Country Head / Head of Commercial – South Africa (Telecom / Digital / Product)

Avatar Advisory - Avatar Human Capital; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 500 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic telecom-services company is seeking a Country Head / Head of Commercial to lead operations in South Africa. This strategic role involves full P&L ownership, leading a local team, and driving commercial growth. Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in telecommunications, with a proven track record in product management and stakeholder engagement. This position offers an innovative environment with opportunities for impactful leadership in a growing market.

Benefits

Opportunity to shape business direction

Profit and loss ownership

Freedom to innovate and build a team

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in telecommunications / ICT / digital.
• Proven commercial drive with a track record of profitability targets.
• Leadership experience and ability to build a local team.

Responsibilities

• Full P&L accountability for assigned clients, ensuring profitability.
• Recruit and lead a high-performing local operations team.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders at major telcos.

Skills

Telecommunications experience

Product management

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Commercial acumen

Job description

Position: Country Head / Head of Commercial – South Africa (Telecom / Digital / Product)

Location: Johannesburg / Gauteng (South Africa) — hybrid/remote option possible

About us
We are a dynamic telecom-services company seeking to expand our footprint in South Africa. We deliver innovative digital / IT / telecom solutions to enterprise and corporate clients.

Role Overview

We seek an experienced senior leader to take full P&L ownership per client, lead our local team, and drive commercial growth. This is a strategic leadership role with responsibility for client acquisition, delivery, team building, and market expansion.

Key Responsibilities

• Full P&L accountability for assigned clients; ensure profitability and financial targets are met.
• Recruit, lead, and grow a high-performing local operations & commercial team.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders at major telcos and enterprise clients.
• Manage the full pipeline — from opportunity identification, through RFP response, to contract closure and delivery.
• Oversee proposal preparation (technical + commercial), project execution and delivery quality.
• Drive innovation initiatives to expand the opportunity pipeline.
• Plan and conduct roadshows and market-outreach campaigns to promote our solutions.

Required Background & Skills

• 10+ years’ experience in telecommunications / ICT / digital — ideally with major SA telcos (e.g. Telkom, Vodacom, MTN).
• Strong product management, customer-value management (CVM), or digital/IT transformation experience.
• Proven commercial drive — track record of hitting revenue / profitability targets.
• P&L responsibility or equivalent commercial leadership experience.
• Leadership experience — ability to build and lead a local team.
• Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation, and business-development skills.
• Resilience, strategic thinking, and commercial acumen.

Why join us?

• An opportunity to lead and shape the business in South Africa from early stages.
• Real profit‑and‑loss ownership — not just a managerial role.
• Freedom to innovate, build a team, and influence the company’s growth trajectory.