Industry Payments & Portfolio Head

This senior executive role sits at the intersection of strategy, regulation, and large-scale financial operations. The organisation is seeking a high-level leader to steer its payments franchise across South Africa, ensuring that commercial priorities, customer experience, and technological infrastructure remain competitive and forward-looking.

About the role

As a key strategic lead, you will be responsible for defining the country-level agenda for the payments business. This involves harmonising investments and execution across various business units to ensure that the organisation remains agile in the face of shifting market trends and rapid technological advancements.

You will act as the primary voice for the group in regulatory and industry-wide discussions. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of how payments function at an enterprise level, from the underlying technology rails to the data and operational frameworks that keep the system secure and efficient. You will be expected to drive integrated growth by bridging the gap between high-level strategic planning and the day-to-day realities of transactional banking.

The core of this position is orchestration. You will manage complex projects that span multiple internal functions, including product development, IT, risk management, and operations. Key responsibilities include:

• Formulating and implementing a cohesive, forward-looking payments strategy that aligns with the group’s overarching commercial objectives.
• Representing the organisation’s interests at industry bodies and regulatory forums, ensuring that compliance and advocacy efforts are well-aligned.
• Driving digital transformation within the payments landscape, specifically focusing on modernising platforms and improving customer experience across both consumer and corporate segments.
• Managing regulatory changes effectively, ensuring that all business units remain compliant while maintaining operational momentum.
• Overseeing the integration of new payment types, rails, and technologies into the existing business ecosystem to maximise efficiency.

What they're looking for

The organisation requires a seasoned professional with a substantial background in the financial services sector. You must have over a decade of executive or senior management experience specifically within the payments or transactional banking space. Because this role involves significant influence, your ability to lead cross-functional teams and build rapport with stakeholders is as important as your technical knowledge.

• **Educational background:** A relevant Master’s or Postgraduate degree in Business, Commerce, or Finance and Accounting is essential.
• **Technical expertise:** You must possess deep, practical knowledge of cards, foreign exchange, cross-border payments, and cash collections. You should be intimately familiar with the South African payments regulatory environment and the legislative frameworks governing the sector.
• **Leadership experience:** A proven history of managing complex execution across disparate business units is non-negotiable. You must be comfortable directing people, making high-stakes decisions, and developing long-term strategies.
• **Competencies:** A balance of analytical capability and soft skills is required, specifically in the areas of stakeholder management, strategic reporting, and the ability to convince and empower teams in a high-pressure corporate environment.

Positions of this calibre represent the pinnacle of the transactional banking career path in South Africa. Typically found within major financial institutions (often referred to as the "Big Four" or large investment banks), these roles command significant remuneration packages, often starting in the high seven-figure range (R2m to R4m+ annually, depending on performance incentives and specific responsibilities). Professionals in this field frequently progress into C-suite roles, such as Chief Operating Officer or Head of Transactional Banking, given their unique insight into the vital circulatory system of the national economy.

Type of Qualification: Masters Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce
Type of Qualification: Post Graduate Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce
Type of Qualification: Post Graduate Degree
Field of Study: Finance and Accounting

Experience Required
Products
Personal and Private Banking
5-7 years
Broad knowledge of foreign exchange and cross-border payments, cards, acquiring, cash, collections, payment rails, payment platforms and payments technology.

5-7 years
Essential knowledge and practical experience of payments regulation, regulatory engagement, compliance obligations and regulatory change in the South African payments environment.

8-10 years
Proven track record of orchestrating complex execution across multiple business units, payment products, technology, operations, risk and control functions to deliver integrated outcomes.

More than 10 years
Significant senior or executive-level experience in payments within a large financial services institution. The incumbent must be an experienced transactional banking or payments professional with substantial leadership exposure across the payments value chain.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Convincing People
• Developing Expertise
• Developing Strategies
• Directing People
• Empowering Individuals
• Establishing Rapport
• Examining Information
• Exploring Possibilities
• Interacting with People
• Making Decisions
• Providing Insights
• Taking Action

Technical Competencies:

• Customer Understanding (Business Banking)
• Customer Understanding ( Consumer Banking)
• Financial Industry Regulatory Framework
• Knowledge Management Systems
• Stakeholder Management
• Strategic Planning and Reporting