollman family in South Africa’s travel sector. This legacy ensures a blend of tradition and modernity, driving our mission to deliver unparalleled value and service.

Cullinan Holdings is dedicated to maintaining its legacy while adapting to the evolving needs of a modern audience. With a focus on sustainability, growth, and a people-first approach, we are well-positioned to continue our success story.

Executive Board

The Cullinan Board comprises of executive directors and non-executive directors.

Executive Directors

  • Michael Tollman. Chief Executive Officer
  • David Standage. Chief Financial Officer

Non Executive Directors

  • Gavin Tollman. Chair and Chair of the Remuneration Committee
  • Lance Tollman. Non executive director
  • Linda Pampallis. Non executive director
  • Mervyn Burton. Non executive director and chair of the Audit Committe
  • Anita Mendiratta. Director, Member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees
  • Rudewaan Arendse. Director. Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Social and Ethics Committees
  • Bradley Allison. Company Secretary