The General Manager provides strategic leadership and overall direction for Shamwari Private Game Reserve, ensuring that every aspect of the guest and team experience reflects the brand culture.
This role defines and drives the long-term vision and annual business plans across all lodges and supporting functions, delivering extraordinary guest experiences while achieving operational and financial excellence.
Working in close partnership with the executive leadership team, the General Manager aligns Shamwari's hospitality operations with the organization's broader strategic objectives, creating an environment where people and nature coexist harmoniously.
The role establishes the systems, standards, and culture that empower teams to act with ownership and authenticity, ensuring that every guest encounter feels personal, heartfelt, and genuinely connected to the spirit of Shamwari.
The General Manager oversees all operational, financial, and experiential dimensions of the hospitality business; from crafting budgets, manpower plans, and CAPEX strategies to driving innovation and sustainability initiatives.
Through collaborative leadership with Procurement, Lodge Managers, and other Heads of Department, the General Manager ensures that strategic intent is translated into daily excellence.
As the custodian of Shamwari's legacy, the General Manager fosters a culture of genuine hospitality, where teams are inspired to care, lead with warmth, and deliver experiences that are both deeply human and uniquely meaningful.
By nurturing an empowered, purpose-driven workforce, the General Manager ensures Shamwari remains a beacon of authenticity.
Key Responsibilities Develop operational strategy that is aligned with the brand's business strategy and lead its execution while working with team to put sustainable work processes in place Keep operations team focused on critical components of operations to drive guest satisfaction and desired financial results while making key decisions to keep property moving forward Champion change and ensure brand and regional business initiatives are implemented while communicating follow-up actions to team as necessary Establish vision for product and service delivery on property while continually communicating clear and consistent message regarding operational goals Identify and analyze operational challenges and facilitate development of solutions to prevent reoccurrence while ensuring all operational areas have conducive atmosphere Research new products, services or trends and introduce ideas to operations to enable property to remain competitive Analyze pricing and services of competition and maintain active relationship with competition to understand market positioning Review staffing levels to ensure guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met across all departments including wellness and spa operations Tour building regularly speaking with colleagues and guests to understand business needs and assess operational opportunities Participate in public space walk-throughs with Engineering, Housekeeping and Stewarding to ensure areas are well maintained Work with community and local officials to ensure operational issues involving external parties can be resolved beneficially Champion the brand's service vision for product and service delivery and ensure alignment amongst hotel leadership team Foster colleague commitment to providing excellent service while participating in daily stand-up meetings and modeling desired service behaviors Demonstrate and communicate key drivers of guest satisfaction for brand's target guest while ensuring core elements of service strategy are in place Serve as guest advocate on property and pull together resources to resolve guest and operational issues Maintain high visibility and interface with guests regularly to obtain feedback on quality of product and service levels Review comment cards, guest satisfaction results and other data to identify areas of improvement while ensuring corrective action is taken Champion service philosophy while hiring operations management colleagues who demonstrate strong functional expertise Create appropriate development plans and develop colleagues based on individual strengths, development needs, and career aspirations Set goals and expectations for direct reports using performance review process while holding staff accountable for successful performance Establish and maintain open, collaborative relationships with direct reports and entire team Ensure regular ongoing communication takes place to recognize performance, set expectations, and create awareness of business objectives (Duties and responsibilities may evolve or change over time and ad hoc tasks may be assigned as required) Champion all HR programs including Talent Review, 360, Colleague Engagement Survey, and Appraisal processes Provide input and support overall sales strategy while suggesting innovative marketing ideas to gain market share Attend revenue management meetings, evaluate mix of transient and group revenue, and provide pricing recommendations Monitor operations sales performance against budget while ensuring revenue goals are met or exceeded across all revenue streams including spa and wellness Review financial reports and statements to determine Operations performance against budget while working with direct reports on improvements Coach and support operations team to effectively manage occupancy, rate, wages, and controllable expenses Facilitate capital expenditure process with operations departments while ensuring funds address service strategy priorities Provide operational expertise during owner meetings while demonstrating understanding of cash flow and owner priorities Build owner loyalty through good communication, recognition, and involvement in key decisions Balance owner objectives and Kerzner International objectives to produce mutually beneficial solutions Skills, Experience & Educational Requirements Degree/Diploma in Hotel management or related field Minimum 8 years Senior leadership experience leading a luxury hotel/resort, preference given to experience with a game reserve environment.
