Rize Claassen is an admitted attorney and a leading practitioner in employment and labour law, with more than 11 years of specialist experience and six years in senior leadership roles shaping enterprise-wide Employee Relations (ER) strategy across South Africa and the Rest of Africa. Her career is defined by deep legal expertise, strategic influence at executive level and the ability to translate complex labour frameworks into pragmatic solutions that strengthen organisational culture, governance and risk resilience.

Rize currently serves as Senior Vice President: Employee Relations at MultiChoice Group, where she leads the Group’s ER portfolio, governance structures and risk frameworks. She is a trusted adviser to the executive committee, providing counsel on complex ER matters, organisational change, labour disputes and regulatory compliance. She is currently playing an integral part in the organisational integration process following the CANAL+ acquisition of MultiChoice in 2025.

A central part of her mandate is navigating the legal and operational realities of a large, multi-country workforce. Rize also oversees Workplace Forum engagements, ensuring constructive social partnership and effective dispute resolution.

Prior to her executive appointment, Rize led key interventions in misconduct, incapacity, performance management and ill-health matters, and oversaw external legal disputes for the organisation. She also played a pivotal role in various organisational changes and business transactions across the corporation.

Rize’s earlier career includes gaining valuable ER experience at Barloworld Equipment, where she managed ER matters across Southern Africa.

She began her legal career by completing her legal clerkship at Norton Rose Fulbright, before specialising in employment and labour law at Maserumule Inc. Attorneys as an Associate Attorney.

Recognised for her impact, Rize has received MultiChoice’s HR Employee of the Year Award and holds membership of the Law Society of South Africa. She graduated LL.B. (cum laude) from Nelson Mandela University.