Strategic Partnerships Lead

About Zambezi Strategy Group

At Zambezi Strategy Group (ZSG), we partner with governments, investors, institutions and ambitious enterprises to solve complex challenges and unlock long-term value across Africa.

As a pan-African luxury brand strategy consultancy, we design the strategic architecture that enables African goods, services and cultural assets to command the global recognition they deserve. Our work is intellectually rigorous, commercially grounded and relentlessly focused on creating enduring value.

We are building a network of exceptional independent professionals who combine elite strategic thinking with practical execution. We believe exceptional people produce exceptional work when given trust, autonomy and flexibility. That is why we partner with independent specialists who choose projects aligned with their expertise, ambitions and lifestyle without the constraints of traditional employment.

If you are curious, commercially minded and committed to delivering work of the highest standard, you will find a place here.

DESCRIPTION & REQUIREMENTS

As ZSG expands across Africa, we're seeking an accomplished relationship builder to establish strategic partnerships with governments, institutions, investors and ambitious organisations. This role is central to our growth, creating qualified opportunities that enable our consulting teams to deliver meaningful, long-term impact across the continent.

You'll represent ZSG with professionalism, discretion and commercial judgement, building trusted relationships while positioning the firm as a leading strategic advisory partner.

What You'll Do

• Originate strategic relationships with organisations aligned to ZSG's advisory focus
• Build and manage a portfolio of qualified partnership opportunities
• Facilitate executive introductions and early-stage strategic conversations
• Transition qualified opportunities to consulting and delivery teams
• Maintain and deepen engagement across ZSG's existing partner ecosystem
• Represent ZSG professionally across all engagements
• Travel where required to support key client meetings and strategic initiatives, within your own country and/or neighbouring countries — project-related travel is reimbursed separately

Who You Are

REQUIRED

• 5+ years' experience in strategic partnerships, business development, client relationship management or commercial strategy, with an established professional network across one or more African markets
• Demonstrated success identifying, developing and securing strategic partnerships that have delivered measurable commercial or organisational impact
• Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to recognise high-value opportunities and contribute to sustainable business growth
• Excellent relationship-building, influencing and negotiation skills, with experience engaging senior executives, government officials and institutional stakeholders
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to assess the strategic and commercial value of partnership opportunities; experience with financial modelling is advantageous
• Proven ability to manage partnerships throughout the full lifecycle, from opportunity identification and relationship development through to successful handover and ongoing account management
• Excellent market awareness and business acumen, with the ability to research sectors, identify emerging opportunities and anticipate client needs
• Highly self-motivated, organised and capable of working independently while maintaining exceptional professional standards
• A professional home working environment with reliable high-speed internet and backup power — suited to sustained, autonomous work
• Willingness to travel within your own country and/or neighbouring countries as specific projects require

PREFERRED

• Fluency in Swahili, Zulu, Afrikaans or French

Who We're Looking For

You're naturally curious, commercially astute and exceptionally skilled at building trust. You understand how to navigate senior decision-makers and develop long-term relationships across government, institutional, investment and corporate environments. You know how to open doors through credibility, insight and professionalism rather than sales tactics.

Performance-Based Compensation

This is an independent contractor engagement with competitive, performance-based remuneration. Contractors are rewarded for successfully originating qualified client engagements. Full details of the commission structure and payment terms will be discussed with shortlisted candidates and confirmed within the contractor agreement.

Work Location: Remote