Legal Counsel

Paymentology; Pretoria, Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading payment technology company in Pretoria is seeking a Legal Counsel to provide business-aligned legal solutions. This role requires 4-6 years of experience in commercial law, with strong skills in legal research and contracting. Candidates can work hybrid or fully remote within South Africa. The environment is collaborative and supportive of professional growth.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with 4-6 years’ post-qualification experience in commercial law.
• Experience delivering internal training on legal research topics is advantageous.
• Familiarity with banking or financial regulatory frameworks is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, practical advice on legal issues including contract enforceability.
• Draft, review and negotiate a variety of contracts and legal documents.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure legal advice aligns with business objectives.

Skills

Legal research and analytical skills

Excellent drafting ability

Strong background in contract negotiation

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

Commercially savvy and solution-oriented

Education

Law degree and legal qualification

4 – 6 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience

Job description

Overview

At Paymentology , we are redefining what’s possible in the payments space. As the first truly global issuer-processor, we give banks and FinTechs the technology and talent to launch and manage Mastercard, Visa and UnionPay cards at scale - across more than 60 countries.

Our advanced, multi-cloud platform delivers real-time data, unmatched scalability and the flexibility of shared or dedicated processing instances. It's this global reach and innovation that sets us apart.

We are looking for a Legal Counsel who aligns with our core values of “Making It Right, Making it Happen and Making It Easy, Together". This role is key to supporting our rapid global growth by delivering practical, business-aligned legal solutions that balance risk with commercial needs. If you bring strong legal and commercial acumen, a solutions driven mindset and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and time zones, we’d love to hear from you.

This role is hybrid for candidates based in Johannesburg, or fully remote for those located elsewhere in South Africa.

What you get to do

• Develop a deep understanding of Paymentology’s business, products and regulatory landscape to deliver contextual and impactful legal support.
• Provide high-quality, practical advice on legal issues including contract enforceability, licensing, regulatory compliance and cross-border legal risks.
• Draft, review and negotiate a variety of contracts and legal documents.
• Partner with internal teams to ensure legal advice aligns with business objectives, with a strong focus on enabling growth and managing legal risk.
• Identify legal and regulatory risks proactively and help design pragmatic risk mitigation strategies.
• Support the development of internal legal frameworks, contract templates and best practices.
• Collaborate with external counsel and relay advice to internal stakeholders with clarity and context.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing, mentoring and legal training across the Legal & Compliance function.
• Conduct high quality legal and regulatory research, particularly on legislation and regulatory frameworks across various jurisdictions.
• Analyse, interpret, simplify and distill complex laws and regulations into clear and actionable internal legal opinions and memoranda.
• Assess and articulate the impact or potential impact of legal and regulatory developments on the business, providing guidance in a digestible and business-friendly format.
• Engage effectively and efficiently with external counsel, interpret legal advice and evaluate how it applies to Paymentology’s operations.
• Provide internal legal training or briefings to the Legal team and wider business on researched topics or key regulatory developments.

What you can look forward to

At Paymentology, it’s not just about building great payment technology, it’s about building a company where people feel they belong and their work matters. You’ll be part of a diverse, global team that’s genuinely committed to making a positive impact through what we do. Whether you’re working across time zones or getting involved in initiatives that support local communities, you’ll find real purpose in your work - and the freedom to grow in a supportive, forward-thinking environment.

Travel

What it takes to succeed

• Qualified lawyer with 4-6 years’ post-qualification experience in commercial law.
• Strong legal research and analytical skills with demonstrated experience interpreting and applying regulations and legislation
• Excellent drafting ability, particularly in writing legal opinions and internal memoranda.
• Bonus if you have a background or familiarity with banking or financial regulatory frameworks.
• Strong background in contract negotiation and advisory, ideally with experience in financial services, fintech or technology-driven companies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Able to deliver under pressure and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, remote-first environment.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively across multiple jurisdictions and time zones.
• Commercially savvy, pragmatic, and solution-oriented in your legal approach.

Education & Experience

• Law degree and legal qualification (bar admission or equivalent).
• 4 – 6 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience, preferably in-house or with clients in fintech / technology.
• Experience working with or interpreting external legal advice and turning that into internal guidance.
• Experience delivering internal training or presentations on legal research topics is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial contracts, regulatory issues, and cross-border legal considerations.