Financial Accountant

Sanlam Limited; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in South Africa is seeking a Financial Manager to oversee business expense targets and financial operations. The ideal candidate will have a relevant financial degree, at least 4 years of experience in cost management, and proficiency in SAP S4/HANA. Responsibilities include budget forecasting, expense reporting, and process improvement. This position offers growth opportunities and a diverse working environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years experience in cost management preferably on SAP S4 Hana.
• Experience in financial reporting and cost management is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage and report on business expense targets.
• Approval of local and international payments on SAP.
• Monthly reporting – Budget vs Forecast.
• Create provisions and accruals for transactions not yet processed.

Skills

Strong analytical and conceptual thinking

Financial acumen

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Self‑motivated / disciplined

Strong Excel skills

Education

Relevant Financial degree with accounting as a major

Tools

SAP S4/HANA

MS Office (Outlook, MS teams)

JIRA workflow system

Job description

The Sanlam Live and Savings cluster is responsible for Sanlam’s retail business in South Africa. This cluster provides clients across different market segments (entry‑level, middle‑income, affluent, professional market and business owners) with a comprehensive range of appropriate and competitive financial solutions. These include traditional life insurance risk and savings products, investment, retirement, health and fiduciary services. Designed to facilitate long‑term wealth creation, protection and niche financing, these solutions are engineered around client needs.

As we Live in Confidence™ we believe in creating and cultivating a positive, energised working environment that gives you every opportunity to achieve success. Sanlam is committed to transformation and embracing diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse workplace with employment equity as a key goal to create an inclusive workforce, representative of the demographics of our society as well as people with disabilities.

Job Purpose: This role reports to the Finance Manager in Sanlam Life and Savings cluster : Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer. The role is responsible for managing of and reporting on business expense targets, ensuring ongoing operations are financially sound, gather information for reporting purposes, give management insights on results and ensure operations are within the SLS governance framework. This role also assists with financial accounting, controls, budgeting and reporting of expenses attributable to the SLS CTO & COO business area as well as the Consolidated SLS IT Reporting.

What will make you successful in this role?

• Ensure that manual bank transactions are updated into SAP (where applicable)
• Approval of local and international payments on SAP – SES / PR / PO / FI
• Pro‑active management and control of control Accounts – ie GR/IR and Down Payments
• Solving financial enquiries and problems in an effective and timely manner.
• Provide proposals towards continued improvement of current processes.
• Administration, planning and organising of work to ensure successful and on time delivery.
• Processing and approval of journals.
• Create provisions and accruals for transactions not yet processed.
• Controlling of and reporting on provisions and accruals
• Support business with SAP 4 Hana.
• Create awareness in business of the effect of open items on control accounts ie GR/IR and Down payments.
• Budget and Forecasting
• Monthly preparations / maintaining of reporting file – ie add any new materials / accounts / Cost Centres
• Compile monthly a condensed reporting file that summarize the expenses in a noticeable view
• Monthly update of HR file – in time check for any variances
• Monthly Extract of IT MIS report including Cloud expenses – in time check for any variances and initiate corrections. Communicate required SRS’s to be logged with relevant department
• Monthly reporting – Budget vs Forecast
• Monthly connection with Business Heads to discuss Budgets / Forecast adjustments
• Yearly budget process – preparing input – connect with Business heads to provide any changes to current Forecast
• Yearly load of new budgets
• Ad hoc tasks (where required)
• Monthly Cost Allocations and Capacity recoveries
• Monthly controls – CSA for allocated profit centres
• MDG Support on creating Inter Company / materials
• Quarterly compile Functional Costs to Group
• Quarterly compile the Consolidated SLS IT Expense report
• Provide inputs when required to Scorecard, TCF & Risk reporting
• Monthly Review of JIRA reports and compare to PPO billing to ensure accuracy of capacity recoveries / billing

Role Requirements

Qualifications and experience:

• Relevant Financial degree with accounting as a major
• Minimum 4 years experience in cost management preferably on SAP S4 Hana

Knowledge:

• Strong Excel skills
• MS Office (Outlook, MS teams) experience
• Financial Reporting & Cost management
• SAP S4/HANA experience preferable
• PPO billing system will be advantageous
• JIRA workflow system will be advantageous
• IT environment will be advantageous

Core Competencies:

• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking
• Financial acumen
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for interacting with business stakeholders
• Ability to work independently and is action orientated
• Self‑motivated / disciplined
• Manage complexity of information and effectively solve problems
• Plans & aligns to ensure deadlines are met
• Takes ownership and accountability for deliverables
• Optimise work processes
• Takes ownership to learn and develop self
• Adapt approach to different demands and situations

Personal Attributes

• Decision quality - Contributing through others
• Financial acumen - Contributing through others
• Plans and aligns - Contributing through others
• Communicates effectively - Contributing through others

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Turnaround time

Closing Date: 12 November 2025

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.