General Manager - Legal Affairs & Technology and Enablement Functions

MTN Group; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1 500 000 - 2 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in Johannesburg is seeking a General Manager for Legal Affairs in Technology & Enablement. This role involves strategic legal leadership across multiple sectors, ensuring compliance and enabling efficient technology deployment. Candidates should possess extensive experience in corporate law, leadership in legal affairs, and a strong understanding of the fintech ecosystem. The position requires a minimum of 10 years' legal experience and a tertiary law degree. A postgraduate qualification is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years post-qualification experience in commercial or corporate law.
• At least 4-5 years’ experience in a senior legal leadership role.
• Experience in financial services, fintech, banking, or digital platforms preferred.
• Proven experience operating in multi-country or multinational environments.
• Deep understanding of fintech & digital ecosystem, players, business models and industry related best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal input into Group Fintech technology and platform strategies.
• Support development and implementation of enterprise policies and frameworks.
• Monitor legal performance metrics and risk indicators.
• Provide legal advisory support to HR, Finance, Risk, and other functions.
• Identify and manage legal risks arising from technology operations.

Skills

Commercial or corporate law expertise

Leadership in legal affairs

Understanding of fintech and digital ecosystems

Strong negotiation skills

Multi-country regulatory knowledge

Education

Minimum 4-year tertiary degree in Law

Postgraduate qualification (LLM, MBA, or equivalent)

Job description

The General Manager: Legal Affairs (Technology & Enablement) is responsible for providing strategic, proactive, and scalable legal leadership across Group Fintech’s technology, platform, and enablement functions. The role supports the Chief Legal Officer in defining and executing the Group Fintech legal strategy as it relates to technology platforms, digital infrastructure, data, cybersecurity, and enterprise enablement functions, including HR, Finance, Risk, Procurement, Company Secretariat, and shared services. The role ensures that legal risk is effectively managed while enabling secure, compliant, and efficient deployment of technology, data, and operating models across multiple markets. It provides legal oversight and advisory support for platform transformation, vendor ecosystems, outsourcing arrangements, data governance, and internal enterprise frameworks.

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Provide legal input into Group Fintech technology, platform, and operating model strategies.
• In collaboration with the Chief Legal Officer, define and execute the Legal Affairs strategy for Technology and Enablement functions.
• Develop scalable legal frameworks, policies, and standards that support digital transformation and enterprise enablement across OpCos.
• Regularly review the Legal Affairs roadmap to ensure alignment with evolving technology, regulatory, data protection, and cyber risk landscapes.

Operational Delivery

Functional Leadership

• As the functional leader for Legal Affairs (Technology & Enablement), the role is accountable to:
• Establish, monitor, and align the direction, strategy, and outcomes of the legal support provided to technology and enablement functions.
• Drive an integrated, commercially aware legal advisory model that enables platform modernisation and operational efficiency.
• Monitor legal performance metrics and risk indicators across technology and enterprise domains.
• Drive continuous improvement in legal processes supporting digital, data, and enterprise operations.

Technology, Platforms & Data

• Provide legal advisory support on technology platforms, cloud services, APIs, systems integration, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Oversee drafting, review, and negotiation of technology contracts, including SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, managed services, and outsourcing agreements.
• Define and maintain standard legal frameworks for vendor onboarding, platform partnerships, and technology procurement.
• Provide legal input into data governance, privacy, cross-border data transfers, AI usage, and cybersecurity frameworks.

Enablement Functions Legal Support

• Provide legal advisory support to HR, Finance, Risk, Company Secretariat, Procurement, and shared services.
• Support development and implementation of enterprise policies, frameworks, and operating models.
• Advise on employment law, labour relations, remuneration structures, and workforce transformation initiatives in collaboration with HR.
• Provide legal oversight for procurement strategies, vendor frameworks, and third‑party risk management.

Legal Risk & Compliance Enablement

• Identify and manage legal risks arising from technology operations, data usage, outsourcing, and enterprise enablement activities.
• Support alignment with Group governance frameworks, Delegation of Authority, and internal control environments.
• Monitor regulatory and legislative developments impacting technology, data, labour, and enterprise operations.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years post‑qualification experience in commercial or corporate law.
• At least 4–5 years’ experience in a senior legal leadership role.
• Experience within financial services, fintech, banking, or digital platforms preferred.
• Proven experience operating in multi‑country or multinational environments.
• Exposure to complex commercial transactions, partnerships, and regulatory environments.
• A minimum of 4 years’ experience in defining and executing legal affairs strategies, policies, and frameworks in a scalable/large scale Financial Services and/or Consumer Finance multi‑country environment.
• Considerable exposure and participation in negotiations and drafting of highly complex transactions documents (locally and internationally).
• Deep understanding of Fintech & digital ecosystem, players, business models and industry related best practices.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, self‑driven and ability to motivate a fast‑paced team.
• English speaker. French, Portuguese, Zulu, Swahili, and other African languages a plus.

Functional Knowledge

• Legislative Management & Monitoring.
• Legal Risk Management.
• Technology & IT Law.
• Data Protection & Privacy.
• Cybersecurity & Digital Risk.
• Litigation – General/ Class action / Investigation.
• M&A Legal advisory.
• Legal Due Diligence.
• Negotiation & Deal review.
• Legal Analysis.
• Dispute Management.
• Labor & Employment law.
• IP law & Legislation.
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• Minimum 4‑year tertiary degree in Law.
• Postgraduate qualification (LLM, MBA, or equivalent) advantageous.
• Admitted Attorney / Advocate with relevant professional registration.

General Manager Legal Affairs Technology and Enablement Functions • Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa