Head of SEO – Africa

Recruit Digital; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A global tech company is seeking a Head of SEO for Africa to drive organic growth across multiple regions including South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. This role involves leading SEO strategy, managing local teams, and collaborating with international teams to enhance performance. Ideal candidates should have over 5 years of SEO experience, proven leadership capacity, and fluency in relevant SEO tools. This position is fully remote based in Johannesburg.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in SEO with a successful track record in African markets.
• Proven leadership in scaling SEO operations across diverse regions.
• Fluency in technical, content, and outreach/link-building strategies.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead SEO growth strategies across Africa.
• Build and manage local SEO teams across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.
• Drive workflow improvements through automated solutions.

Skills

Leadership

SEO Strategy

Analytical Skills

Fluency in SEO Tools

Collaboration

Tools

Google Analytics

Search Console

SEMRush

Ahrefs

Screaming Frog

Job description

Overview

A world-renowned and much-loved global tech company is seeking a Head of SEO for Africa to drive organic growth across the African continent.

This is a rare opportunity to lead SEO strategy at scale in an organisation known for its exceptional product, high-performing teams, and ambitious international expansion plans.

This fully remote role is based in Johannesburg, with a strong focus on growth across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

You'll report to a regional lead and collaborate closely with international SEO and product teams to deliver best-in-class strategies that impact millions of users worldwide.

Duties and Responsibilities Own and lead SEO growth strategies across Africa, aligning with global SEO goals.

Build and manage local SEO teams across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, providing mentorship and direction.

Collaborate cross-functionally with localised content creators, language managers, growth teams, PR, product managers, engineers, and analysts.

Drive workflow improvements and efficiency through scalable, automated solutions.

Oversee performance reporting and use insights to inform strategy and ongoing optimisation.

Champion a culture of learning and collaboration to share regional SEO insights and best practices.

Requirements 5+ years of experience in SEO, with a successful track record of driving growth in African markets.

Proven leadership in scaling SEO operations and teams across diverse regions and languages.

Fluency in SEO pillars including technical, content, and outreach / link-building strategies.

Demonstrated ability to drive growth in LOTE (Languages Other Than English) markets, such as Afrikaans, Zulu, Swahili, Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo

Strong command of SEO tools including Google Analytics, Search Console, SEMRush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and others.

Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills; able to distil data into actionable insights.

Comfortable working in high-performing, cross-functional teams with fast-moving priorities.

Proficiency in Afrikaans or Zulu preferred; business-level English is essential.