To lead The Oil Mill as a thriving, profitable hospitality and retail destination on the N2 — one that turns first-time passers-by into regulars, and regulars into locals who bring their friends. The General Manager owns the full guest journey across the restaurant, guesthouse, Factory Shop, padel court and events, and is accountable for growing revenue, guest satisfaction and team culture year on year, while championing The Oil Mill’s role as a source of pride for SOILL, Swellendam and the wider canola-farming community.
The Opportunity
This is a rare kind of hospitality role. The Oil Mill isn’t a branch of a big chain — it’s a real business with history, backing, purpose and enormous potential, and we’re looking for the person who can unlock it. You’ll have the freedom to run it like it’s yours: to spot the gap, make the call, and watch the results land in the till, the guest reviews, and the Factory Shop shelves. If you’ve ever looked at a restaurant, guesthouse or shop and thought “I could make this so much better” — this is the job where you get to prove it.
About The Oil Mill
Housed in a national monument dating back to 1840, right on the N2 in Swellendam, The Oil Mill is an eatery, Factory Shop and guesthouse rolled into one — and soon, a padel court too. The Oil Mill is owned by the Canola Development Company, which is in turn owned by the SOILL Canola Development Trust — connecting this hospitality business directly to SOILL’s broader development story. The kitchen and the shop shelves tell the same authentic, local story as SOILL’s B-well and African Gold brands: real food, honestly priced, made with oil pressed a few kilometres away. Eat. Shop. Stay. Play. — under one roof, one story.
Backed by SOILL. Rooted in Swellendam.
The Canola Development Company is owned by the SOILL Canola Development Trust — a broad-based empowerment structure whose ultimate beneficiaries are the farmworkers of SOILL’s canola producers, through initiatives like CanoLees (literacy) and CanoTel (numeracy). Here, commercial success has a bigger purpose: creating value for the business, for Swellendam and for the people connected to the canola industry.
This Is a Role For Someone Who…
Notices the empty table before the guest does, and sees a promotion. Sees a padel court, and sees a league. Meets a local producer, and sees a partnership. Meets a young person, and sees potential. Someone who treats the front-of-house team as partners, not order-takers — leading with trust, not a to-do list. They want to build a business, not just run one.
This isn’t a job to fix The Oil Mill. It’s an opportunity to unlock what it could become.
Someone who wants to make The Oil Mill thrive.
Lead, Grow & Make It Happen
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Take true ownership of The Oil Mill’s performance across the restaurant, guesthouse, Factory Shop, padel court and events — spotting opportunities and acting on them, not waiting for permission.
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Turn The Oil Mill’s story — provenance, heritage, community — into a business that grows year on year.
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Apply problem-solving and “thinking on your feet” skills to resolve challenges and keep momentum going.
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Participate in CAPEX projects, upgrades and improvement initiatives, including the new padel court and future development plans.
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Streamline operations and identify gaps in internal controls, procedures and working methods.
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Implement and manage key performance indicators, metrics and operational reporting.
2. Create an Exceptional Guest Experience
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Ensure a high-quality guest experience across the restaurant, guesthouse, Factory Shop, padel court and events — accessible and family-friendly, never precious.
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Improve customer satisfaction, guest reviews, complaint handling and repeat business — the true measure of The Oil Mill’s promise as Swellendam’s honest pit stop.
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Set the right tone for every guest who walks in — the family off the N2, the local regular, the international visitor — so everyone feels like they’re in the right place.
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Maintain quality control, SOP compliance and service standards that guests notice — and come back for.
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Run daily front-of-house, guesthouse, Factory Shop and padel court operations so every guest, every time, gets the warm, unhurried welcome we want The Oil Mill to be known for.
3. Build The Oil Mill as a Destination
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Drive functions, conferences, weddings, padel leagues, tournaments and corporate events that fill the calendar and the guesthouse.
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Turn every dish and every shelf into part of the same story: name B-well and African Gold ingredients on the menu, then sell the bottle in the Factory Shop next door — the restaurant-to-retail loop no other stop on the N2 can offer.
