Topi Mkhonza joined the four-star Boardwalk Hotel in July and is loving life in Gqeberha. She says, “I have never experienced such love in one place.”
Her career in hospitality launched after she completed her Hospitality Management studies in 2002, following which she worked as a Guest Service Attendant at a Bloemfontein hotel, and as Front Office Manager at Hemingways Hotel in East London. She then joined Sun International at its Wild Coast Sun resort in Port Edward, where she was involved in the rooms division.
Topi says, “Wild Coast Sun brought out the best in me. With the size of property, wherever there is a need, you jump in and assist. You are responsible for every single customer regardless of what area you work in.”
Managing guests and their experiences
“Hearing a customer saying ‘thanks so much I had a great time’, is what I live for.”
However, the Alexandra-born 40-year-old is also revelling in her new role, which sees her reporting to Boardwalk Complex General Manager Tati Tsunke. She shares, “I oversee all hotel operations including receptionist, front office, porterage and housekeeping.”
This includes managing a team of 15 staff, ensuring service standards are up to date and that guests are comfortable. She explains, “The hospitality industry creates memorable experiences for people – birthdays, anniversaries. I don’t take that for granted and always strive to do something small to make that occasion worthwhile. Hearing a customer saying ‘thanks so much I had a great time’, is what I live for.”
Another critical part of her role is managing the guest inventory to make sure occupancies run at an acceptable level. (This is going well, shares Topi, with the beachfront hotel being at 100% occupancy at the time, with conferences and two tour groups in-house.)
She adds, “If we are at a low inventory, I look for opportunities in conjunction with the marketing team to fill the rooms. We have to manage the upcoming business and ensure rosters are done appropriately to manage the number of guests. I have to ensure that we achieve budget, and that our expenses are controlled.”
Topi is married to Lewis. The couple have three children; Khanya (14), Onothando (13) and Lewis (4).
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