Kyle says he felt like he was stepping into a mission-driven opportunity to transform mobility access for underbanked individuals when he took up the role at Planet42 as head of people.
When Kyle Chetty joined Planet42 as head of people, he embraced a role that aligned with his personal and professional values.
“Planet42’s mission to expand access to mobility resonates deeply with my commitment to creating impact-driven environments,” says Kyle.
Planet42 is a South Africa-focused rent-to-buy startup that uses algorithms and data points to assess a potential customer’s credit risk.
As the fintech scales up to provide accessible car ownership for underserved individuals, Kyle’s human resources approach is about ensuring Planet42’s culture stays purpose-driven and people-focused.
“Joining Planet42 as head of people gives me the chance to influence and shape a workplace where employees feel connected to a greater purpose and have room to grow,” he says. “I’m excited to leverage my background in developing HR frameworks that support growth, while maintaining a positive and inclusive culture.”
Kyle boasts an extensive background in HR, previously being the HR executive at AutoBoys, a role that earned him the 2020 Young CHRO of the Year Award.
He first started his career in HR when he returned from the US and joined a call centre at the JD Group and worked his way up. He later moved to Grandmark International, where he was appointed HR business partner.
He then joined Cape Union Mart in 2016 as a human capital partner and moved to Autoboys in 2017, where he began building the HR and greater teams. In 2024, he moved to Planet42 as head of people.
Kyle believes his background has equipped him with a clear vision of aligning employee engagement with company growth. “I want to create an environment where employees thrive and see the tangible impact of their work is essential. I am working hard at making Planet42 to be not just a place of career development, but also a community of shared values.”
One of Kyle’s key priorities is strengthening and sustaining a culture that evolves with Planet42’s rapid growth. “My top priorities centre around aligning our people strategy with Planet42’s ambitious goals. I am working hard at fostering a vibrant workplace, so much so that I have established the Culture Club, an internal employee-led committee designed to drive engagement and foster a strong sense of ownership among team members. The Culture Club is vital in promoting our values and ensuring that our culture remains strong, even as we grow,” he says.
By actively involving employees in shaping the company’s values and practices, Kyle ensures that everyone feels part of Planet42’s mission and future.
“In addition to the Culture Club, we also launched Hibob, a new HR Information System that streamlines operations and enables data-driven insights. With Hibob, I can now focus on analytics-driven insights to support employee engagement and retention strategies more effectively,” he explains. This system provides the data foundation for making well-informed decisions that support growth while maintaining employee satisfaction.
Moreover, Kyle is a strong advocate for adopting innovative HR trends that prioritise employee engagement and continuous learning. “The HR landscape is evolving rapidly, and I’m particularly excited about data-driven insights through Hibob,” he says, adding, “We’re now able to track real-time feedback and create targeted employee development plans.”
His commitment to learning extends to upskilling managers through microlearning modules, a modern approach he believes adds immense value. “Upskilling managers helps them lead more effectively and provides them with the tools to create high-performing teams,” he explains, emphasising that cultivating capable leaders ensures that Planet42 maintains its inclusive and productive environment, even as it grows.
“Remote work best practices is another area of focus for us. I want to ensure flexibility while maintaining strong communication and accountability,” he says. This approach aims to accommodate employees’ needs for flexibility without compromising the company’s commitment to accountability and productivity.
Looking forward to making meaningful impact
Looking back at his career so far, Kyle points out the challenges that shaped him as a resilient and empathetic leader. “During a significant restructure in a previous role, I had to make tough decisions that affected team members personally and professionally. The experience taught me the value of transparent communication and support during times of transition.”
Furthermore Kyle’s leadership style has been further informed by initiatives like “Coffee with HR,” a casual forum for employees to connect with him personally. “These sessions have allowed me to understand employees’ concerns and gain real-time feedback,” he says, highlighting that empathy and transparency are core to building trust within teams.
He describes his approach to engagement and retention as multi-layered. “Boosting engagement and retention is a key focus for me, and I believe in a multi-faceted approach. Central to this is the rollout of an OKR system that aligns individual goals with Planet42’s mission, helping employees see the direct impact of their work. When people understand how their contributions support larger objectives, they feel more motivated and engaged,” he adds.
Additionally, he says, the Culture Club plays a key role in fostering an inclusive environment, empowering employees to shape the workplace actively. “The Culture Club is a committee that allows employees to take ownership of our workplace culture and be directly involved in our cultural evolution. To further drive engagement, he ensures managers are well-equipped to support their teams through regular training that promotes effective, compassionate leadership. “When managers are empowered to lead, they can better support their teams, which directly impacts engagement,” he notes.
With his people-first strategy and unwavering focus on purposeful growth, Kyle is positioning Planet42 as a workplace that not only thrives on innovation but also champions its employees’ professional development and wellbeing. “I’m confident that, by providing growth opportunities, focusing on recognition, and supporting work-life balance, we can make Planet42 a place where top talent wants to stay and grow,” he concludes.
