Senior Key Account Manager: Super Supplier

A vacancy exists for a Senior Key Account Manager: Super Suppliers within Lesaka's Merchant Division , in Gauteng

The Senior Key Account Manager: Super Suppliers is responsible for managing and growing

Lesaka's portfolio of wholesale and distributor accounts on the Lesaka (Kazang) cashless

payments platform. This role drives payment volume growth by maintaining strong, active

relationships with existing wholesale and distribution partners, and working closely with regional

sales and Supplier Growth Manager teams to ensure that merchants within each partner's

footprint are actively paying via Lesaka (Kazang). The SKAM: Super Suppliers operates across

national and regional levels and is the primary point of accountability for account health, outflow

performance, and relationship quality within this segment of the cashless ecosystem.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supplier Account Management

• Serve as the primary relationship owner for a portfolio of wholesale, distributor, and buying group accounts on the cashless payments platform.
  • Manage accounts across all regions engaging at both buying level and at branch level
  where required.
  • Host regular partner meetings and calls to resolve queries, explore growth opportunities,
  and track payment volumes and account activity.
  • Coordinate bi-weekly and quarterly supplier reviews, follow up on proposals and outstanding
  action points and ensure commitments are fulfilled on both sides.
  • Maintain accurate CRM records, resolve portal access and system issues, and troubleshoot
  account challenges before they escalate.

Portfolio Growth & Relationship Deepening

• Deepen existing Super Supplier relationships by understanding each partner's business priorities and identifying opportunities to grow payment volumes through the Lesaka (Kazang) platform.
  • Work closely with Supplier Growth Managers (SGMs) to ensure merchants within each
  Super Supplier's footprint are informed of, and actively using, Lesaka (Kazang) to pay their suppliers.
  • Develop account-specific growth plans for each Super Supplier, identifying levers such as
  expanded product ranges available for payment, improved merchant awareness, and platform adoption incentives.
  • Track active rewards and incentive structures on supplier accounts, ensuring partners are
  engaged and deriving ongoing value from the Lesaka (Kazang) platform.

Payment Volume Growth & Performance

• Drive growth in outflow payment volumes by collaborating closely with Supplier Growth
• Managers, and field sales teams to activate merchants within each Super Supplier's footprint.
  • Track outflow performance by account and region, holding regular alignment sessions with
  stakeholders to review progress.
  • Manage escalations including payment reversals, settlement queries, and any platform related disputes with Super Supplier partners.
  • Proactively manage dormant or underperforming Super Supplier accounts, with a target of
  zero inactive accounts in the portfolio

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting

• Collaborate with internal teams including Data (reporting and analytics on supplier outflows), Technical Support (platform troubleshooting and issue resolution), Marketing (co-branded campaigns and in-trade activation), and Finance (payment queries and settlement structures)
• Provide regular intelligence on the wholesale and distribution landscape - including competitor activity, new entrants, and structural shifts in informal trade supply - to inform Lesaka's platform and commercial strategy.
• Prepare and present account performance reports and pipeline reviews for internal leadership and external Super Supplier partners.
• Align with the internal stakeholders through weekly and monthly progress reviews, ensuring accountability and visibility on the Super Supplier portfolio.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in commerce, Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Minimum 5–7 years of Key Account Management or business development experience preferably within wholesale trade, FMCG distribution, or fintech/payments.
• Solid understanding of the South African wholesale and informal trade distribution landscape.
• Demonstrated track record of driving payment volume, revenue, or trade adoption growth through structured account management.
• Proficiency in CRM tools and comfortable working with performance data and reporting dashboards

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Direct experience managing wholesale or distributor accounts (e.g. cash-and-carries, buying groups, or regional FMCG distributors).
• Familiarity with how goods flow from brand to wholesaler to informal merchant in the South African trade context.
• Exposure to cashless payment platforms, mobile payment adoption, or digital trade infrastructure.
• Understanding of the operational realities of spaza shops and township-based informal merchant

COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES

• Operationally minded - understands the mechanics of wholesale trade and is comfortable navigating the complexity of large, multi-site accounts.
• Commercially driven - tracks volume metrics and is motivated by measurable growth in cashless payment adoption.
• Strong communicator and relationship builder, able to engage effectively from depot manager to buying executive.
• Highly organised - manages a complex, multi-region portfolio with consistent follow-through and zero dropped balls.
• Growth-oriented - proactively identifies opportunities within existing accounts to deepen adoption and increase payment volumes.
• Collaborative and cross-functional - works as effectively with the field sales team as with Finance, Technical, and Legal