Hotel tycoon Sol Kerzner has died

Hotel and casino magnate Sol Kerzner has died of cancer. He was 84.

Kerzner was surrounded by family when he took his last breath at his family home in Leeukoppie Estate, Cape Town, on Saturday night. He died at around 6.30pm.

He was the founder of SA's two largest hotel groups, Southern Sun and Sun International.

He is survived by his children Andrea, Beverley, Brandon and Chantal and ten grandchildren. His eldest son, Howard "Butch" Kerzner died in 2006.

Earlier in the day, several reports and social media posts claimed that Kerzner had passed on, although he was still alive.

Sun International CEO Anthony Leeming had paid tribute to Kerzner, but decided to withdraw the statement to employees after being informed by Kerzner's close friend, Ian Douglas, that he was still alive.

Following Kerzner's death, his family detailed his many achievements in the local and international hospitality industry, describing him as a "titan".

"Sol was someone who possessed a rare combination of creative genius, uncanny financial acuity and an astonishing energy, which he poured into every business he touched. Nothing he built was ever boring and he never chased the money. He only chased success. He was always trailblazing, always in pursuit of bigger, better, new, different, more exacting and exciting projects around the globe," said Douglas.

His daughter, Andrea, said her dad always taught “family values”.

“No matter how busy he was, he always made time for us, his family. He would take a call from any one of us in the middle of an important meeting or fly half-way across the world to get to a grandchild’s birthday party. For Dad, his family were everything, his joy,” she said.