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Grow social media presence and guest-generated content, working with SOILL Marketing to build The Oil Mill’s own distinct identity within the wider SOILL family of brands.
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Champion the canola fields as more than a view — as the backdrop and the story guests take home with them.
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Develop menu updates, seasonal pricing, promotions, hampers and new revenue ideas that put B-well and African Gold products front and centre.
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Keep housekeeping, maintenance, equipment, court standards, merchandising and product displays consistently guest-ready.
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Manage booking platforms, court booking systems, food order deliveries, guest arrivals and departures, and all related guest-facing processes.
4. Connect The Oil Mill to Swellendam
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Build relationships with tour operators, local producers, schools, clubs and Swellendam businesses — bringing the town’s talent and stories onto the menu and into the calendar.
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Look for ways The Oil Mill’s commercial success can unlock opportunities for local people — through partnerships, training, hospitality experience, local suppliers, school initiatives and community programmes.
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Act as a visible, values-led custodian of The Oil Mill’s place within the SOILL family — proud host to the B-well and African Gold brands, and proud representative of a business rooted in Swellendam.
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Represent The Oil Mill as a source of genuine pride — for guests passing through on the N2, for the Swellendam community, and for SOILL colleagues at the factory just down the road.
5. Grow and Empower the Team
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Coach and mentor the team regularly, empowering people to own their part of the guest experience rather than simply following instructions.
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Ensure development plans, training and succession planning are in place to grow The Oil Mill’s own future managers from within.
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Delegate responsibilities relating to shifts, training, guest relations and team structure with trust, not with a to-do list.
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Allocate resources appropriately to meet operational demands while protecting a calm, well-run atmosphere for guests and staff alike.
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Communicate team events, activities, operational changes and expectations clearly and consistently — so the whole team is pulling in the same direction.
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Ensure overall compliance with relevant procedures and policies, including clearly defined job profiles for every team member.
6. Run a Strong, Profitable Business
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Prepare annual budgets, analyse weekly sales, monitor departmental profitability and report on monthly KPIs.
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Achieve sales, gross profit and revenue targets while controlling employee, stock and operating costs.
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Cost products and services accurately and maintain appropriate pricing controls.
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Place orders with suppliers and service providers and submit invoices for payment.
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Approve overtime and tips for payment and manage limited petty cash reconciliations where applicable.
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Actively manage accounts receivable, accounts payable, internal controls and financial procedures.
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Ensure effective stock rotation, stock ordering, stock-taking processes and inventory accuracy.
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Control stock, shrinkage, waste and related reporting across operating areas.
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Manage supplier relationships — including hyperlocal Swellendam producers where possible — and ensure ordering efficiency.
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Oversee stock takes of food, beverages, cutlery, retail products and other operational stock items.
7. Protect Standards, Safety & Compliance
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Maintain general housekeeping, hygiene, equipment maintenance and workplace safety standards.
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Ensure compliance with Soill safety policies, procedures, hygiene rules and applicable protective clothing requirements.
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Participate in safety meetings, safety talks, committees and relevant safety forums.
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Follow up on safety actions assigned through meetings, committees, representatives or management.
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Report all safety incidents to the relevant people and distribute safety information when required.
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Attend safety education and refresher programmes and ensure annual COA compliance.
Qualification and Experience
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5+ years’ relevant experience in hospitality, restaurant or retail management — ideally including a track record of growing revenue, not just maintaining it
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Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the confidence to treat the business like your own
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Solid experience in restaurant and accommodation management; retail or events experience is a strong advantage
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Knowledge of POS, reservations and stock management systems
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Driver’s licence and own transport
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Computer literate (MS Office Suite).
Knowledge, Skills and Attributes
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Commercially driven — sees opportunities and knows how to turn them into results.
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Entrepreneurial — takes initiative, makes decisions and owns outcomes.
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Hospitality-minded — understands that the guest experience is the business.
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People-centred — builds capable teams through trust, accountability and development.
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Community-connected — enjoys building relationships and creating local partnerships.
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Resilient and energetic — can turn potential into momentum even when things aren’t perfect.
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