Head Card and Acquiring

African Bank; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bank in South Africa is seeking a Head of Card Issuing and Acceptance to drive strategic development and performance optimization of card operations. The ideal candidate will have extensive banking experience, especially in card products and merchant acquiring. Responsibilities include overseeing product management, ensuring compliance, and leading a high-performing team to innovate within the payments space.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of experience in banking, at least 5 in a senior leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of cards and acquiring business models.
• Familiarity with payment systems and fintech trends.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of card issuing and acceptance strategy.
• Oversee lifecycle management of card products.
• Ensure robust compliance and risk management.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Commercial outcomes

Digital payments innovation

Education

Postgraduate degree in Business Administration/Finance/Marketing

MBA or equivalent preferred

Job description

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

To lead the strategic development, operational execution, and performance optimization of the bank’s card issuing and acceptance business operations. Responsible for ownership of the credit, debit, and prepaid card product lines, as well as merchant acquiring and payment acceptance infrastructure and operations. Develop growth plans for both issuing and acquiring/acceptance arms, ensuring market competitiveness and customer-centricity.

Support growth in customer acquisition, transaction volume, and profitability while maintaining regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction, and risk management.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Postgraduate degree in Business Administration/ Finance/ Marketing, or a related field; MBA or postgraduate qualification preferred
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in banking, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role in card issuing or merchant acquiring. Deep knowledge of cards and acquiring business models, technologies, and economics
• Deep knowledge of payment systems, card network rules, digital payments, and emerging fintech trends
• Ability to develop and deliver on strategic plans with strong commercial outcomes
• Strong strategic thinking with strong commercial and financial acumen
• Strong orientation toward digitisation and payments innovation (tokenization, SoftPOS, virtual cards)
• In-depth understanding of card issuing (credit, debit, prepaid) and merchant acquiring (POS, e-commerce)
• Familiarity with scheme rules (Visa, Mastercard, etc.), interchange models, and payment processing platforms
• Experience in card product development, merchant strategy, and fintech partnership models

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the card issuing and acceptance strategy in line with the bank’s overall retail and commercial banking goals.
• Lead the design and rollout of innovative card and payment products, ensuring competitiveness and market relevance.
• Foster partnerships with card networks (e.g., Visa, Mastercard), fintechs, and payment processors to drive product evolution and market reach

Card Product Management

• Oversee the lifecycle management of card product features, and digital enablement (e.g., tokenization, digital wallets)
• Monitor market trends and customer needs to refine product propositions and user experience
• Integrate card and acquiring platforms into the bank’s broader digital ecosystem (mobile apps, BNPL)

Merchant Acquiring and Acceptance

• Drive growth in merchant acceptance by expanding point-of-sale (POS) and e-commerce acquiring capabilities
• Ensure seamless onboarding, transaction processing, and support for merchants.
• Expand the bank’s merchant base capability (physical and digital) across POS, e-commerce, QR, tap-to-pay, and SoftPOS platforms
• Manage onboarding, settlement cycles, and compliance
• Enhance merchant experience via simplified processes, self-service tools, and integrated reportingx1x11

Operational Oversight

• Ensure robust card issuance operations, including KYC compliance, fulfilment, activation, fraud monitoring, and dispute resolution.
• Lead initiatives to digitize and streamline card lifecycle processes for efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Risk and Compliance

• Maintain adherence to internal policies, regulatory standards, and international card scheme requirements.
• Work closely with compliance, fraud prevention, and information security teams to mitigate operational and financial risks.

Performance Management

• Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) including card base growth, spend per card, merchant acquisition, and net revenue.
• Manage budgets and cost efficiency across the Issuing and Acceptance function.

Team Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer centricity.
• Provide mentorship, training, and career development opportunities for team members.