ZEDA: People at the Centre of Mobility’s Next Chapter
Since Enterprise Africa last spoke with Zeda in 2021, there has been consistency in the message but reworking of the strategy. The organisation remains committed to ‘connecting humanity’ and it is doing this through a vibrant and united team that spans 11 African countries.
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For more than half a century, Zeda has played a defining role in shaping mobility across southern Africa. Best known through its globally recognised Avis and Budget car rental brands, the business has steadily expanded into one of the region’s most established and trusted mobility groups. Today, with operations across 11 countries, a fleet that has grown to around 20,000 vehicles, and a workforce of about 2000 people, Zeda is charting a fresh strategic course—one that places people, culture, and capability at the centre of its next chapter.
This shift is being steered by Chief Human Capital Officer, Mmabatho Tlale, whose arrival in 2024 coincided with a renewed organisational push to align culture with customer expectations. The mobility sector is becoming increasingly competitive and multidimensional, shaped by digital transformation, service expectations, and a wider rethink of what ‘mobility’ means for people. For Zeda, success is no longer just about vehicles on the road, but about the people who support customers at every stage of their journeys.
“We provide our customers with an experience and we pride ourselves on our customer-centricity, giving them technology to operate their business,” Tlale explains.
The business emerged from its Barloworld era in 2022 with a renewed sense of identity, becoming Zeda in its own right. Since then, it has worked to create a cohesive structure capable of supporting growth in a rapidly changing market. Tlale’s mandate has been clear: build a people strategy that reinforces Zeda’s competitiveness, its agility, and its ambition to lead in new segments of mobility.
CUSTOMER FIRST
A key part of this direction has been rethinking the strategic foundation. Tlale says she immediately saw an opportunity to evolve how the company positioned itself and how employees connected to customers.
“I joined Zeda in 2024 and I have implemented a transition from a product led strategy to a customer-centric model and that was predominantly informed by the voice of the customer,” she says. “Our bold strategy ensures that we remain agile and resilient while delivering on customer-centricity.”
This shift mirrors broader global trends, where traditional car rental models are transitioning into wider mobility ecosystems. Zeda sees clear opportunity in widening its definition of mobility, unlocking new ways for people and businesses to move.
“We have, over the past few years, limited ourselves to a car as mobility, but there are other options,” Tlale says. “We believe we could grow in air travel, motor rail, shipping – there are always opportunities to expand and we are always on the lookout for those opportunities to diversify ourselves.”
The company already benefits from a strong regional footprint and technology-enabled operations. As Tlale notes: “We also have invested in technology that enable us to provide premium fleet options for our customers. We have a large footprint. We are in almost all of the airports. We have good loyalty programs such as Avis Preferred, and few others can offer such a service.”
For Zeda, the future lies in strengthening the link between customer experience and employee capability—and the results of that direction are becoming increasingly visible.
BUILDING CAPACITY
Culture transformation and capability development have become central pillars of Zeda’s recent evolution. Tlale has prioritised preparing the business for the demands of an organisation that wants to be customer-led, technologically progressive, and future-focused.
“We decided to move to the customer-centric model, supported by the bold strategy,” she explains. “That shift has allowed us to be agile and resilient, and that is central in how we operate.”
Supporting this transformation required a renewed look at organisational capability. “We have invested in several initiatives to ensure we build capacity so that we are future proofing our workforce to maintain the new organisational structure,” she says. “We have various management and development programmes in place, and we have partnered with merSETAs for youth empowerment so that we can continue to build a talent pool to come in and support the structure.
“Through the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme, one of our biggest investments, we had more than 200 learners and we partnered with the government, paying for in-service training,” says Tlale. “There are now 200 young professionals out in the market, and they are not starting on the back foot.”
The business has also prioritised sparse technical skills. “We have invested in scarce and critical skills, such as data science and actuary skills, and we run regular workforce planning so that we are ready for the future,” she explains.
