Head of Category

Head of Category

• Location: Cape Town / Hybrid
• Department: Commercial
• Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

Key Responsibilities

The Head of Category – Virtual Products is responsible for the end-to-end strategy, sourcing, and performance management of Lesaka/EasyPay’s virtual product portfolio, including airtime, data, vouchers, gaming, betting, entertainment, and digital content.

This leadership role drives upstream sourcing, partner management, and commercial optimisation while ensuring seamless product integration and customer value. The incumbent will lead cross-functional collaboration with Tech, Finance, Marketing, and Legal/Compliance to deliver sustainable growth, category innovation, and market leadership in prepaid and digital ecosystemsKey Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Business Development

• Define and execute the commercial strategy across all virtual product categories (airtime, data, vouchers, gaming, entertainment, betting, digital content).
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers, content providers, and aggregators.
• Develop business cases for launching new products or expanding into underpenetrated regions/sectors.
• Negotiate and manage commercial terms to ensure competitive pricing, scalability, and profitability.
• Lead switch and integration requirements with Tech for both airtime/data and voucher platforms.

Category Ownership & Commercial Management

• Own the category P&L, pricing strategy, and performance roadmap.
• Continuously optimise supplier agreements to improve contribution margins and ensure resilience across MNOs and content providers.
• Drive innovation (e.g., variable denomination vouchers, exclusive gaming partnerships, bundled offers).
• Monitor category trends, competitor activity, and market benchmarks to maintain competitiveness.

Partner Relationship Management

• Act as the primary relationship owner for MNOs, aggregators, voucher issuers, gaming/entertainment partners.
• Lead structured quarterly reviews and contract renewals with all top-tier partners.
• Drive partner development through joint campaigns, promotional initiatives, and co-innovation opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks (NCR, FSCA, ICASA, and gaming regulations).

Internal Collaboration

• Partner with Tech/Product teams for seamless onboarding and integration of new content.

• Work with Finance to ensure reconciliation, billing accuracy, and timely supplier payments.

• Collaborate with Marketing on campaigns that drive product adoption, sales growth, and redemption rates.

• Required Competencies

  • Supplier Management: Manage complex supplier and aggregator relationships.

  • Relationship Management**:** Build and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships.

  • Category Management: Define category strategy and performance improvement.

  • Contract Management: Lead commercial negotiations and renewals.

  • Business Development: Explore and secure new growth opportunities.

  • Analytics & Measurement: Use insights to optimise category performance.

  • Product Management: Oversee the lifecycle of airtime, vouchers, and digital SKUs.

  • Financial Management: Track P&L, margins, and ROI at category level.

  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure alignment with gaming, telco, and financial services regulations.

    Engage with Legal/Compliance to ensure contracts and partnerships meet all regulatory requirements

  Qualifications & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Telecommunications, or related field.
  • 7–10 years of experience in category management, sourcing, or commercial roles within telco, fintech, gaming, or digital content ecosystems.
  • Proven track record in supplier portfolio management, upstream sourcing, and P&L ownership.
  • Strong knowledge of MNO structures, voucher ecosystems, and South African regulatory frameworks.
  • Experience with fintech or prepaid ecosystems advantageous.

  Personal Attributes

  • Commercially astute, highly analytical, and data-driven.
  • Strong negotiator with excellent relationship-building skills.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for execution and innovation.
  • Comfortable leading cross-functional teams and influencing at executive level.
  • Proactive problem solver with resilience under pressure.