Header: People and Purpose at the heart of Singita

Angela Bosini, People Director at Singita.

Guests who visit Singita often remark on the spirit of its people. The warmth, professionalism and commitment to excellence they bring to every encounter at any of its 15 lodges in Africa. But this is no coincidence. It’s the result of a conscious approach to every aspect of its operation – the heart of which has always been its people and purpose.

Angela Bosini, People Director for Singita, is instrumental in driving the overarching policies that govern people practices across the organisation. This division of the business has a strong vision and a goal to be the face of HR that you don’t expect. 

Creating a community-centred organisation – all united around its 100-year purpose to protect and preserve African wilderness for future generations - has been an intrinsic part of the company ethos since inception. The concept has evolved over time, with increasingly more focus placed on strategic initiatives that benefit every person uniquely.

Holistic wellness

More recently, this has seen an internal audit across all aspects of staff wellbeing. This includes physical and mental wellbeing, as well as financial, community, environmental and vocational wellbeing. With the heightened awareness around mental wellbeing, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, Singita engaged with a clinical psychologist who conducted one-on-one sessions and training workshops across all regions. “We treated it as a pilot from which to learn. We were encouraged and surprised by the level of engagement we had from the teams,” says Angela.

These findings were used as a foundation to build better initiatives. “By nature, mental wellness is complex to quantify, but we felt we needed to understand it deeply across the broad collective so we could determine our roadmap going forward. The environments in which we operate are conducive to mindfulness, soothing and healing. So, we encourage our teams to take advantage of working in pristine wilderness areas and to enjoy moments when possible.”

While mental wellness has been into sharper focus over the last few years – exacerbated by the stresses brought on by COVID19 – no aspect of wellness is disregarded and initiatives across the board are constantly reevaluated and improved. From the quality of staff food and accommodation, social activities and spaces to facilities (such as gyms and canteens). “We do annual improvements to staff living. If back of house isn’t looked after, front of house won’t be either,” she notes.  

“During the pandemic Singita made the decision to protect the jobs of our staff, which we recognised would ease a small degree of uncertainty and anxiety that everyone experienced during that time.”

But this extends to areas beyond the ‘workplace’ too. Staff are given support and guidance when it comes to their financial health (help with budgeting, interpreting payslips, general financial literacy, etc).

Personal approach

Singita operates award-winning lodges in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Rwanda. Each of the four regions is different in terms of its cultural, language and legal nuances and the support measures available, therefore it requires a flexible approach. But in the shift Singita has made in its People department – an even more granular way of working has emerged, with every employee viewed as an individual.

“This has always been our ethos, but it has evolved over time. We recognise that it’s difficult to implement a blanket approach as every person is unique, and not only has different goals, but different needs. After eight years, I continue to be awed by the level of individual attention and support that goes beyond what an employer would reasonably be expected to do, and I think it comes from the company’s foundation in family values. You must be receptive to and willing to embrace change.” she says.  

This plays out in numerous ways – from flexible maternity packages to more open-minded recruitment style (where a lack of industry experience is not a deal breaker, but candidates are assessed on their potential, and how that can be developed along the journey). “We’re receptive to people not necessarily having the ‘requirements’ and if they’re right for a role we are happy to give them the support. We look at much more than a CV,” says Angela.  

Growth within Singita

This individualised approach makes room for growth. The development of staff within the organisation – upward, or even laterally (from gardeners to chefs for example) – is a key theme and one of the differentiating factors of why Singita is considered a desirable place to work and why people remain within the company as they progress.  “We want to stay open to questioning our ways of thinking and agility.”

“We want our teams to have access to resources and have career plans. But there’s another side to it - we also want to support staff in developing areas of interest that may not be related to their work – this is what forms part of who they are and it plays a big role in personal satisfaction which is key to career satisfaction too.”

Individual growth rests on the power of the collective though - it requires support and nurturing. Here Singita has shown yet again its ability to adapt and innovate. “Mentorship has been an interesting evolution for us – it started off as introducing a business coach, which has evolved into an internal mentorship programme.” This is also not prescriptive for the mentors, and allows them to find their own style, subcontract to experts and tailor it to their mentee’s needs, as well as learn through the process. One such avenue is through the Singita Academy, which was formed to support the development staff – where a comprehensive online learning platform is one of the many options available.

“What really interests me is the trend towards ‘Careers with Purpose’. Many people have reevaluated their lives and want to align with a career that is meaningful.  We’re even seeing “Boomerangers” which is  staff coming back to work for Singita, attracted by Singita’s conservation purpose and family values.  We’re very open to this and welcome them back. As a business today, I think you’re going to find it harder to survive without a purpose, and Singita’s purpose has been entrenched for 30 years! It attracts new staff; speaks to their DNA and has the potential to change the way they live their lives (more sustainably). Our conservation purpose also supports the notion of wellness. Contributing meaningfully also makes you feel good about how you are spending your work life.”

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