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 ecosystems. 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 under‑penetrated 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 and 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 Engage with Legal/Compliance to ensure contracts and partnerships meet all regulatory requirements. 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. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr