The Swiss Hotel School 2011 Graduate, Sarika Ramjee.

The dream started in high school when my family and I would often travel around the world and I was exposed to the glitz and glamour of the hotels. I wanted to be one of the front-line employees at some of these extravagant and beautiful properties.

In my final year of high school, I applied at SHS and was accepted! Huge achievement for me as I had done my research and found SHS the most appealing with smaller classes and one on one attention.

I spent three amazing years at SHS and in my first and second year a few of us were given the opportunity to work for FIFA for the Confederations Cup and World Cup which I did.  I chose to do my long internship at the One & Only in Cape Town. This was probably the most educational, challenging, and most amazing time of the start of my career. I started off as an intern chef in Nobu restaurant and was soon asked to assist in Vista bar. Within a month of being an intern, I was quickly promoted to supervisor and had all supervisor rights as well as the responsibility that came with it. At the end of my internship, I was offered a permanent position as assistant F&B manager but sadly had to decline to finish up at SHS.

Once I graduated, I went on to work at quite a prestigious hotel, Radisson Blu. This was an extremely high-end corporate hotl.  During this time a good friend of mine in the hospitality sector was completing an investigation, This sparked my interest in forensics and I then studied Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigations while working at Radisson Blu.

A colleague, and one I am proud to call a best friend, whom I studied with at SHS was in the Okavango Delta and convinced me to try out the delta for a bit. I jumped in head first and ended up staying in the Okavango Delta for three years.  I started as an assistant manager and was quickly promoted and given my own premier lodge to run! After three years in the delta, I headed to Madikwe Game Reserve and took on Jaci’s Lodges. I grew and learnt a tremendous amount there. I then left Jaci’s and decided I wanted to get involved in the sales & marketing side of accommodation and holidays, so I then worked for Cruiseabout which was a great experience, but I am not the type of person who can be confined to a computer and desk for a very long time, so I left and was offered a job at Rockfig Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve and this is where I currently employed as the GM.

As an ex-student at SHS, I have so many choices when it comes to work opportunities and I love it! SHS afforded me the opportunity to learn more about an industry that I have so much passion for. Through The Swiss Hotel School I now work in some of the most pristine and untouched areas of the world.