Country Manager, Eswatini
Swoop · South Africa · $1,600–$3,100/month (stated in the posting)
Job Title: Country Manager - Eswatini
Location: Mbabane, Eswatini (Full-time, in-person). This role requires relocation to Eswatini! Relocation package will be provided.
About Swoop
Swoop, founded by Thiel Fellow Aubrey Niederhoffer, recently raised a $7.3M seed round - one of the largest ever by an African consumer startup - to build an African super-app, starting with food delivery. Eswatini, where Swoop is now the leading food delivery platform, is one of our key markets, and we’re looking for a Country Manager to own and grow the business on the ground.
Role Overview
As the Eswatini Country Manager, you will be responsible for P&L, growth, and operations in the country. You’ll work directly with Swoop's international leadership team, manage local teams across multiple functions, and build strong relationships with partner stores and other stakeholders.
With our strong position in the market, this is a role for someone who wants to scale across multiple verticals, not just manage. Ideal for a high-ownership operator who understands Southern Africa, a marketplace platform, and is excited about scaling a startup.
Key Responsibilities
1. Financial & Operational Management
Own and manage the Eswatini budget, including revenue, costs, and profitability.
Track performance, forecast growth, and report to international leadership.
Scale key KPIs (orders, GMV, active users, delivery performance, etc.) and drive continuous improvement.
2. Strategy & Collaboration with International Leadership
Work closely with Swoop's international leadership team to localise strategy for Eswatini.
Help allocate international resources (capital, technical support, marketing budgets, etc.) to maximise growth and impact locally.
Provide on-the-ground insights about customer behaviour, competition, and regulatory environment.
3. Store & Partner Relationships
Build and maintain strong relationships with restaurants, retailers, and other partners.
Negotiate commercial terms, resolve issues quickly, and ensure partners see Swoop as a long-term growth partner.
Design and execute long-term growth partnerships with major local brands.
4. Team Leadership & People Management
Manage local teams across:
Marketing & growth
Store acquisition & account management
Driver operations & logistics
Create a high-performance, accountable culture.
5. Local Strategy & Execution
Design and execute local marketing strategies with a marketing team (online, offline, partnerships, promotions).
Lead store acquisition efforts to bring high-quality restaurants and retailers onto the platform.
Oversee driver operations: recruitment, performance, reliability, and service quality.
6. Expansion Beyond Food Delivery
Coordinate plans for the introduction of new services beyond food delivery such as groceries and ridehailing, helping Swoop to deepen its super-app concept.
Test new ideas in the Eswatini market, collect data, and recommend which new services to scale.
Requirements
2+ years in B2C management for food delivery, ridehailing, or other marketplace platforms.
Willingness to adopt a startup mindset – high ownership, hands-on, willing to solve problems outside a fixed job description.
Excellent communication skills in English; Siswati or other local languages a plus.
High adaptability and comfort working in a fast-changing environment.
University degree (Business, Economics, Engineering, or related field preferred, but not strictly required for exceptional candidates).
2+ years of business experience in managerial roles, ideally in Eswatini or South Africa.
Preferred Qualities and Skills (What We Like!)
Experience at marquee companies preferred: Mr. D/Takealot, Yango, Uber, Bolt, Glovo, etc.
Extraordinary achievements in any field—from a national spelling bee to a competitive sport to a side project that took off. We value exceptional people.
Experience launching new markets, especially developing markets.
Deep understanding of local consumer behaviour and business culture in Eswatini/Southern Africa.
Compensation
Salary: USD $1,600–$3,100 per month. Note: Eswatini is typically ~40% cheaper than South Africa.
Bonus: Execution-linked performance bonus pool tied to growth milestones (5-20%)
Guaranteed equity in Swoop's global entity
Benefits:
Fuel stipend for work-related travel
Health coverage
Impact: Early country-level ownership in scaling a funded super-app across Africa