Job title : Key Account Manager - Agrochemicals
Job Location : Free State, Kroonstad
Deadline : December 03, 2025
Minimum requirements for the role :
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Sales, or Marketing
- CropLife Certification is advantageous
- Minimum 5 years’ combined sales and technical experience in the agricultural industry
- Proven track record in client relationship management
- Strong knowledge of fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides is essential
- Must have extensive expertise in plant health and crop care
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
- Strong presentation skills aligned with the company’s Agricultural Product brand
- Fluency in Afrikaans and English (Read, Write, Speak)
The successful candidate will be responsible for :
- Managing sales to respective key customer accounts and expense budgets.
- Managing the farmer key account buying process in conjunction with the Commercial Manager and National Sales Manager.
- Ensuring products are included in tender and material requests.
- Identifying new and potential mega farmer key accounts.
- Segmenting mega farmers.
- Conducting regular on-farm visits to key farmers to determine needs and offer solutions with or without key partners or agents.
- Visiting farms with technical support specialists to provide technical information and consultation.
- Managing and improving relationships related to key farmer activities such as buyers or financial managers, technical managers, farm managers, consultants, and owners / MDs / CEOs.
- Ensuring accurate monthly and annual forecasting aligned with mega farmer buying patterns.
- Developing proposals for strategic product positioning in the region and ensuring implementation.
- Optimizing marketing material in crop protection and defining advertising programs in line with area strategy in partnership with the marketing department.
- Establishing sound relationships and conducting regular meetings with the area team, customer agents, and their management structures.
- Providing technical support to agents and mega farmers during farmer days and other sales events.
- Providing technical recommendations on products and spray programs.
- Creating strategic product positioning documents for the season.
- Communicating crop team decisions and implementing them with customers’ management and agents.
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with key farmers to establish trust and long-term business.
- Engaging directly with growers through regular visits to discuss spray programs, identify needs, and provide tailored solutions.
- Promoting products and creating demand through demonstrations, field trials, and success stories.
- Utilizing loyalty programs to secure volumes and counter generic prices.
- Conducting product training sessions with technical support specialists and ensuring the safe handling of crop protection products.
- Collaborating with partners to offer value-added services such as AI fruit sizing and precision farming technologies.
- Monitoring market trends, competitor activities, and regulatory changes to identify opportunities and threats.
- Negotiating and signing rewards agreements with growers and managing tender business comparisons.
- Providing ongoing support to growers during the season to address challenges and ensure satisfaction.
- Organizing and participating in events such as the Prestige Club event, product launches, and farmer days.
- Collaborating with the area team, customers, agents, and their management structures through regular meetings and relationship building