Head of Markting

Initiate; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Initiate, a fast-growing operator in the sports betting and iGaming sector, is seeking a Head of Marketing to own strategy, player acquisition, brand growth and commercial performance in the South African market.

Reporting to the CEO, this senior role shapes the marketing operating model, manages the budget and ROI, and builds a scalable acquisition engine with data-driven decision making and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in performance marketing, growth or digital acquisition, ideally within iGaming, sports betting or another regulated digital consumer environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing CAC across multiple channels.
• Strong understanding of the South African market, including player behaviour and regulatory landscape.
• Commercially minded with ability to work with attribution models, cohort analysis and financial performance data.
• Proven ability to connect marketing activity directly to business and revenue outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the overall marketing strategy, including channel mix, audience targeting and go-to-market plans.
• Drive player acquisition across paid and organic social, SEO, affiliates, influencers, partnerships and other performance channels.
• Take ownership of CAC and LTV performance across acquisition channels and implement effective attribution measurement.
• Build, optimise and scale the affiliate programme as a key acquisition channel.
• Establish and strengthen the brand positioning with consistent customer experience across digital and retail channels.
• Lead campaigns from concept through to execution, ensuring alignment with promotional and CRM activity.
• Oversee creative and marketing content to ensure compliance with South African gambling advertising regulations.
• Manage the overall marketing budget, prioritising investment based on measurable commercial return.
• Analyse and communicate marketing's contribution to revenue across acquisition, reactivation and retention activity.
• Provide clear commercial justification for marketing expenditure and performance at leadership level.
• Stay ahead of developments in the SA iGaming and sports betting market; monitor competitors and trends; translate insights into practical recommendations.

Skills

Performance marketing

Digital acquisition

CAC management

Attribution models

Cohort analysis

Revenue impact

Job description

About the Role

A fast-growing operator in the Sports Betting and iGaming industry is looking for an experienced Head of Marketing to take ownership of marketing strategy, player acquisition, brand growth and commercial performance within the highly competitive South African iGaming market.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this is a senior commercial position with full responsibility for the marketing function, budget and performance. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the marketing operating model and make a measurable impact on business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Marketing Strategy & Growth

• Develop and lead the overall marketing strategy, including channel mix, audience targeting and go-to-market plans.
• Drive player acquisition across paid and organic social, SEO, affiliates, influencers, partnerships and other performance channels.
• Take ownership of CAC and LTV performance across acquisition channels and implement effective attribution measurement.
• Build, optimise and scale the affiliate programme as a key acquisition channel.

Brand & Campaign Management

• Establish and strengthen the brand positioning, ensuring a consistent customer experience across digital and retail channels.
• Lead campaigns from concept through to execution, ensuring alignment with promotional and CRM activity.
• Oversee creative and marketing content to ensure compliance with applicable South African gambling advertising regulations.

Budget, Commercial Performance & ROI

• Manage the overall marketing budget, prioritising investment based on measurable commercial return.
• Analyse and communicate marketing's contribution to revenue across acquisition, reactivation and retention-related activity.
• Provide clear commercial justification for marketing expenditure and performance at leadership level.

Market & Competitor Intelligence

• Stay ahead of developments across the South African iGaming and sports betting market.
• Monitor competitor strategies, market movements and consumer trends.
• Translate market intelligence into practical recommendations for positioning, acquisition and growth.

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience

• 5+ years' experience in performance marketing, growth or digital acquisition, ideally within iGaming, sports betting or another regulated digital consumer environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing customer acquisition costs (CAC) across multiple channels.
• Strong understanding of the South African market, including player behaviour, regulatory requirements and the competitive landscape.
• Commercially and analytically minded, with the ability to work with attribution models, cohort analysis and financial performance data.
• Proven ability to connect marketing activity directly to business and revenue outcomes.

Advantageous

• Experience working with a South African-regulated gambling operator.
• Established relationships within affiliate networks and experience managing affiliate programmes at scale.
• Knowledge of iGaming CRM platforms and an understanding of how acquisition marketing supports player retention and lifetime value.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to step into a high-impact leadership role with significant autonomy and influence.

You will have direct access to senior leadership, ownership of the marketing function and the freedom to establish processes, develop the brand and build a scalable acquisition engine. If you're commercially driven, data-led and ready to make a tangible impact in the South African iGaming market, this could be the next step in your career.