Seller Sales Manager [Cross Border]

This senior management position at Takealot Group, based in Cape Town, is focused on expanding the company's cross-border seller base. It's an opportunity to join a rapidly growing e-commerce enterprise that values integrity, creativity, and hard work. The role reports directly to the Head of Cross-Border Commerce and is integral to Takealot's ambitious growth plans.

About the role

The core of this position involves developing and implementing strategies to attract international sellers to the Takealot platform. This includes identifying ideal seller profiles, defining effective outreach methods, and crafting compelling value propositions. You will be responsible for the entire sales cycle, from initial lead generation to ensuring activated sellers are successfully onboarding and making their first sales. A key aspect of the role is managing and optimising the sales pipeline, ensuring its health and accuracy, and providing reliable forecasts to senior leadership.

The position also demands a strategic approach to setting sales targets. You'll be tasked with translating overarching company objectives into individual quotas for your sales team, rigorously tracking performance, and proactively intervening to support team members who may be at risk of not meeting their goals. Building a scalable sales playbook that document the end-to-end seller acquisition process will be crucial for future growth and consistency.

This role requires strong leadership and people management skills. You will directly manage a team comprising Sales & Account Managers and Business Development professionals. Your responsibilities will include setting individual performance targets, conducting regular one-on-one meetings, providing ongoing coaching and development, and leading performance reviews. A significant focus will be on fostering a high-performance culture that is relentlessly focused on seller success.

Key responsibilities include:

• **Team Leadership:** Guide, motivate, and develop a team of sales professionals, ensuring they are equipped to achieve targets and deliver exceptional service.
• **Seller Acquisition Strategy:** Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for recruiting international sellers, defining target markets, categories, and seller profiles.
• **Pipeline Management:** Oversee the CRM pipeline, ensuring data accuracy, deal velocity, and coverage ratios, and generate regular sales forecasts for executive review.
• **Target Setting:** Establish and allocate sales quotas for individual team members, monitoring attainment and implementing support mechanisms for those falling behind.
• **Sales Process Optimisation:** Design, refine, and document the entire seller acquisition process, creating a scalable sales playbook.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Work closely with various internal teams, including partnerships, analytics, seller onboarding, legal, and compliance, to streamline processes and remove obstacles for new sellers.
• **Team Scaling:** Partner with Human Resources to recruit, onboard, and develop additional sales talent as the team expands, defining essential role profiles and competencies.
• **Market Intelligence:** Gather and synthesise feedback from prospective cross-border sellers regarding barriers to entry, such as fees, regulations, or logistics, and advocate for necessary improvements.
• **Executive Reporting:** Prepare and present regular commercial performance updates, including acquisition trends, pipeline status, revenue growth, and market insights, to senior management.

What they're looking for

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Marketing, or a closely related field, with an MBA being a distinct advantage. A minimum of six to eight years of sales experience is required, with at least three of those years in a direct sales leadership or management capacity. A proven history of consistently achieving or exceeding sales targets within a business-to-business (B2B) or marketplace sales environment is essential.

Previous experience in e-commerce, working with marketplace platforms, or in technology sales would be highly beneficial. Demonstrable success in building and scaling sales teams, particularly in high-growth or "greenfield" environments, is a significant plus. Proficiency with CRM systems like Salesforce or HubSpot, alongside experience in designing sales processes and establishing pipeline management frameworks, is expected.

Familiarity with the intricacies of cross-border e-commerce, understanding international seller ecosystems or marketplace dynamics would be advantageous. Takealot is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer, with a preference for applicants from previously disadvantaged groups and individuals with disabilities.

In South Africa, sales management roles in e-commerce and tech can offer competitive remuneration packages. Growth typically involves moving into broader commercial leadership roles, potentially overseeing larger regions or multiple product categories. Employers often range from large online retailers like Takealot to technology companies and growing SMEs.

• Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field; MBA advantageous.
• Minimum 6–8 years of sales experience, with at least 3 years in a team leadership or sales management role.
• Proven track record of consistently meeting or exceeding sales quotas in a B2B or marketplace sales environment.
• Experience in e-commerce, marketplace platforms, or technology sales is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale sales teams in a high-growth or greenfield environment.
• Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent); experience designing sales processes and pipeline governance frameworks.
• Familiarity with cross-border e-commerce dynamics, international seller communities, or marketplace ecosystems is advantageous.