Zeda’s people strategy is designed not only to support immediate needs but to create talent pipelines for long-term growth. “Future proofing speaks to the value proposition that you have in place, it speaks to how we review our talent on a regular basis, and it speaks to developing our people to keep them up to date with skills and ambition,” Tlale notes. “We then have retention strategies in place to keep talent, and it is all about the long-term achievement of our goals.”
Exclusive Interview with Chief Human Capital Officer, Mmabatho Tlale
DIVERSITY STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP
Zeda’s leadership demographics stand out in an industry where executive teams tend to skew male. The company has built a leadership environment where diversity is not an objective, but a natural outcome of inclusive processes.
“We refer to it as DIEB – diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. It is not a compliance exercise for us – it is part of our DNA,” says Tlale. “We call our employees brand ambassadors, and we value each and every one.”
A major outcome of this approach has been the advancement of women into senior roles. “We don’t have a quota. Before we even look at anyone as a woman, we look at the unique perspectives and experiences and leaderships styles that they bring to the organisation,” she says.
Diversity, Tlale argues, enhances organisational leadership capability. “Our Exco is diverse, not just in terms of gender but thinking, personality, lived experiences, and that makes us proud that we are different from the industry where most organisations are predominantly male. We are fortunate as an organisation to have so many black females sitting at leadership level. The advantage that it gives us a different style of leadership that is often rooted in empathy, collaboration, and a people-first mindset.”
Representation—particularly for young people entering the workforce—matters. “It’s a blessing that we find ourselves at this point where we have so many excellent black female leaders, and it is something that many young black people can look up to,” she adds. “It’s not something we do to tick boxes. we are building an environment where people can grow and thrive.”
CULTURE OF CARE
Zeda’s culture work extends far beyond leadership composition. The business has built frameworks designed to protect dignity, enable belonging, and support wellbeing.
“We run awareness campaigns around visible and invisible disabilities so that our brand ambassadors are aware of the diversity that is out there because we want to foster inclusion,” Tlale explains. “We pride ourselves on the anti-bullying and anti-harassment environment that we have created where we uphold a culture of respect and dignity – those are non-negotiable.”
Support structures are equally robust. “For maternity and paternity, we support parenting with 100% paid maternity leave for four months which can be extended for an extra two months, unpaid, resulting in six months with the new child. This can be shared between parents.”
The company takes pay equity seriously. “We also fair and responsible pay policies which ensures we focus on equitable pay practices and we take deliberate steps to address gender pay gaps in the organisation.”
Wellbeing has become a cross-border priority, growing from the company’s HQ in Gauteng, spreading across sub-Saharan Africa. “We care for the wellness of our brand ambassadors, and we have partnered with an external company to support employee mental health,” Tlale explains. “Previously, this had only been focused on South African brand ambassadors but we have changed that to support everyone, wherever and whenever they need it.”
TOP EMPLOYER: CONFIRMED
These initiatives have culminated in formal recognition.
“I am proud of the Top Employer award,” Tlale says. “Our people strategy is themed around growing together; enabling business growth by connecting brand ambassadors to resources that they need to deliver excellence.”
For Zeda, the certification is not symbolic—it reflects the lived experience of employees. “The strategy is not aspirational. If anything, our leadership has proved that it is actionable,” she says. “That is why I am super proud that we have been recognised as a Top Employer with certification in 2025.”
The accreditation strengthens Zeda’s employer brand. “It is more than a badge for us – it is a validation of a commitment to world class people practices and it sends a clear message to our current and future talent that Zeda is a place where careers grow and you get to be part of something bigger than yourself.”
With its bold customer-centric strategy, diversified leadership, and a developing culture of empowerment, Zeda is primed for its next phase of growth. The company understands that mobility is changing fast—and that its ability to lead will depend on the strength, capability, and engagement of its people.
“Our position as an employer of choice is strengthened, and we continue to reinforce the values that define us,” Tlale concludes.
By putting people first, Zeda is shaping a mobility business ready for the future—and ready to lead it.