Business Development Manager – South Africa (Payments & Financial Operations)

Duplo is building the financial operating system for African businesses.

We help finance teams move money, hold money, and use money better, combining payments, FX, and treasury infrastructure with modern financial workflows. Our platform supports local and cross-border payments, global payouts, FX optimization, and compliance-driven financial operations.

Duplo works with growing and established African businesses across sectors, including FMCG, logistics, manufacturing, retail, energy, and services.

South Africa is a strategic expansion market for Duplo, large, sophisticated, and highly competitive. This role is critical to establishing Duplo’s commercial presence and revenue engine in the country.

The Business Development Manager will own revenue growth and customer acquisition in South Africa, personally closing deals, building a pipeline, and establishing Duplo as a credible player in a competitive market.

This is a hands-on, individually accountable role with a clear path to P&L ownership once you hit scale in South Africa and build a repeatable sales motion (typically 12 months).

Key Responsibilities

1. Revenue & Pipeline Ownership

Own South Africa revenue targets across:

Local and cross-border payments

FX and global payouts

Treasury and financial operations products

Build and maintain a strong, qualified pipeline

Personally lead deals from the first conversation through to close

Drive consistent deal progression and conversion

2. Sales Execution

Run structured discovery to understand:

Payment workflows

FX exposure and costs

Settlement, reconciliation, and compliance pain points

Sell to finance, operations, and procurement leaders

Position Duplo as a core payments and financial operations partner

Handle pricing, proposals, and negotiations with confidence

3. Market Entry & Go-To-Market Execution

Provide continuous feedback to leadership on:

Competitive landscape

Pricing dynamics

Customer buying behavior

Execute Duplo’s go-to-market strategy in South Africa

Identify priority customer segments and verticals

Localize messaging while staying aligned with company positioning

4. Partnerships & Market Presence

Build relationships with:

Customers and prospects

Payment partners and service providers

Industry networks and associations

Represent Duplo at relevant industry events and forums

Help establish Duplo as a credible, trusted player in the local market

5. Internal Collaboration & Execution Discipline

Work closely with:

Product and engineering teams

Operations and onboarding teams

Finance, risk, and compliance teams

Maintain accurate CRM records and pipeline reporting

Forecast revenue with discipline and transparency

Help shape sales playbooks for future hires in the region

Requirements:

6-8 years in B2B sales, with significant experience in payments, fintech, banking, or financial services

Proven track record in closing complex B2B deals

Deep understanding of the South African business landscape and how companies buy financial products

Existing relationships with finance or operations leaders in South Africa

Experience with payments, FX, or finops products

Highly commercial, outcome-driven, and comfortable with accountability

Strong communication and negotiation skills

Structured, data-driven, and disciplined