We are seeking a Senior Retail Lead to join our dynamic M-KOPA South Africa team as we drive operational excellence and retail footprint optimization across our expanding regional network.
As the Senior Retail Lead, you will oversee Retail Regional Leads while ensuring operational management excellence across stock management, customer service, and compliance audits. This role requires high-level familiarity with M-KOPA's business processes and the ability to provide oversight and guidance to regional teams and field staff across your assigned regions.
You'll manage comprehensive operational functions including stock management practices, audit data analysis, training oversight, and performance management while driving continuous improvement across all retail touchpoints. Your work will directly impact customer experience while ensuring brand standards, compliance excellence, and profit optimization across the regional retail network.
This is a senior leadership opportunity with 30-40% field travel, offering the chance to shape retail operations and drive performance excellence while building high-performing teams across South Africa's most dynamic retail locations.
About Us
At M-KOPA, we are committed to making everyday essentials accessible through flexible financing. As our Senior Retail Lead, you will play a critical role in enabling that mission by overseeing operational excellence and driving performance across our retail regional network.
You will manage stock management practices, oversee collection and analysis of audit data, and conduct monthly wall-to-wall stock counts while ensuring compliance with processes, regulations, and management policies. Your responsibilities span customer service oversight, training management, performance management, reporting and analysis, and retail footprint optimization through P&L management.
You'll track key KPIs and metrics, carry out quarterly performance reviews, and provide regular coaching to Retail Team Leaders while supporting implementation of new processes and products. Your ability to analyze aged stock and shrinkage, identify operational risks, and drive improvements will be essential to success.
This role is designed for a retail operations leader who is analytically strong, detail-oriented, and passionate about operational excellence. If you're ready to oversee regional retail operations while building high-performing teams that support financial inclusion across South Africa, this could be your opportunity to lead with impact.
Expertise
We are looking for an accomplished retail operations professional with a Bachelor's degree/Diploma in Business Management, Operations, Retail Management or similar and minimum 2 years in a similar role managing regional teams—ideally with deep understanding of retail operations and financial services regulations in African markets.
You will bring:
Good knowledge and experience of M-KOPA business, including products and processes, with proven track record in similar regional management roles.
Strong leadership and management skills with natural ability to influence and drive compliance across teams while maintaining professional relationships.
Technical proficiency with data analysis tools, Microsoft Office Suite, and inventory management systems.
Analytical excellence with strong problem-solving capabilities, exceptional attention to detail, and ability to identify patterns and discrepancies.
Outstanding communication skills—both written and oral—with ability to present complex findings clearly to diverse stakeholders.
Exceptional organizational skills with ability to work to tight deadlines, manage overlapping timelines, and create task schedules/calendars.
Strong coaching and people-development skills through quality feedback, performance management, and team development.
Self-management capabilities with ability to take initiative without being micro-managed and deal with demanding customers and escalations.
What We Offer
A mission-driven environment where your operational excellence directly supports financial inclusion across South Africa.
Senior leadership role with direct oversight of regional retail operations and 30-40% field travel for hands-on impact.
Comprehensive operational ownership spanning stock management, training, performance management, and P&L optimization.
Regional influence with opportunity to shape retail footprint and drive performance excellence across multiple locations.
Competitive compensation and a values-driven culture rooted in innovation, inclusion, and empowerment.
Professional development opportunities with a high-performing team committed to operational excellence.
If you're ready to lead regional retail operations, drive performance excellence, and build high-performing teams that advance M-KOPA's mission across South Africa—we'd love to hear from you.
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.