Head of Design Manager

Mama Money; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A growth-stage fintech startup in Cape Town is seeking a Head of Design. This pivotal role involves setting design strategy, leading a creative team, and driving brand consistency. The ideal candidate has over 10 years in design, with extensive experience leading teams and managing budgets. Mama Money values purposeful work, aiming to enhance customer experiences and community impact. Join a passionate team dedicated to making a difference in the financial ecosystem.

Benefits

Flexible work environment

Team-building activities

Opportunity to make a social impact

Qualifications

• 10+ years of design experience, 8 years leading teams.
• Experience managing agencies and large budgets.
• Proven ability to shape visual identity.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic design direction aligned with brand.
• Lead and mentor the design team.
• Manage design operations and budgets.

Skills

Design leadership

Budget management

Team collaboration

Brand strategy

Creative direction

Job description

Who we are:

Mama Money is a growth-stage fintech startup working to help migrant workers in South Africa send money home. Since 2015, we have been providing reliable remittances, at a socially fair price, to those who need it most. Mama HQ is in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa.

We are 150 people strong (and counting) from 19 countries across Africa, Asia, the UK, and Europe. Our culture is built around the well-being of our team members and making a difference in our communities. “Just be lekker!” personifies our approach to work: we trust the wisdom of our talented and diverse team to do what is best for our customers and get the job done responsibly, without pedantic policies.

We’ve been around since 2015 and have earned a few accolades along the way, made some new friends, and expanded our reach. We’ve had some great times and some tough times, but we continue to focus on helping people and making things easier for our customers.

Mama Money is evolving from a remittance service into a full-service financial ecosystem where customers can send, manage, and grow their money with confidence. As part of this evolution, we’re looking for a strategic, operationally strong, and creatively driven Head of Design to build and elevate our design function. Your mission is to ensure that design becomes a key driver of customer trust, brand consistency, and commercial impact across the business.

Reporting to the Head of Digital & Marketing, you will lead a growing team of designers, manage agencies and production partners, and work closely with marketing, product, and operations to ensure design excellence across all customer touchpoints.

As our Head of Design, you will:

• Set the strategic direction for design at Mama Money, ensuring that creative output aligns with brand positioning and customer needs.
• Lead, mentor, and grow our design team across motion, brand, and visual design, fostering a creative, collaborative, and high‑performing environment.
• Own and optimise end‑to‑end design operations, establishing processes, tools, and workflows that improve efficiency, predictability, and quality across the business.
• Manage creative agencies and production partners, ensuring work is delivered on time, on brand, and within budget.
• Drive the evolution of Mama Money’s visual identity, ensuring consistency across the App, Website, marketing campaigns, agent materials, and customer communications.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to translate complex requirements into clear creative briefs and high‑impact design solutions.
• Oversee major campaigns and brand moments, providing creative direction while empowering the team to execute beautifully.
• Steward large design and brand production budgets, ensuring cost‑effective delivery.
• Champion customer insights and cultural relevance, working closely with regional teams to ensure all design feels local, authentic, and reflective of our diverse customer base.
• Advocate for design as a business driver, presenting work clearly, measuring impact, and ensuring design plays a meaningful role in acquisition, engagement, and trust‑building.
• Bring energy, creativity, rigour, and fun while making a real impact! 🚀

About you:

• You have 10+ years of experience in design, with at least 8 years leading creative teams or design operations.
• You’ve managed agencies, external partners, and sizeable design/production budgets.
• You bring experience in shaping and elevating visual identity, not just producing assets.
• You understand brand, product, and marketing design, and how to tie creativity to commercial outcomes.
• You’re a confident leader who sets clear expectations, gives constructive feedback, and creates an environment where designers can grow.
• You’re organised, calm, and operationally strong.
• You love building processes that make teams faster and more effective.
• You collaborate naturally with product, marketing, operations, and senior leadership, and can present work and rationale clearly.
• You are motivated by purpose‑driven work and committed to creating design that respects, represents and delights our communities.
• You’re excited to help build something bigger than yourself.

In your first 90 days at Mama Money, you will:

• Align stakeholders around a clear vision for design and how it supports Mama Money’s brand evolution and growth strategy.
• Audit the current design ecosystem: customer touchpoints, campaign materials, workflows, agency relationships, and identify immediate opportunities to elevate quality and consistency.
• Build strong relationships with your team and cross‑functional partners, establishing rituals and ways of working that scale.
• Map out design operations needs (tools, processes, systems) and start implementing improvements to unlock higher output and clarity.
• Establish performance measures for design (quality, delivery, impact), and present a roadmap for the next 6–12 months.
• Take ownership of large‑scale creative initiatives and help steer Mama Money’s next phase of brand visibility, perception and customer trust.

Why Mama?

At Mama Money, we’re not just a company—we’re a movement. Everything we do is driven by one purpose: to make life better for our customers and the communities we serve. Our customers are our heartbeat, and they inspire every step we take.

We’re all about making it easy. No red tape, no hassle. Just simple, seamless experiences that put people first, we’re here to make things easier, faster, and better for you.

We believe in giving it a go—and then giving it another go if we have to! We're a team of doers, dreamers, and innovators who aren't afraid to break the mold. We take bold steps, experiment with fresh ideas, and never stop learning.

At Mama Money, we own it—and we mean it. We take responsibility for our actions, our results, and how we show up every day. No passing the buck here. We approach every challenge with grit, passion, and determination.

Here’s the best part: Mama Money is a place that truly cares. We care about the trust our customers place in us. We care about our amazing team who bring their best every day. And we care about making an impact in the world, doing the right thing no matter what.

When you join Mama Money, you’re joining a community. We’re a passionate, down‑to‑earth crew that works hard and celebrates wins along the way. We take our work seriously, but we don’t forget to have fun while we do it.

So, if you’re ready to make a real difference, take on exciting challenges, and grow in a place where you’re valued and supported, then Mama Money is the place for you. Let’s make an impact—together.

Mama’s values:

• 1. Making it easier for our customers
• 2. Give it a go
• 3. Just own it