Nosipho Kunene has been nominated for the CHRO Awards 2026 for her role as HR director for sub-Saharan Africa and board member at Kimberly-Clark.
She joins a cohort of HR leaders competing across nine award categories, including the headline CHRO of the Year title.
Nosipho stepped into the role of HR director for sub-Saharan Africa at Kimberly-Clark in 2023, following her position as senior HR business partner at Danone Southern Africa.
She built much of her career at Unilever, where she progressed from assistant learning manager to HR business partner and later acting senior HR business partner for the inland region.
She began her career in training and development as a project coordinator and learnership administrator at Adcorp Group (PMI).
Nosipho holds a bachelor of commerce in industrial and organisational psychology, a certificate in HR management, and a national certificate in procurement and supply chain management, all from Unisa. She also holds a bachelor of science in biological sciences from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
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.
