Overview
Commercial Manager Jobs in Arusha, Tanzania at SAB Capital
Title: Commercial Manager
Company: SAB Capital
Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Commercial Manager — Kuona Serengeti
Arusha-based, with regular time in camp · Full-time, permanent · Reporting to the General Manager
Ten tents. One waterhole. A brand nobody has heard of yet. That last part is your job.
Kuona Serengeti opened in July 2026 — a ten-tent camp built into the kopjes of Central Serengeti, above a resident waterhole, with a dedicated photography studio and a rate of USD 500 to 1,250 per person per night. The product is finished and it is good. The distribution is not built, and that is the entire opportunity in this role.
We are looking for a Commercial Manager to own revenue: to sign the tour operators, negotiate the rates, fill the beds and turn a new name into a camp that agents recommend without being asked.
What you will own
● The trade pipeline — from a 100 to 200 name prospect list to 10 to 20 signed operator agreements in year one.
● Rate strategy — seasons, rack and net rates, allocations, release periods, commission and exclusive-use pricing.
● The contracting calendar — published rates in the market before overseas operators close each season.
● Trade shows and familiarisation trips — Karibu / KiliFair, ITB Berlin, WTM London, and FAMs that convert.
● Direct and digital — website, OTA and booking-engine listings, SafariBookings, reviews and the content pipeline.
● The commercial numbers — occupancy, average rate, length of stay, and a weekly pipeline you can defend line by line.
What we need from you
● Five – Seven years of commercial, sales or business development experience — this is a mandatory requirement, not a guideline.
● A Bachelor’s degree. A Master’s is a genuine advantage.
● Deep working knowledge of the tourism industry in Tanzania — ideally the Serengeti and Northern Circuit — or in Kenya.
● Real experience with luxury lodges and camps, inbound tour operators, or both. You know how a DMC actually buys.
● A track record you can evidence: accounts you signed, rates you negotiated, occupancy you moved.
● Fluent English. Swahili is a strong advantage.
Who thrives here
Someone proactive and energetic, who does not wait for a brief. Someone charismatic enough that a product manager in London or Munich remembers the conversation six months later. Above all, someone genuinely hungry to sell — who counts signed agreements, not meetings attended.
This is a build, not a maintain. If you want an established account book to service, this is the wrong role. If you want to be the person who put a camp on the map, it is a rare one.
What we offer
● A competitive package with a meaningful performance-linked component — you share in what you build.
● A seat on the Executive Committee and direct access to the Managing Director.
● A finished, genuinely differentiated product in the best game-viewing location in Tanzania.
● The authority to make commercial decisions rather than route them upward.
How to apply
Send your CV and a short covering note to [email protected] with the subject line “Commercial Manager — Kuona Serengeti”.
In place of a cover letter, we would rather have one page answering a single question: name three tour operators you would approach in your first month, and tell us why those three.
Closing date: 23–8-2026. Applications are reviewed as they arrive and we may close early. Kuona Serengeti is an equal opportunity employer. Tanzanian nationals and residents are strongly encouraged to apply.
