Social Media & Content Manager

Virgin Active South Africa (Pty) Ltd; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading wellness company in South Africa is seeking a Social Media and Content Manager to lead its digital voice and community engagement. The role focuses on executing social media and content strategies, fostering online communities, and collaborating across teams to drive engagement and brand growth. Candidates should possess a tertiary qualification and a minimum of 7 years in social media management, alongside strong storytelling, copywriting, and relationship management skills. The position offers a dynamic work environment focused on wellness and innovation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in social media and content management.
• Proven experience in engaging with stakeholders across the business.
• Hands-on experience with social tools, analytics and community management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of a best-in-class social and content strategy.
• Govern social channels, ensuring brand consistency, innovation, and quality.
• Direct creative development across platforms, overseeing content production.

Skills

Excellent storytelling

Copywriting

Visual communication

Strategic thinking

Relationship management

Adaptability

Curiosity

High interpersonal skills

Education

Related tertiary qualification

Tools

Canva

Photoshop

Job description

Your Purpose… To change people’s lives for the better through wellness, delivering on OUR PROMISE to welcome and know our members. Be the host, owning every interaction, making the member experience memorable. Drive a social wellness club with a natural service orientation, deep passion for wellness and desire to make a positive difference every day.

Social Media and Content Manager

You are the custodian of Virgin Active’s digital voice. Lead the brand’s social and content strategy, building communities, inspiring wellness and driving measurable growth.

• Shape and execute Virgin Active’s social media and content strategy across all channels.
• Build and nurture engaged online communities through compelling storytelling, two‑way conversations and social listening.
• Leverage Friends of Virgin Active ambassadors, sports partnerships and Kauai collaborations to create authentic, high‑impact content.
• Partner closely with the Product team to showcase innovation, new offerings and unique club experiences.
• Collaborate with Global Virgin Active teams to localise global campaigns and align on brand standards while ensuring local distinctiveness.
• Champion innovation in social and content, testing new formats, tools and platforms to keep Virgin Active fresh, relevant and disruptive.
• Use analytics to inform decision‑making, maximise ROI and ensure measurable contribution to acquisition, retention and brand equity.

Your Duties and Responsibilities

Social Media Strategy & Execution

• Lead the development and execution of a best‑in‑class social and content strategy aligned with the Marketing Calendar and business priorities.
• Govern Virgin Active’s social channels, ensuring brand consistency, innovation and quality.
• Maintain the Social Media Content Calendar, ensuring a mix of brand, product, promotional and partnership content.

Content Creation & Engagement

• Direct creative development across platforms, overseeing content production by internal teams and external partners.
• Act as the voice of the brand, balancing creativity with insight‑driven engagement.
• Showcase Friends of Virgin Active, Kauai collaborations, product innovations and sports partnerships through compelling storytelling.

Influencer, Partnerships & Ambassadors

• Lead influencer strategy and the Friends of Virgin Active program, building authentic advocacy and content co‑creation opportunities.
• Integrate sports partnerships, Kauai collaborations and product‑led initiatives into content calendars, ensuring visibility and impact.
• Track and report on performance of all partnership‑driven content.

Collaboration & Cross‑Functional Alignment

• Partner with Kauai to co‑create content that reflects shared wellness values.
• Work with the Product team to communicate launches, innovations and member benefits across social channels.
• Collaborate with Global Virgin Active teams to adopt shared learning across the territories.

Insights & Reporting

• Establish and track KPIs for social and influencer performance.
• Use social listening and analytics to guide content decisions, spot opportunities and measure ROI.

& Paid Campaigns

• Lead social coverage of Virgin Active events, live streaming and real‑time storytelling.
• Collaborate with the Growth team to optimise paid social campaigns for reach, engagement and conversions.

Innovation & Leadership

• Act as a thought leader, bringing fresh ideas, new tools and best practices into Virgin Active’s social ecosystem.
• Pilot new formats (eg. AR/VR, AI‑driven content, immersive video) to keep the brand at the forefront of digital conversation.
• Mentor and guide freelancers and agencies to deliver best‑in‑class execution.

We can’t live without…

• Related tertiary qualification.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in social media and content management.
• Proven success in scaling brand communities and integrating partnerships.
• Proven experience in successfully leading influencer/ambassador programmes and delivering ROI through brand collaborations and sponsorships.
• Hands‑on experience with social tools, analytics and community management.
• Proven experience in engaging with stakeholders across the business, from senior stakeholders to global stakeholders.
• Excellent storytelling, copywriting and visual communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical capabilities.
• Proficiency with Canva, Photoshop or equivalent for quick‑turn content creation.
• Skilled at building and managing relationships with influencers, partners, ambassadors and cross‑functional teams.
• Comfortable with innovation and experimentation across platforms.

We’d like you to have…

• Adaptability – able to adapt to a fast‑paced, changing environment.
• Curiosity – willing to succeed, seek opportunities to learn and grow.
• A winning mentality – go above and beyond to achieve success.
• Motivation to achieve success.
• A commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
• A growth mindset.
• The ability to work independently.
• A drive to create memorable moments for our members.
• The ability to make decisions and take ownership and responsibility for the decision.
• Action orientation.

We’d love you to have…

• Wellness knowledge beyond the health club.
• The ability to make quick and bold decisions.
• The ability to be agile.
• The ability to be collaborative.
• High interpersonal skills (EQ).