Business Development Manager

Talent Match; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Match Africa is recruiting a Business Development Manager for an international digital services client. You will lead growth across Africa by opening new operator partnerships, identifying and building the case for new markets, and guiding deals from first conversation to commercial launch.

You will travel regularly to meet operators and work with management, technical and legal teams. Fluent English is required; French is a strong advantage.

Qualifications

• Proven business development experience in telecom or digital services.
• Existing network among African mobile operators.
• Track record of opening new commercial relationships and closing deals.
• Understanding of carrier billing and operator digital services.
• Fluent English; French is advantageous.
• Willingness to travel regularly across Africa.

Responsibilities

• New operator partnerships (main focus): identify, approach and negotiate with mobile operators and aggregators in new and existing markets.
• Deal follow-through: coordinate with technical and legal teams to launch services and close agreements.
• Reporting: maintain a clear pipeline and report progress to management, sharing market insights.

Skills

Business development

Operator network

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Job description

Talent Match Africa connects experienced professionals in Africa (just like you!) with international employers from around the world (places like the USA, Australia, the UK, India, and Europe). Since 2016, we've been providing employability services to professionals across technology, finance, digital marketing, graphic design, and more. We currently have several permanent roles available at our offices in Johannesburg (Sandton) and Durban (Umhlanga), working for incredible international companies.

About the Role

We are recruiting a Business Development Manager on behalf of our client, an international digital services company that partners with mobile operators to deliver value-added and digital services across Africa. In this role, you'll lead the company's growth on the continent by opening new operator partnerships, identifying and building the case for new markets, and seeing deals through from first conversation to commercial launch. You'll work closely with our client's management, technical and legal teams, and travel regularly to meet operators and partners across Africa.

Key Responsibilities

New operator partnerships (main focus)

• Identify and approach mobile operators and aggregators the company does not yet work with, both in new countries and in countries where it is already present.
• Present the company's services, lead commercial discussions, and negotiate and close agreements.
• Build long-term relationships with key decision-makers at operator groups.
• Assess new African markets based on market size, operator landscape, payment infrastructure and revenue potential.
• Recommend which markets and operators to prioritise, and build the business case for each.
• Identify local commercial partners that can support growth, such as payment providers and content partners.

Deal follow-through

• Coordinate with the technical team on integration (billing and subscription flows) through to launch.
• Work with the legal team to ensure agreements and services meet local telecom and digital-service regulations.

Reporting

• Maintain a clear pipeline of opportunities and report progress to management regularly.
• Share market insights, competitor activity and new opportunities.

Requirements

• Proven business development experience in telecom, ideally in Value-Added Services (VAS) or digital services sold through mobile operators.
• An existing network among African mobile operators.
• A track record of opening new commercial relationships and closing deals.
• Understanding of carrier billing and how operator digital services work.
• Fluent English; French is a strong advantage for Francophone markets.
• Willingness to travel regularly across Africa.

To Be Successful, You'll Need To

• Work on-site at our offices in Durban (Umhlanga) or Johannesburg (Sandton), with non-traditional local hours to align with our client's international team.
• Be comfortable travelling regularly across Africa to meet operators, partners and decision-makers in person.
• Be a confident, persuasive communicator who can lead senior-level negotiations and build trust quickly.
• Think commercially and analytically, turning market research into clear, prioritised business cases.
• Take ownership of deals end to end, keeping technical, legal and commercial workstreams moving through to launch.
• Stay organised and transparent, keeping your pipeline up to date and reporting progress clearly.
• Work independently and proactively, spotting opportunities before they're obvious.

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance our clients' businesses and their culture. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

AI experience isn't required for every role, but if you use AI to complement your work, we'd love to know how! Want to build your AI skills? Complete the free Claude courses through Anthropic Academy: Anthropic Academy