HR leaders went on a ‘speed date’ at the 2026 CHRO Day in Johannesburg – not the romantic kind, but one where they were paired up for seven-minute networking conversations designed to help them connect, share ideas and talk honestly about the challenges they are facing at work.
Networking was a clear winner at this year’s event, when top HR minds gathered at the Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch. And the biggest ROI was how quickly HR leaders wanted to take the idea back to their own workplaces to help their teams connect better.
“The connections we made are exactly what we needed and I’m going to steal it with pride. I’m taking it back home to the office. We are having our ‘stay connected’ platform for women in two weeks’ time, and this is exactly what I’m going to do when I get back. I’m going to use it to get everyone in the organisation to know each other better,” shared Brenda Talazo, vice president, head of HR, and business enablement at Saab.
Rainbow Chicken’s CPO Barney Khumalo highlighted the deep value the speed networking created in setting the tone for CHRO Day.
“It was a simple yet powerful ice-breaking exercise, building authentic connections, and understanding what truly drives and shapes our HR colleagues as leaders and people,” he said. “The guiding questions were thoughtful, relevant, and intentional. They moved the conversation beyond surface-level introductions and created meaningful dialogue around the real challenges, opportunities and experiences shaping the HR profession today. In a relatively short space of time, the exercise created energy, trust, and a genuine sense of connection.”
Nosipho Kunene, HR director for sub-Saharan Africa at Kimberly-Clark confirmed that the speed networking brought laughter, quick exchanges of ideas and plenty of moments where HR leaders realised they had more in common than they expected.
Value in connection
“It made me realise that as HR people, we all have the same burning question in our heads about what’s going to happen with our people when it comes to AI and technology. It was a big thing at that point,” she said.
Nokukhanya Mkhize, the HR lead at Kukhanya Energy Services echoed the same sentiments. “What I realised during the speed networking with other HR professionals is that we are all somewhat going through similar things in our organisations, and the answers are often right there in the room. Platforms like CHRO Day, and conversations around leadership paradoxes, are very important because they allow us to contribute meaningfully to the profession we are in,” she said.
“HR is very lonely. When we go back to the real world, it can feel quite isolating, but what these sessions provide is a safe space. You feel comfortable being around people who are going through similar things because when you’re in your organisation you often think it’s just you dealing with something but it’s not,” Nokukhanya added.
The session, one of the standout moments of CHRO Day, made it clear that the value was not just in creating new connections, but also in realising how much easier it becomes to solve problems when HR leaders connect, even if only for seven minutes.
