Product Manager – Tourism
Manager
Cape Town – Western Cape – South Africa
Product Manager – Tourism
Salary: R48 000 per month gross
Area: Cape Town
Type: Permanent – Onsite
We’re assisting a leading luxury African travel company in finding an experienced Product Manager with deep Southern and East Africa destination knowledge, strong tourism product expertise, and well-established supplier relationships. This role is perfect for someone who understands the African travel landscape, knows the suppliers that shape it, and can build products that stand out in a competitive global market.
As the Product Manager, you’ll shape, grow, and optimise a high-performing African travel product portfolio. You will manage supplier partnerships, introduce new destinations, refine existing offerings, and ensure internal teams have the information, tools, and support they need to deliver exceptional guest experiences. This position calls for someone proactive, organised, collaborative, and passionate about African travel and safari experiences. SEO-rich keywords such as African Travel, Safari Destinations, Luxury Tours, East Africa Travel, and Southern Africa Travel Products are core to this role’s focus—reflecting the product landscape you’ll manage.
Responsibilities
Product & Team Management
- Develop and maintain a strong, competitive African travel product portfolio.
- Support Sales and Support teams with accurate destination updates, supplier information, and product insights.
- Lead the launch and operationalisation of new African travel products, routes, and destinations across systems.
- Maintain updated training materials and ensure teams understand new product changes, supplier processes, and booking platforms.
- Manage and mentor Product Coordinators to ensure smooth execution of fam trips, site inspections, trade shows, and internal travel projects.
- Identify knowledge gaps and help refine internal product processes for efficiency and accuracy.
Supplier Relationship Management
- Build and maintain long-term relationships with lodges, camps, tour operators, DMCs, and suppliers across Southern Africa and East Africa.
- Conduct supplier meetings to review performance, negotiate solutions, and gather market insights on tourism trends, pricing shifts, and competitor activity.
- Represent the business at tourism trade shows, networking events, and supplier workshops.
- Oversee the onboarding of new suppliers and ensure seamless integration into internal systems.
- Increase visibility of preferred suppliers through internal communication, product training, and digital content support.
Product & Destination Development
- Research emerging African destinations, travel trends, and new tourism partners to strengthen product offerings.
- Evaluate market opportunities and identify which regions, properties, or experiences should be prioritised.
- Work with Sales, Support, and Marketing teams to ensure new destinations are correctly promoted and understood internally.
- Ensure all destination content is accurate, relevant, and aligned with guest expectations.
Reporting & Insights
- Produce ongoing reporting on supplier performance, escalation trends, booking issues, and product opportunities.
- Track and record supplier disruptions such as seasonal closures, stop sales, and operational issues.
- Identify inefficiencies in product or supplier workflows and recommend improvements.
- Deliver insights that guide strategic planning, revenue growth, and product positioning.
Requirements
- Strong and proven destination knowledge of Southern and East Africa—including safari regions, key properties, routes, and travel seasons.
- Established relationships with African tourism suppliers (lodges, camps, transport, activities, DMCs).
- 3+ years’ experience in tourism product management, supplier management, or destination development.
- Ability to negotiate, problem-solve, and collaborate across multiple teams.
- Experience leading or mentoring team members.
- Strong system awareness with interest in digital optimisation, AI tools, automation, and workflow efficiency.
- Passion for African travel, conservation, and delivering world-class guest experiences.
- A mindset built on ownership, accountability, feedback, and teamwork.
If you’re a tourism professional who loves African travel, has strong supplier connections, and knows Southern and East African destinations inside out, we’d love to connect with you. Send your CV and take the next step in shaping world-class African travel experiences.