Commercial Manager

Lesaka Technologies; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 800 000 - 1 100 000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic technology company is seeking a Commercial Manager to oversee the onboarding and monetisation of key clients. You will lead the integration process, ensure pricing strategies fit commercial needs, and work collaboratively across teams to drive profitability and client success. Ideal candidates will have 8–10 years of industry experience and a strong understanding of B2B2C models. This role is based in Cape Town and is hybrid.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years in fintech, tech, FMCG, payments, or enterprise software.
• Proven experience in partner onboarding and technical integration.
• Strong understanding of digital channels and reseller networks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the onboarding and monetisation of upstream clients.
• Own the commercial lifecycle from deal sign-off to monetisation.
• Design pricing models and cost structures for margin sustainability.

Skills

Relationship Management

Financial Management

Project Management

Systems Integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or similar

MBA

Tools

Salesforce

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Job Title

Commercial Manager

Location

Cape Town / Johannesburg, South Africa (Hybrid)

Function

Commercial

Reports to

Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

Role Purpose

The Commercial Manager leads the onboarding and monetisation of upstream clients, including Tier 1 retailers, banks, and other high-volume resellers of the company's digital products (airtime, data, electricity, vouchers, bill payments). The role serves as a strategic “traffic controller” – orchestrating go‑live readiness across technical integration, commercial agreements, compliance, and support frameworks to ensure clients go live fast, profitably, and sustainably. The Commercial Manager works hand‑in‑hand with the Customer Experience Manager, translating commercial opportunities into execution while maintaining a rigorous focus on profitability, integration quality, and cross‑functional delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Commercialisation Strategy – Own the commercial lifecycle from deal sign‑off to monetisation, ensuring the business captures full commercial value.
• Onboarding & Integration Leadership – Lead the integration and onboarding of new large partners, coordinating across Product, Tech, Ops, Legal, and Compliance.
• Commercial Viability & Pricing – Design pricing models and cost structures with Finance to ensure margin sustainability and commercial fit per channel.
• Technical Enablement – Translate commercial and CX requirements into technical briefs; work closely with tech & product teams on integration readiness.
• Delivery Oversight – Chair weekly readiness forums to track onboarding status of key accounts.
• Anticipate and Unblock Bottlenecks – Identify and remove obstacles to maintain a smooth onboarding journey.
• Commercial Forecasting & Pipeline Management – Collaborate with Sales to turn pipeline opportunities into integrated, active clients.
• Monitor Monetisation Post‑Launch – Track revenue and profitability after go‑live to ensure targets are met.
• Channel Economics & Revenue Attribution – Develop commercial performance dashboards, tracking ARPU, margin, and time‑to‑revenue per partner.

Key Competencies

• Relationship Management – influences senior clients and internal teams to drive coordinated onboarding success.
• System Design – shapes the functional onboarding blueprint in collaboration with Product and Tech.
• Financial Management – defines pricing strategies, margin targets, and commercial feasibility of partner models.
• Measurement and Metrics – owns reporting and metrics around onboarding timelines, profitability, and conversion.
• Project Management – oversees project delivery across teams with clear timelines, escalation routes, and accountability.
• Systems Integration – oversees the client‑side technical integration with APIs, platforms, and transactional systems.
• Stakeholder and Change Management – aligns cross‑functional stakeholders to deliver fast and effective commercialisation.

Experience & Qualifications

8–10 years in fintech, tech, FMCG, payments, or enterprise software. Proven experience in partner onboarding, technical integration, and commercial contract execution. Strong understanding of digital channels, B2B2C models, and reseller networks. Ability to interpret APIs, system flows, and technical documentation. Advanced skills in Excel, CRM, dashboards (e.g., Salesforce, Power BI).

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or similar. MBA advantageous.

Behaviours & Values

Operates at the intersection of strategy, technology, and execution. Strong project owner - holds timelines, aligns stakeholders, drives accountability. Commercially astute and customer‑centric. Hands‑on, solution‑focused, and unafraid to “get into the detail.” Skilled at managing ambiguity and trade‑offs.