Strategic Business Development Manager Africa

Role Description

WHAT YOU WILL DO

BankservAfrica form part of the South African National Payments System as well as the SADC Regional Payment System and are a trusted partner of the financial industry, including banking and payment institutions, and therefore require that employees adhere to unwavering standards of honesty and transparency in performing their duties.

PURPOSE

BankServAfrica is currently undergoing critical transformation in its Strategic Business Development and Industry Innovation Drive as part of its overall Business Development Strategy, engaging with a wide range of commercial and regulatory industry stakeholders. In its continuous strategy to innovate, modernise, assess, scope and define enhancements to its existing business proposition and product suite, the organisation needs a Centre of Excellence and thought leadership in its Future World of Work capabilities. Innovation and Partnership in Business Development is required to identify, explore, initiate, analyse, and evaluate new business innovations, products, service delivery and other contemporary business initiatives, through scanning the business internal and external environment.

To support the strategic business plan and Business Development initiatives, recurrently adaptive innovation strategies, projects, innovation, and strategic partnerships, aligned to digitalisation are required.

The purpose of this role is to proactively identity, conceptualise, scope, and define innovative opportunities, and to provide subject matter information and expertise to the organisation in its digital innovation and modernisation initiatives in the broader African Market.

The role purpose is to engage with potential partnerships and to advise the organisation on innovative initiatives such as real time payments for both domestic use as well as cross-border use and the evolving industry landscape, technology and innovation related to the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The Business Development Manager as a subject matter expert on industry innovation and the future Business world of work in the industry, is primarily focused on the design, build, launch, and market adoption of industry related systems and initiatives.

You will engage with the following stakeholders:

• All Divisional Executives
• Product Owners
• Project Managers
• Customer Relations
• IT
• Finance Manager
• Regulators
• Central Banks
• Customer banks
• Decision Makers / Influencers e.g., SADC BA, etc.
• Retailers
• Telcos
• Crypto, Digital Assets and Blockchain Fintechs
• International Card Schemes
• Payment Fintechs
• SARB
• BASA
• BUSA or other Relevant Industry and Business Association
• National and International Corporations e.g., NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)

Your key responsibilities include:

Identify, and qualify (motivate) potential strategic business, and product opportunities, and partnerships in the African Market, for:

• Domestic Instant Payments Services
• Regional and Bi-lateral Cross border Payments
• BankServAfricas future digitalised and platform business
• Advise on strategic alignment of new proposals and partnerships aligned with the business strategy.
• Identify trends and opportunities
• Socialise/communicate these through the Executive: Africa Business Development
• Drive the business development: Innovation concepts and advise on new products and platforms.
• Provide and support and analysis of organisational strategy development, vision and direction for current and future business, product and partnership innovations and regional opportunities for BSA.
• Support of organisational of modernisation projects e.g., Rapid Payment Programmes and others as required.
• Create and maintain a network of potential partner organisations and other broader external stakeholders.
• Support and maintain strategic relationships with all stakeholders, Regulators and Governments and participating institutions in coordination with the Executive: Africa Business Development, Head of Customer Relations and Head of Stakeholder Engagements and attend relevant stakeholder fora;
• Nurture a collaborative positive relationship and environment with Banks and Financial Institutions in support and cooperation with specific business teams.
• Provide information and reports to committees including the Boards and its subcommittees e.g., PASA, BASA, SARB and National treasury.
• Support the BSA Technology operations team regarding innovative opportunities and projects.
• Oversee the delivery of internal and external stakeholder Innovation and Partnership requirements and SLAs.
• Advise on Project Methodology set by the Programme Manager for approval by Exco
• Within the organizational engagement framework provided by the Head of Stakeholder Engagement, and with the support of the Head of Stakeholder Engagement, manage and maintain effective and positive relationships with the Regulators and Governments.
• Work with the participating institutions to understand the issues from the financial institutions perspective; In particular, lead programme business working group and sessions.
• Work with additional stakeholders (e.g., Retailers and TelCos) to understand the issues from the perspectives of the various stakeholder groups. Attend and participate in any stakeholder fora focused on discussing the real-time payments capability.
• Ensure that the work with the participating and other banks, and financial institutions as well as stakeholders is done collaboratively and nurtures positive environment.
• Act as a subject matter expert in real-time payments and the real-time payments capability and may need to report on key issues to various committees including: The Board and its subcommittees, PASA structures, BASA structures, Reserve Bank of South Africa, National Treasury etc.
• Help to establish a mutual accountability within the broader programme teams, and create an environment that is open, engaging and allows for healthy and productive discussion and debate,
• Provide strategic thought leadership.

Qualifications / Knowledge

• Appropriate qualifications diploma i.e., M+2 or appropriate degree i.e., M+3 or RPL equivalent the incumbent is required to be suitably qualified for the position as a result of any one-off, or any combination of that person's formal qualifications; prior learning; relevant experience; or capacity to acquire, within a reasonable time, the ability to do the job.
• Required computer literacy levels
• Superior communication, problem solving and decision-making skills within a highly complex business strategy/client service delivery environment
• Frequent communication with discretion, collaboration, influence, and conciliation

Experience

• 15 years experience in strategic business development, innovation and partnerships, processing, risk management, member, and stakeholder engagement, conceptualising and advising on the developing of initiatives in a complex stakeholder environment
• Ability to develop partnerships, network and to conceptualise future-scape innovations and developments aligned to the overall Business Strategy
• Ability to present complex ideas in a simple and clear manner
• Have the ability to collaborate and support Project, Business and Technical Leads
• Have the ability to navigate diverse stakeholder environments and negotiate in order to achieve a common understanding and strong support for future direction of the P