Risk & Compliance Manager

Initiate; Cape Town; Remote; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Initiate is seeking a Risk & Compliance Manager to protect the business from regulatory, financial and operational risk while ensuring compliance across regulated African markets. You will partner with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to embed a strong risk and compliance culture in a growing iGaming business.

The role requires strong leadership, regulatory expertise, and a proactive, hands-on approach to operate effectively in a remote, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in Risk, Compliance, AML, Fraud or a related discipline, ideally within iGaming, online gambling, sportsbook or financial services.
• Strong understanding of African gambling regulations and regulated iGaming environments.
• Practical experience with AML, KYC, CDD/EDD and financial crime controls.
• Experience managing or implementing risk and compliance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of fraud, payments and player risk within an online gaming environment.
• Knowledge of Responsible Gambling principles and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working with gambling regulators and/or supporting licensing and regulatory audits.
• Strong analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to identify trends and emerging risks.
• Excellent understanding of regulatory requirements and the ability to translate legislation into practical business processes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to work with senior leadership.
• Highly organised, commercially aware and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth iGaming environment.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to operate independently in a remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's risk and compliance framework, ensuring policies, controls and processes are aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and interpret changes in gambling legislation, licensing requirements and regulatory expectations across relevant African markets.
• Oversee AML, KYC, CDD and EDD processes and ensure appropriate controls are implemented and maintained.
• Develop and maintain effective risk assessments, compliance policies, procedures and internal controls.
• Identify, assess and mitigate operational, regulatory, financial and reputational risks.
• Oversee fraud prevention and detection, including suspicious player activity, account abuse and payment-related risks.
• Work closely with payments and finance teams to identify and manage transactional and financial crime risks.
• Ensure effective Responsible Gambling controls are in place, including player monitoring and affordability considerations.
• Manage regulatory reporting, compliance submissions, audits and regulatory correspondence where required.
• Support licensing and regulatory activities across relevant jurisdictions.
• Conduct regular compliance reviews and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Investigate compliance breaches, suspicious activity and risk incidents, ensuring escalation and remediation.
• Provide senior management with clear reporting on risk exposure, compliance performance and emerging regulatory issues.
• Develop and deliver compliance training to internal teams.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure compliance is embedded into day-to-day business operations.

Skills

Risk management

Compliance

AML

KYC

Fraud controls

Regulatory reporting

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Investigative skills

Regulatory knowledge

Job description

We are hiring a Risk & Compliance Manager to join a growing iGaming & sports betting business operating within regulated African markets.

This is a key role responsible for protecting the business from regulatory, financial and operational risk while ensuring the organisation remains compliant with applicable gambling legislation and industry standards.

The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership, operations, finance, payments, marketing and customer teams to build a strong risk and compliance culture while supporting the continued growth of the business.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the company's risk and compliance framework, ensuring policies, controls and processes are aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and interpret changes in gambling legislation, licensing requirements and regulatory expectations across relevant African markets.
• Oversee AML, KYC, CDD and EDD processes and ensure appropriate controls are implemented and maintained.
• Develop and maintain effective risk assessments, compliance policies, procedures and internal controls.
• Identify, assess and mitigate operational, regulatory, financial and reputational risks.
• Oversee fraud prevention and detection, including suspicious player activity, account abuse and payment-related risks.
• Work closely with payments and finance teams to identify and manage transactional and financial crime risks.
• Ensure effective Responsible Gambling controls are in place, including player monitoring, affordability considerations and responsible gambling interventions.
• Manage regulatory reporting, compliance submissions, audits and regulatory correspondence where required.
• Support licensing and regulatory activities across relevant jurisdictions.
• Conduct regular compliance reviews and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Investigate compliance breaches, suspicious activity and risk incidents, ensuring appropriate escalation and remediation.
• Provide senior management with clear reporting on risk exposure, compliance performance and emerging regulatory issues.
• Develop and deliver compliance training to internal teams.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure compliance is embedded into day-to-day business operations rather than operating as a standalone function.

What We’re Looking For:

• 5+ years' experience in Risk, Compliance, AML, Fraud or a related discipline, ideally within iGaming, online gambling, sportsbook or financial services.
• Strong understanding of African gambling regulations and regulated iGaming environments.
• Practical experience with AML, KYC, CDD/EDD and financial crime controls.
• Experience managing or implementing risk and compliance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of fraud, payments and player risk within an online gaming environment.
• Knowledge of Responsible Gambling principles and regulatory requirements.
• Experience working with gambling regulators and/or supporting licensing and regulatory audits.
• Strong analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to identify trends and emerging risks.
• Excellent understanding of regulatory requirements and the ability to translate legislation into practical business processes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to work with senior leadership.
• Highly organised, commercially aware and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth iGaming environment.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to operate independently in a remote environment.

Advantageous

• Experience across multiple African iGaming jurisdictions.
• Experience within an online sportsbook, casino or betting operator.
• Exposure to fraud prevention, payments risk or player protection.
• Relevant qualifications in Compliance, Risk Management, AML, Law, Finance or a related field.
• Experience with risk/compliance platforms and monitoring tools.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for a Risk & Compliance professional who wants to play a meaningful role in a growing iGaming business, with the opportunity to influence how risk is managed, compliance is embedded and the business operates across regulated markets.