Catching up with Shane

Shane Collinson, originally from Durban, has an impressive 28 years of unbroken service in the South African Gaming and Hospitality Industry, with close to 20 of them being with the Tsogo Sun Group. He moved to the West Rand in 2012 to become the Director of Operations and Complex General Manager at Tsogo Sun’s recently redeveloped Silverstar Complex – the West Rand’s number one entertainment destination.

“I am a person who thrives on the numerous complex challenges involved in setting up and building the mega entertainment structures, cultures and brands of these amazing gaming and entertainment destinations,” Shane said.

But over and above his love and passion for Tsogo Sun, the casino, and the hospitality industry, this husband and father of three has an extreme passion for industrial psychology and corporate social investment initiatives that serve to uplift the needy communities within which he thrives and operates.

He also has a zest for motor sport which has seen him collecting exotic and collectible super- and hyper-bikes and travelling internationally on an annual pilgrimage over the past twenty years, following his passion for MotoGP and World Superbikes.

This particular passion has seen Shane participate three times with a 30-member team of dedicated biker friends, in the 2012, 2013 and 2015 Quads-4-Quads off-road motorcycle events run from Durban to Gauteng in order to raise funds for the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA). He missed 2014 due to seriously life-threatening health issues, which resulted in an extended stay in intensive care at a Krugersdorp hospital.

“A group of personal dirt bike friends and I, led by Stan ‘Uncle Stan’ Wiggle and Clayton Greer, rode proudly last year under the Silverstar banner and were able, as a team, to contribute approximately R150 000 to the Quads-4-Quads.

“The money generated assists QASA to develop and deliver the necessary projects and equipment to help quadriplegics and paraplegics integrate into society and live meaningful lives. All our team members understand the importance of being socially responsible and that’s what attracted me to ride with them in the past,” he continued, “and what keeps me riding with them.”

This year is no different, as 54-year-old Shane and his group of 30 friends will once again undertake the excruciating 1 000km Dirt Quads-4-Quads journey this October. He will be sponsoring the team’s riding gear in his private capacity.

Silverstar Team ROLL ON will be contributing close to R180 000 in travel costs, entry fees, fuel and kit. The gruelling dirt ride will end at Carnival City on the highest note possible as Shane and the team hand over five top-of-the-range, state-of-the-art wheelchairs sponsored by Silverstar, to QASA.

Looking to the future, Shane hopes to continue to deliver with excellence on Silverstar’s brand pay-off line – ‘Be Entertained’.

“But more importantly, I also want to focus more on meaningful and significant community projects which are a major priority not just for me, but for Silverstar Casino, its amazing employees, its loyal guests and the West Rand community as a whole.”