Senior Software Engineer

Capitec Bank Ltd.; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Capitec Bank Ltd. in South Africa seeks a senior backend engineer to own key back-end domains and shape an emerging banking platform for entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Lead the design of distributed systems using Java and Spring Boot, Kafka and PostgreSQL; mentor the team; translate business goals into scalable technical solutions with hybrid work options.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of proven back-end development experience.
• Deep expertise in Java and Spring Boot.
• Hands-on Kafka, PostgreSQL and AWS experience.
• Working knowledge of Terraform or DevOps practices is a strong advantage.
• Experience with domain-driven design and event-driven architectures is highly valued.
• Experience in payments, fintech or financial services environments preferred.
• Ability to engage confidently with senior business stakeholders – not just engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own selected back-end domains within our emerging markets platform.
• Lead the design of complex back-end systems and make architectural decisions that drive our technical standards.
• Build and maintain integrations that power entrepreneur accounts, merchant acquisition and payment services.
• Design and implement distributed, event-driven and domain-driven solutions.
• Mentor and provide leadership to the existing engineering team.
• Engage directly with stakeholders and senior business leaders to translate business objectives into technical solutions.
• Evaluate and introduce technologies that move the platform forward and improve development processes.
• Proactively identify questions, gaps and opportunities beyond your immediate tasks.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Kafka

PostgreSQL

AWS

Terraform

Event-driven design

Domain-driven design

REST APIs

Education

Grade 12 National Certificate

Relevant tertiary qualification in IT

Tools

Terraform

Kafka

AWS

Job description

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Build banking for the businesses South Africa forgot.

This space is still being shaped. You'd help shape it.

Most engineering roles ask you to build on what's already decided. This one asks you to help decide what gets built.

We need a senior engineer who leads technical initiatives, designs complex systems and drives architectural decisions – in a space that is still emerging. The team is building banking services for entrepreneurs, small businesses and side-hustlers who haven't had suitable products before. The engineering you do here has a direct line to real economic change for people who have been underserved for too long.

If you thrive on ownership, ambiguity and direct business exposure – read on.

What you'll do here

• Take ownership of selected back-end domains within our emerging markets platform
• Lead the design of complex back-end systems and make architectural decisions that drive our technical standards
• Build and maintain integrations that power entrepreneur accounts, merchant acquisition and payment services – including account lifecycles, transactions, payment rails and cards
• Design and implement distributed, event-driven and domain-driven solutions
• Mentor and provide leadership to the existing engineering team
• Engage directly with stakeholders and senior business leaders to translate business objectives into technical solutions
• Evaluate and introduce technologies that move the platform forward and improve development processes
• Proactively identify questions, gaps and opportunities beyond your immediate tasks – the team needs people who look further than the ticket in front of them
• Java and Spring Boot – your primary back-end environment
• Kafka – event-driven architecture and messaging
• PostgreSQL – our primary data store
• AWS – where we build and run at scale
• Terraform – infrastructure as code and DevOps tooling
• Odin ecosystem – internal tooling and platform integrations
• AI-assisted development – we use AI tooling actively to amplify what engineers can do

What you bring

Experience

• 6+ years of proven back-end software development experience, delivering production-grade systems at scale
• Deep expertise in Java and Spring Boot within event-driven or distributed systems
• Hands‑on experience with Kafka (Or Similar), PostgreSQL and AWS
• Working knowledge of Terraform or DevOps practices is a strong advantage
• Experience with domain‑driven design and event‑driven architectures is highly valued
• Experience in payments, fintech or financial services environments preferred
• The ability to engage confidently with senior business stakeholders – not just engineers
• Proven ability to work independently and take ownership

Education

• Minimum: Grade 12 National Certificate
• Preferred: A relevant tertiary qualification in information technology

Knowledge

• You can apply expert‑level knowledge and develop others' understanding across:
• Event‑driven and domain‑driven architectures
• Advanced Java programming and Spring Boot ecosystem
• Distributed systems design, including the saga pattern and resilience patterns such as circuit breakers and bulkheads
• Database systems and query optimisation (SQL and NoSQL)
• RESTful API design and integration
• Message‑based systems and Kafka event streaming
• Cloud computing platforms and services (AWS)
• Infrastructure as code using Terraform
• Testing practices – unit, integration and contract testing
• IT systems development processes (SDLC), agile delivery and version control

What's in it for you

This is where engineers with real conviction do some of their most impactful work.

You're not looking for a role where the decisions are already made and you're just there to execute. You want ownership, exposure and the chance to build something that matters. Here's what we offer.

Genuine technical autonomy

The team operates with substantial engineering independence. You'll shape how requirements are designed, challenge assumptions, engage stakeholders directly and make technical decisions that stick. You'll have real influence over technical direction and the ability to evaluate and introduce new technologies – not just inherit someone else's choices.

Work that opens doors for people

This team is building banking for South African entrepreneurs, small businesses and informal traders who haven't had the right products until now. The integrations and payment infrastructure you build will create real economic access for people who need it. That's not a value statement – it's the brief.

A small team where your contribution is visible

The emerging markets team is intentionally lean. Your work will be seen, your decisions will matter and your leadership will be felt by the people working alongside you.

The team actively uses AI tooling to amplify what engineers can do. You'll work in an environment that treats AI as a practical productivity multiplier, not a future concept.

Growth that's real, not just promised

We believe in investing in the growth and development of our people and proactively encourage continuous learning and development. We have a high internal promotion rate; if you are a self‑starter who takes initiative and is motivated to be the best you can be the opportunities for growth are endless.

A culture built on trust

We welcome diverse thinking, promote a learning environment, and encourage each team member to use the available opportunities to grow and unlock their potential. We value humility, informality and entrepreneurial spirit. No politics. No suits. No micromanagement.

Flexibility where it counts

You can be based at either of our head offices in Cape Town or Johannesburg, with a hybrid schedule of up to three days in the office.

Capitec Bank is an authorised financial services provider (FSP 46669) and registered credit provider (NCRCP13). Capitec Bank Limited Reg. No: 1980/003695/06