Senior HR Business Partner (HRBP)

Go2Africa is a leading Africa-based tour operator, trusted by travellers for over 25 years to design journeys that are seamless, personal, and deeply connected to the African continent.

Every journey is crafted by a dedicated Africa Safari Expert who knows the landscape, has walked the trails, stayed in the camps, and built long-standing relationships with the people who bring each experience to life. From first enquiry to returning home, Go2Africa is known for its care, attention to detail, and ability to create safari adventures that stir the soul. This commitment to quality has earned us thousands of five-star reviews and recognition from industry leaders such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and the World Travel Awards.

At the heart of it all is our purpose to use travel as a force for good. As part of Nawiri Group, every journey with Go2Africa helps support the vast wilderness ecosystems our guests travel to, and communities who call them home.

The Role

The Senior HR Business Partner (HRBP) will act as a trusted advisor to management and executives within Go2Africa, leading the HR function within the brand with full autonomy and accountability. As the most senior HR leader within Go2Africa, the HRBP will play a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s people strategy, driving engagement, and building leadership capability across the business.

This role requires strategic maturity and strong emotional intelligence to effectively partner with the executive team and senior leaders across the Group. The Senior HRBP will serve as a critical bridge between brand-level realities and the Group’s HR strategy, ensuring that initiatives are both locally relevant and strategically aligned.

The HRBP will own the execution of the full employee lifecycle; attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and exit/separation, ensuring a consistently excellent employee experience in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.

The Senior HRBP will also collaborate closely with HRBPs from other entities to share best practices, ensure alignment across the Group, and support cross-entity initiatives. This role reports functionally to the Group Head of HR, ensuring both brand responsiveness and group alignment.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Business Partnering & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor to executives and managers, delivering practical HR solutions that address business and people challenges.

• Provide guidance on complex employee relations matters, including but not limited to conflict resolution, performance management, incapacity, disciplinary procedures and grievance handling.

• Guide managers to strengthen engagement, team performance, and effective employee relations.

• Anticipate business needs and proactively implement HR initiatives that support organisational and Group goals.

• Foster an open, supportive, and trusted HR presence that encourages communication, collaboration, and employee engagement.

• Act as a change partner during organisational or process transitions.

Collaboration & Group Alignment

• Liaise with HRBPs in other entities to share best practices and align processes across the Group.

• Contribute to Group-wide HR initiatives and lead or support projects as required.

• Support knowledge sharing and benchmarking across entities to enhance HR effectiveness.

HR Strategy & Process Improvement

• Audit, evaluate, and enhance HR policies, procedures, and systems for efficiency and alignment with business goals.

• Lead the development and implementation of HR best practices within the entity.

• Contribute to Group-level strategic HR initiatives, including performance management, Employer-of-Choice strategies, and cross-entity policy alignment.

• Support implementation of HR technology and tools to improve process efficiency.

Employee Lifecycle Ownership:

• Attraction & Recruitment: Own the end-to-end recruitment process for the entity, ensuring timely and high-quality hires.

• Onboarding: Lead the onboarding process to ensure new hires integrate successfully into the business and culture.

• Development: Partner (where appropriate) with the Training and Development team, to design and implement learning, performance management, and career growth programs that build skills, support progression, and enhance employee capability.

• Retention: Identify and execute strategies to retain top talent, including engagement initiatives and proactive interventions.

• Exit/Separation: Manage all exit processes professionally and compliantly, ensuring constructive offboarding experiences.

• Ensure all HR processes are executed consistently, effectively, and in alignment with both Company, Group policies and local legislation.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Lead initiatives to build a positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplace.

• Drive programs supporting engagement, wellbeing, development, recognition, and mentoring.

• Coach managers to foster an engaged, accountable, and collaborative workforce.

• Analyse employee feedback and implement insights to continuously improve the employee experience.

Legislative Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all HR practices comply with South African labour laws and regulations.

• Advise leadership on employee relations matters, legal risks and appropriate courses of action to mitigate issues.

• Manage incapacity and dispute resolution processes effectively.

• Stay updated on employment law changes and ensure HR policies and practices are reviewed and updated accordingly.

Operational & Administrative HR Effectiveness

• Oversee day-to-day HR operations and administrative processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and service excellence.

• Maintain governance standards and timely HR reporting to support business continuity and full employee lifecycle management.

• Support audits and internal controls to maintain compliance and operational efficiency.

Data & Insights

• Use HR metrics and analytics to measure the effectiveness of employee lifecycle initiatives.

• Provide data-driven insights and practical recommendations to management for continuous improvement.