Boardwalk’s Bonolo Ramaisa brings a female touch to a man’s world

“My studies were the foundation of what I’d deal with in future,” said the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) graduate.

Today, the North West-born 40-year-old is Boardwalk Casino’s Technical Gaming Manager and has been in the gaming industry throughout her career, starting at GrandWest Casino in Cape Town for her internship.

For the past three years, she has been responsible for keeping Boardwalk’s 700 slot machines and 21 tables in running order as head of the technical department. 

“Different machines offer different experiences for our customers, so we take note of what is most popular to meet the demand and expectations." 

While she can get her hands dirty and does so once in a while, these days, her time is spent in meetings, “strategising, coming up with solutions to issues and delegating”. 

“My job is challenging and keeps me on my toes. Recently, new notes were issued by the Reserve Bank, so we had to rush and change the software on the floor. You have to anticipate technology changes and run with it. But since I don’t like being too comfortable and like learning new things, the role suits me,” she said.

Keeping the casino operational means her phone is always on, but Ramaisa said a technical team is always on-site to assist customers with after-hours emergencies.

Aside from her Diploma in Electrical Engineering, she also holds a BTech in Project Management, both from CPUT.

“I started at GrandWest doing in-service training while I was studying, after which I joined permanently in a technician role for two years.” She left to get married and re-joined GrandWest in 2011, was promoted to Technical Shift Manager, and then sent by Sun International to open Time Square in Pretoria as Technical Shift Manager.

“I worked there for two years and was promoted to Technical Manager at Golden Valley for two years and then moved to Boardwalk in 2020.” In Gqeberha, she has three technical shift managers reporting to her, with 26 people reporting to them. “As women, we put pressure on ourselves to achieve - especially if we are among men.”

After the many challenges of moving around the country, her husband Mohlomi joined her in Nelson Mandela Bay and recently joined Boardwalk as a Surveillance Monitoring Officer. The pair also had their “Gqeberha baby,” one-year-old Masedi, joining their 12-year-old daughter Oreneile and 14-year-old son Phomello.

“Sun International has been good to me since I started with the Group, and I have moved across the properties. The sky is the limit for me in terms of career growth. Where I go next is up to me,” she said.

In her spare time, Ramaisa plays a large role in her church as part of the leadership, empowering young people in the Walmer township. “If you don’t find me on the side of a hockey field watching one of my children play, you will find me at church.”