&Beyond is built, almost entirely, on the strength of remarkable people who give passionately to their roles, work tirelessly, have the guest experience at the core of their focus daily and care of the sustainability of our communities and environment. Every single ‘&Beyonder’ makes a huge difference to our success and our contribution to the world, regardless of their role or function. For this reason, we choose ‘&Beyonders’ very carefully – they are the strength and the future of this company.

ROLE PURPOSE

&Beyond is built, almost entirely, on the strength of remarkable people who give passionately to their roles, work tirelessly, and have the guest experience at the core of their focus daily and care of the sustainability of our communities and environment.  Every single ‘&Beyonder’ makes a huge difference to our success and our contribution to the world, regardless of their role or function. For this reason we choose ‘&Beyonders’ very carefully – they are the strength and the future of this company.

The Regional Manager – South African Lodges is a senior leadership role, responsible for the strategic, operational, financial, and cultural leadership of &Beyond’s Phinda Private Game Reserve and Ngala Private Game Reserve lodges and camps. The role acts as the custodian of the &Beyond brand, culture, and DNA across the region, ensuring world-class luxury, extra-ordinary hospitality delivery, strong commercial performance, and the development of high-performing leadership teams.

KEY OUTPUTS & ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic & Regional Leadership

• Provide overall regional leadership and direction for Phinda and Ngala lodge and camp operations, ensuring alignment with &Beyond’s long-term strategy and brand positioning.
• Own and execute the regional 1–3 year strategic plan, translating vision into measurable objectives and outcomes.
• Act as the senior custodian of the &Beyond way, culture, and values, ensuring consistent application across all lodges, camps, and teams.
• Serve as the primary regional interface for other teams within &Beyond and support functions including Sales, Touring, Marketing, Impact, Finance, and Operations.

Luxury Guest Experience & Brand Stewardship

• Ensure the consistent delivery of exceptional, extraordinary guest experiences, exceeding guest expectations at every touchpoint.
• Drive continuous innovation in guest experience design and delivery, maintaining &Beyond’s leadership position in the high-end safari offering.
• Ensure regional alignment and consistency in guest experience standards while respecting the individuality of each lodge and camp.
• Actively engage with key stakeholders, agents, media, and trade partners to promote &Beyond, Phinda, and Ngala as flagship destinations.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop senior management teams, fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and excellence.
• Build a strong leadership pipeline through coaching, succession planning, and targeted development initiatives.
• Oversee all regional people practices, including performance management, employee engagement, labour relations, and compliance with South African labour legislation.
• Act as a role model for professional leadership, emotional intelligence, and ethical conduct.

Commercial, Financial & Asset Management

• Take full ownership of regional financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, cost controls, and profitability.
• Drive commercial discipline, operational efficiencies, and strong financial governance across all lodges and camps.
• Own and monitor agreed regional KPIs, ensuring corrective action where required.
• Provide strategic oversight of capex planning and execution, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned to group expectations.
• Ensure the security, maintenance, and optimal utilisation of all company assets, including fleet, infrastructure, and equipment.

Operational Oversight & Risk Management

• Provide high-level oversight of lodge, camp, ranger, and field operations, ensuring safety, compliance, and service excellence.
• Oversee logistics, procurement, and warehouse operations supporting Phinda and Ngala.
• Ensure robust risk management practices across health & safety, conservation operations, guest security, and business continuity.

KNOWLEDGE, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Fluent English (spoken and written)
• Zulu and/or Shangaan (spoken) advantageous
• Extensive senior management experience overseeing multiple luxury lodges or hospitality operations
• Proven track record in delivering extraordinary guest experiences
• Experience leading field operations, ranger teams, and conservation-based hospitality offerings
• Strong HR leadership experience, including labour relations and CCMA processes
• Solid knowledge of South African labour law
• Demonstrated experience in fleet management, maintenance planning, and operational logistics
• Proven ability to lead and deliver major capex and infrastructure projects
• Strong financial acumen, including budget management, forecasting, and commercial analysis

CORE SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
• Inspirational, values-driven leader
• Highly commercially and financially astute
• Confident engaging with executives, shareholders, agents, media, and external partners
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Comfortable leading in complex, remote, and multicultural environments
• Decisive, principled, and resilient under pressure
• Strong change leadership and problem-solving capability
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE & ROLE DETAILS

• Minimum of 10 years’ relevant &Beyond experience
• Extensive experience living and working in remote, field-based environments
• Prior experience within the Phinda Private Game Reserve environment advantageous
• Permanent live-in role, based at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve
• Reporting to the Managing Director – South Africa, Brendan Streak

Please speak with your manager before applying.

&Beyond reserves the right not to make an appointment

Contact information

Ziphozethu Bota