Freelance and commission-based roles across ZSG's network, including a Strategic Partnerships Lead based remotely across Africa. Full role details and how to apply are below.
This is a commission-based independent contractor engagement. There is no fixed salary, retainer or guaranteed monthly compensation. Compensation is tied to project revenue, successful engagement delivery and commercial contribution. If you require guaranteed fixed compensation, this role is not suitable for you.
Applications that do not acknowledge this compensation structure will not be considered. Please do not apply if you do not meet the requirements below — applications from candidates who are materially underqualified for the role will not be considered.
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, valuation frameworks and market positioning required for African goods, services and industries to command greater global recognition and commercial value.
We are building a selective network of independent professionals who combine elite strategic thinking with practical execution, operating with autonomy, discretion and flexibility.
As a Senior Consultant, you will co-own high-impact strategic engagements from client alignment through delivery.
You will work alongside our Strategic Partnerships Leads during early client discussions, supporting scope development, strategic positioning and commercial conversion, before taking primary responsibility for strategic architecture, delivery and senior stakeholder management.
This is a player-coach role requiring both high-level strategic judgement and hands-on execution.
Required
Language Requirement
Professional proficiency in English is required.
Preferred
This role is suited to experienced consultants who want the autonomy and upside of independent consulting while operating with the backing and credibility of ZSG.
Our Strategic Partnerships Leads originate client opportunities, so you'll focus primarily on strategic scoping, commercial conversion and exceptional delivery, rather than cold business development.
This is an independent contractor engagement with no fixed salary or guaranteed monthly compensation. ZSG operates a project-revenue-based commission model. Commission arrangements, payment triggers and eligible project revenue will be confirmed with shortlisted candidates and documented in the independent contractor agreement.
Shortlisted candidates will complete a brief scenario-based commercial exercise assessing strategic thinking, commercial judgement, client communication and the ability to move a qualified opportunity towards close.
Application Question(s)
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.
Required
Preferred
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.
This is a freelance, 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.
Apply NowThis is a commission-based independent contractor engagement. There is no fixed salary, retainer or guaranteed monthly compensation. Commission is earned when your research and analysis makes a substantive, Senior-Consultant-reviewed contribution to a client engagement that converts, on the commercial terms set out in the Independent Contractor Agreement.
This role does not require you to originate client relationships or negotiate commercial terms — that responsibility sits with the Senior Consultant and Strategic Partnerships Lead roles. Your commission is carved out of the Senior Consultant's delivery pool for the engagement, rather than additive to it.
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, valuation frameworks and market positioning required for African goods, services and industries to command greater global recognition and commercial value.
The Associate supports ZSG's luxury brand strategy practice across brand analysis, partnerships, market intelligence, positioning and commercial value creation, working under the direction and review of the Senior Consultant.
You represent ZSG with professionalism, discretion and commercial judgement, and are responsible for the quality of your research and analysis within each assigned workstream.
Your core responsibility is to make a substantive contribution to engagements assigned by the Senior Consultant, producing defined research, diagnostic or analytical work that is used in, or materially informs, a client-ready deliverable.
Once you've made a substantive contribution, it's recorded against the relevant engagement — capturing the client, workstream, date and supporting detail — so your contribution can be tracked accurately for commission purposes.
Being available, incidentally involved, or having early work superseded before client delivery doesn't on its own create a commission entitlement. A qualifying engagement, and the commission it carries, only arises once the client has signed the relevant agreement with ZSG and paid the required initial deposit, under the terms of the Independent Contractor Agreement.
The Senior Consultant sets the strategic question, required evidence, output format, deadline and review standard for each assigned workstream, and reviews your work before it's used in or released as part of a client-ready deliverable.
You're expected to clarify the brief before starting, confirm deadlines and required output, flag missing evidence early, avoid silently making assumptions, respond fully to review comments, and keep source material and working files organised.
You retain autonomy over how, when and where the work is performed, provided agreed deliverables, meetings and deadlines are met. ZSG does not prescribe fixed working hours.
Performance is assessed primarily on the quality, accuracy and strategic relevance of your research and analysis, your development from defined research tasks toward independent analytical judgement, and your reliability in meeting review and delivery standards. Any specific targets will be separately agreed and recorded rather than implied.
Commission is governed exclusively by the Independent Contractor Agreement, which sets out the full commercial terms, including the agreed commission rate and payment phases.
Apply Now
Our contractors are selected for their intellectual curiosity, analytical rigour and commitment to excellence. Every engagement offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful strategic work across Africa, supporting governments, institutions and organisations on the challenges that matter most to them.
You'll work alongside a team that values evidence over opinion, clarity over complexity, and quality above all else, with the flexibility and independence of a freelance consulting model built for people who do their best work on their own terms.
We value judgement over hierarchy, quality over quantity and long-term relationships over short-term transactions. If you're motivated by meaningful work and uncompromising standards, we'd be pleased to hear from you.
To apply, email your details to office@zambezistrategy.com and include the following:
For candidates residing in South Africa, this engagement is strictly a contract for services as an Independent Contractor and falls outside the scope of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA). The contractor is responsible for their own provisional tax (PAYE) registrations and returns to SARS. No statutory employee benefits, hourly minimum wage baselines, or CCMA employment protections apply to this commercial arrangement.
For candidates residing in Kenya, this role is positioned as an independent commercial agency agreement, not an employment relationship under the Employment Act. The contractor operates as an independent service provider and is solely responsible for self-declaring and withholding all relevant taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), including any applicable withholding taxes. No company contributions toward SHIF, AHL, or NSSF will be made.
For candidates residing in Nigeria, this engagement constitutes a principal-to-agent commercial contract and is completely distinct from worker status under the Nigerian Labour Act. No automatic deductions or penalty clawbacks will be levied on earned commissions except as mutually agreed in writing. The independent contractor assumes sole liability for personal income tax filings under the relevant State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS).
For candidates residing in Zimbabwe, this relationship is governed strictly by commercial contract law and does not constitute an employment contract under the Zimbabwe Labour Act. The independent contractor retains full autonomy over their operational methodologies and hours. The contractor is responsible for their own fiscal compliance and tax obligations with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).