Barney Khumalo has been nominated for the 2026 CHRO Awards for his role as chief people officer at Rainbow Chicken.
He joins a cohort of HR leaders competing across nine award categories, including the headline CHRO of the Year title.
Barney stepped into the CPO role at Rainbow Chicken in 2024, following a decade as HR director at RCL FOODS.
He has also served as HR director at Nampak (Bevcan division), head of people and culture at Virgin Mobile South Africa, and senior HR executive at De Beers Group.
He began his career at Unilever and later moved to The South African Breweries, building a career that now spans over 30 years in HR.
Barney holds a postgraduate diploma in industrial relations and a bachelor of arts in social science, both from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, amongst multiple executive development certifications.
Dubbed the Oscars of HR, the CHRO Awards continues to celebrate leaders who raise the bar for people leadership in South Africa across listed companies, large corporates and government institutions.
The 2026 nominees will be celebrated at a gala event on 24 November, where winners across multiple categories, including the CHRO of the Year title, will be announced.
