Channel Manager – Retail

Shape the Future of Mobile Finance in South Africa

Position: Channel Manager – Retail
Reports to: Director, International Strategy & Growth
Location: South Africa (Multi-city presence)
Engagement: 6-Month Proof-of-Concept Phase with Scale Potential

Why this role matters

M-KOPA is pioneering access to life-enhancing products and services through a first-of-its-kind proof-of-concept (POC) partnership with one of South Africa’s leading national retailers. We’re rolling out this innovation across 50+ retail stores nationwide – and we’re looking for a Channel Manager who thrives on execution, has sharp commercial instincts, and can turn ambitious plans into measurable results.

This isn’t just a management role. It’s an opportunity to shape the future of how South Africans access mobile and financial services through retail. You’ll be at the centre of testing, refining, and scaling a model that has the potential to reach millions.

What you’ll be driving

• Own the rollout: Lead daily operations of the POC across 50+ stores in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo.

• Deliver results: Drive sales across cash, finance, and mobile activations, ensuring targets are consistently achieved.

• Create winning experiences: Oversee merchandising, in-store experience, and customer engagement that sets new standards in retail telecoms.

• Lead with impact: Manage and mentor a core team of 4–8 staff, while guiding in-store promoters and agents to deliver excellence.

• Optimise performance: Track KPIs (finance vs. cash mix, SIM activations, revenue per store) and provide insights to sharpen operations.

• Partner and influence: Act as the go-to liaison for retail partner stakeholders, while coordinating with M-KOPA’s finance, logistics, marketing, and legal teams.

• Shape the future: Capture lessons learned, identify growth levers, and feed into the business case for nationwide expansion in 2026.

What we’re looking for

• Proven operator: 5+ years in channel management, retail operations, or telecoms/fintech sales, with a track record of leading multi-site rollouts.

• Commercially sharp: Strong execution focus and the ability to translate strategy into measurable sales outcomes.

• Leadership strength: Experience managing diverse teams (10+ staff) across multiple locations, with a passion for building accountability and customer-first culture.

• Tech-savvy: Proficient in sales reporting tools, CRM systems, and Excel. Knowledge of telecoms, mobile money, or device financing is a plus.

• Market-aware: Deep understanding of South African retail and telecoms landscapes.

• Communicator & influencer: Excellent stakeholder management skills – confident working with both executive teams and front-line staff.

Decision-making scope

• Autonomy to manage daily operations across all POC stores.

• Authority over staffing allocation, merchandising, promotions, and local initiatives within budget.

• Escalation of key risks or blockers directly to senior leadership.

Why join M-KOPA?

At M-KOPA, we’re more than a business – we’re a movement. Every role is an opportunity to innovate, disrupt, and expand access to opportunity. Joining this POC project means playing a defining role in a retail and telecoms partnership that could transform the market and touch millions of lives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proudly committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

Why M-KOPA?

At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.

Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.

Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 5 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.

Important Notice

M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships. 

M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.