Payments SME

PwC; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

PwC in Johannesburg seeks a Strategy Analyst at Manager grade to lead strategic initiatives across the Payments business. You will work with senior leaders to define strategy, assess opportunities, and drive execution across cross-functional programs.

The role blends hands-on strategic analysis with team leadership and stakeholder management, requiring strong analytical capability, commercial acumen, and deep payments knowledge.

Qualifications

• 6-10+ years’ experience in strategy, consulting, corporate strategy, or commercial roles, with significant exposure to Payments.
• Strong understanding of the payments value chain and economics.
• Proven ability to lead complex, ambiguous workstreams and deliver high-quality strategic outputs.
• Advanced analytical and financial modelling skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to senior audiences.
• Demonstrated people-management or team-lead experience.
• Experience in banking, fintech, payment networks, or consulting (payments-focused).
• Exposure to digital transformation, platform strategy, or product-led growth in payments.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification in Business, Finance, or Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic assessments across payments (cards, digital wallets, real-time payments, acquiring, issuing, cross-border, billing, or embedded finance)
• Develop market, competitor, and ecosystem analyses to inform strategic decision-making
• Build robust financial and commercial models to evaluate new products, partnerships, and investments
• Support the definition of medium-and long-term payments strategy, including growth, pricing, and operating model considerations
• Translate strategy into actionable initiatives with clear milestones, KPIs, and success measures
• Drive end-to-end delivery of strategic projects, from hypothesis development to executive-level recommendations
• Identify risks, dependencies, and trade-offs, and proactively propose mitigation plans
• Partner with Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure feasibility and alignment
• Manage and coach junior analysts, providing guidance on analytical approach, storylining, and problem solving
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, including Payments leadership and executive management
• Facilitate workshops, steering committees, and decision forums with confidence and clarity
• Influence decision-making through clear, concise, and data-driven insights
• Stay current on payments trends, regulatory developments, and emerging technologies
• Contribute to thought leadership on the future of payments and implications for the business
• Continuously improve strategic frameworks, tools, and ways of working within the strategy function

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication

Team leadership

Financial modelling

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

MBA or postgraduate qualification in Business/Finance/Strategy

Job description

At PwC, our people in finance consulting specialise in providing consulting services related to financial management and strategy. These individuals analyse client needs, develop financial solutions, and offer guidance and support to help clients optimise their financial performance, improve decision-making, and achieve their financial goals.

As a finance consulting generalist at PwC, you will possess a broad understanding of various aspects of finance consulting. Your work will involve providing comprehensive guidance and support to clients in optimising their financial performance, improving decision-making, and achieving their financial goals. You will be responsible for analysing client needs, developing financial solutions, and offering recommendations tailored to specific business requirements.

Enhancing your leadership style, you motivate, develop and inspire others to deliver quality. You are responsible for coaching, leveraging team member’s unique strengths, and managing performance to deliver on client expectations. With your growing knowledge of how business works, you play an important role in identifying opportunities that contribute to the success of our Firm. You are expected to lead with integrity and authenticity, articulating our purpose and values in a meaningful way. You embrace technology and innovation to enhance your delivery and encourage others to do the same.

Examples of the skills, knowledge, and experiences you need to lead and deliver value at this level include but are not limited to:

• Analyse and identify the linkages and interactions between the component parts of an entire system.
• Take ownership of projects, ensuring their successful planning, budgeting, execution, and completion.
• Partner with team leadership to ensure collective ownership of quality, timelines, and deliverables.
• Develop skills outside your comfort zone, and encourage others to do the same.
• Effectively mentor others.
• Use the review of work as an opportunity to deepen the expertise of team members.
• Address conflicts or issues, engaging in difficult conversations with clients, team members and other stakeholders, escalating where appropriate.
• Uphold and reinforce professional and technical standards (e.g. refer to specific PwC tax and audit guidance), the Firm's code of conduct, and independence requirements.

Job summary:

We are seekinga highly motivated Strategy Analyst at Manager grade to support and lead strategic initiatives across our Payments business. The role requires strong analytical capability, commercial acumen, and deep understanding of the payments-ecosystem. You will work closely with senior leaders to define strategy, assess growth opportunities, and drive execution across complex, cross-functional initiatives.

This role combines hands-on strategic analysis with team leadership and stakeholder management , making it ideal for a candidate with a strong background in payments and experienceoperatingat manager or engagement-lead level.

Key responsibilities:

Lead strategic assessments across payments (e.g. cards, digital wallets, real-time payments, acquiring, issuing, cross-border, billing, or embedded finance)

Develop market, competitor, and ecosystem analyses to inform strategic decision-making

Build robust financial and commercial models to evaluate new products, partnerships, and investments

Support the definition of medium-and long-term payments strategy, including growth, pricing, and operating model considerations

Execution & Delivery

Translate strategy into actionable initiatives with clear milestones, KPIs, and success measures

Drive end-to-end delivery of strategic projects, from hypothesis development to executive-level recommendations

Identify risks, dependencies, and trade-offs, and proactively propose mitigation plans

Partner with Product, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure feasibility and alignment

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Manage and coach junior analysts, providing guidance on analytical approach, storylining, and problem solving

Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, including Payments leadership and executive management

Facilitate workshops, steering committees, and decision forums with confidence and clarity

Influence decision-making through clear, concise, and data-driven insights

Thought Leadership & Continuous Improvement

Stay current on payments trends, regulatory developments, and emerging technologies

Contribute to thought leadership on the future of payments and implications for the business

Continuously improve strategic frameworks, tools, and ways of working within the strategy function

Skills and competencies:

6-10+ years’ experience in strategy, consulting, corporate strategy, or commercial roles, with significant exposure to Payments

Strong understanding of the payments value chain and economics

Proven ability to lead complex, ambiguous workstreams and deliver high-quality strategic outputs

Advanced analytical and financial modelling skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to senior audiences

Demonstrated people‑management or team‑lead experience

Experience in banking, fintech, payment networks, or consulting (payments-focused)

Exposure to digital transformation, platform strategy, or product-led growth in payments

MBA or postgraduate qualification in Business, Finance, or Strategy

Data protection notice:

By applying for this position, you consent to the collection, use, and storage of your personal informationin accordance with PwC’s data protection policy. Your information will be used solely for recruitment purposes and will not be shared with third parties without your written consent.

Equal opportunity employer statement:

PwC is committed to transformation and employment equity, in alignment with the Employment Equity Act of South Africa. We strive to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the demographics of our country. Our goal is to foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute to our shared success.

Education (if blank, degree and/or field of study not specified)

Degrees/Field of Study required:

Degrees/Field of Study preferred:

Certifications (if blank, certifications not specified)

Required Skills

Optional Skills

Accepting Feedback, Accepting Feedback, Accounting Consulting, Accounting Policies, Active Listening, Analytical Thinking, Coaching and Feedback, Communication, Compliance With Accounting Standards, Complying With Regulations, Creativity, Economic Forecasting, Embracing Change, Emotional Regulation, Empathy, Financial Accounting, Financial Economics, Financial Management, Financial Market, Financial Modeling, Financial Regulation, Financial Reporting, Financial Risk Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statement Preparation {+ 16 more}

Desired Languages (If blank, desired languages not specified)

PwC is a global network of firms in 152 countries, offering assurance, advisory, and tax services to build trust and solve critical challenges.

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