Sales Manager Acquiring at Absa Bank Tanzania

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

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Job Summary

The role is responsible for driving the merchant acquiring sales strategy to achieve sustained growth in transaction volumes, revenue, and market share. This includes identifying new market opportunities, expanding into priority segments, and ensuring a strong and competitive value proposition through effective collaboration with product, marketing, and channel teams. The position oversees the acquisition, onboarding, activation, and management of merchants, ensuring high portfolio quality, strong utilization, and continuous growth through cross-selling and strategic relationship management.

In addition, the role provides leadership of the sales function, ensuring high team performance through clear targets, coaching, and incentive structures. It also ensures adherence to risk, compliance, and operational standards, while working closely with operations and technology teams to deliver seamless service and system reliability. A strong focus is placed on enhancing customer experience, strengthening partnerships, and leveraging data-driven insights to optimize performance, improve retention, and support informed decision-making at both operational and strategic levels.

Job Description

Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth – 25%

• Develop and execute the merchant acquiring sales strategy to grow transaction volumes, revenues, and market share.
• Set sales targets, monitor performance, and ensure consistent achievement of financial goals.
• Identify new markets, business segments, and payment opportunities for expansion.
  

Merchant Acquisition & Portfolio Management – 20%

• Oversee the acquisition of new merchants across priority sectors.
• Ensure high quality onboarding, training, and activation of merchants to drive usage.
• Manage and grow the existing merchant portfolio through strong relationship management and cross selling of additional payment solutions.
  

Product & Market Positioning- 10%

• Work closely with product, marketing, and channel teams to ensure competitive pricing, product features, and go to market plans.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends, and regulatory developments to maintain a strong value proposition.
  

Team Leadership & Performance Management - 12%

• Lead, train, and motivate the sales team to deliver high performance and excellent merchant experience.
• Implement coaching, performance monitoring, and incentive programs.
• Ensure field teams are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge.
  

Partnership Development – 8%

• Build strategic partnerships with key stakeholders such as fintechs, technology vendors, aggregators, and industry associations.
• Negotiate and manage commercial agreements to support business growth.
  

Risk, Compliance & Operational Excellence – 10%

• Ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines, internal policies, KYC, and risk frameworks.
• Work with operations and IT to ensure smooth deployment of POS devices, system uptime, and timely issue resolution.
• Strengthen fraud prevention practices within merchant ecosystem.
  

Customer Experience & Service Delivery – 8%

• Champion merchant experience by ensuring timely response to issues, proactive support, and clear communication.
• Drive initiatives that reduce transaction failures, chargebacks, and service downtime.
  

Reporting & Performance Insights – 7%

• Prepare sales performance dashboards, revenue reports, and pipeline updates for management.
• Use data analytics to drive decisions on merchant performance, attrition, and optimization.
  

Technical Skills / Competencies

Skills & Competencies

• Communication skills
• Relationship Management skills
• Planning
• Interpersonal skills
• Sales skills
• Negotiation skills
  

Knowledge and Expertise (relating to specialist knowledge and expertise required to undertake the role. May include knowledge of the Bank’s products, services and policies)

Essential

• Full and extensive knowledge of Absacard products and services
• Working knowledge of acquiring industry dynamics, interchange, etc.
• In-depth knowledge of competitor solutions
• Knowledge of the Business-to-Business sector
• Fully aware of industry trends (in country and overseas)
• Knowledge of Absa Group and Absacard strategies both locally and overseas
• Working knowledge and practical understanding of Law legislation and regulations as they apply to the local market.
  

Preferred

• Knowledge of relevant third-party suppliers (e.g. technology)
• An up-to-date knowledge of industry related developments
  

Essential

Experience, qualifications and other requirements specific to the role

• Satisfies the FSA criteria for an approved person, both initially and ongoing
• 3 years minimum sales experience with a proven track record of achievement and high performance
• Proven success rate in negotiation in a corporate environment
  

Preferred

• May have experience in the Business-to-Business Financial Services Sector
• Knowledge of the Card Acquiring industry would be an advantage but not essential.
  

Key Issues over the next 12 -24 months

• Competition expected to stiffen, follow more aggressive strategies in most markets
• There is a need for flexibility and to be able to work to challenging deadlines when they arise
• The role is itinerant. Office space will not be available. Travel in country and, in some cases, out of country will be required.
• There is a need for flexibility and to be able to work to challenging deadlines when they arise
• The role is itinerant. Office space will not be available. Travel in country and, in some cases, out of country will be required.
  

Absa Behaviours: of particular importance to this role

• Drive Performance
• Delight Customers
• Build Pride and Passion
• Execute at Speed
• Grow Talent and Capability
• Protect and Enhance our Reputation
  

Absa Values:

Absa Values and Behaviours represent the set of standards which governs the actions of all of us who work for the bank and against which the performance of every one of us in Absa are being assessed and rewarded:

• Trust
• Resourceful
• Stewardship
• Inclusive
• Courage
  

Education

Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)