Southern and Eastern Africa Group Country Manager

About Us
Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world.

Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you.

Job Description

Role Summary:

The Group Country Manager is responsible for the sale of company products and/or services to assigned accounts or within a given territory. This role involves making and developing contacts with existing and potential customers, analyzing customer requirements, and promoting company products and services to meet those needs.

The Group Country Manager participates in the preparation of sales plans, business plans, and product development plans, conducts sales presentations, and maintains up-to-date and accurate sales records.

Technical proficiency is maintained, and the role consults with prospective customers regarding the use of company products and services. The Group Country Manager keeps informed of new products and other information of interest to customers, investigates new applications or improvements to products, and provides marketing intelligence to sales management.

The role may also participate in the development of sales forecasts and strategies.All roles require digital fluency, including the ability to work with emerging technologies such as Generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) to support everyday work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead overall management responsibility for all aspects of Visa’s business operations within the assigned group of countries, including P&L responsibility.
• Design and execute strategies and key initiatives to achieve business growth and performance goals for the cluster.
• Monitor local development of payments, banking, financial services, and technology/big data for trends and factors impacting current and future business.
• Identify and prioritize new business opportunities and determine appropriate resource investment.
• Lead Visa’s strategy with government, central bank, and regulatory institutions within the cluster.
• Represent Visa across sales, regulatory affairs, corporate and social responsibility by speaking at conferences and business forums and undertaking media/public relations activities.
• Collaborate with regional leadership teams to help set and execute overall regional strategy.
• Develop, cultivate, and maintain deep partnerships with client CEOs, management teams, decisionmakers, and other influencers within Visa’s clients, banks, national banking associations, key merchants, merchant associations, and prospective/existing FinTech partners.
• Ensure client account plans are up to date with current priorities and opportunities, aligned with Visa’s functional priorities, and executed with excellence.
• Engage regulators and other government entities in collaboration with Visa’s Government Engagement team to drive economic growth, business innovation, and financial inclusion.
• Lead and manage Visa’s team, actively engaging employees with exceptional communication skills and commitment, role modeling Visa’s leadership principles.
• Collaborate directly with all functions to ensure each contributes to and supports the execution of the cluster’s strategic agenda.
• Attract, develop, and retain outstanding talent, ensure appropriate succession planning, maximize employee engagement, and ensure all staff have meaningful development plans.
• Create a sense of community and drive a culture of genuine inclusion for the cluster.

Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• 15 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 12 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters/MBA/JD/MD) or a minimum of 10 years of work experience with a PhD.
• Experience in commercial/sales leadership within the payments industry or adjacent sectors where technology (digital/e and m-commerce) features strongly.
• Experience in developing and leading client relationships and new business opportunities with key partners.
• Experience in navigating ambiguity, innovation, and leading businesses in the capture, expansion, and retention of client relationships.
• Experience in high-growth/fast-paced environments meeting challenging financial and business targets.
• Experience in establishing strong connections with government representatives and regulators.
• Experience in managing P&L responsibility for business operations.
• Experience in working in a global matrix organization and empowering decision-making locally.
• Experience in leading change programs and high-performing teams on a journey of cultural and transformational change.
• Experience in building, empowering, and developing high-performing diverse teams.
• Minimum degree-level qualification; MBA considered valuable.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 18 or more years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD, PhD).
• Experience in commercial leadership positions within the payments industry or adjacent sectors with strong technology focus.
• Experience in P&L management and leadership of enterprise or commercial functions where digital and customer agenda is a key driver.
• Experience in growing a business in high-growth/fast-paced environments.
• Experience in leading key client relationships and growing significant client sales portfolios.
• Experience in working collaboratively with executives from clients and partners to leverage Visa’s products and services.
• Experience in leading change programs and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience in working in a multi-national, multi-cultural, diverse, and highly matrixed organization.
• Fluent in both French and English.

Visa is an EEO Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

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Why work here?

If you thrive on rapid growth and enjoy working alongside positive, driven teammates, you’ll feel right at home here.

Help us to uplift everyone, everywhere. Whether you’re starting your career, pushing your capabilities or are a seasoned professional, learn how we can partner to reimagine the world.

About Us

At Visa, we are driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid. Our evolving technology keeps us at the heart of the digital economy, connecting people to 80+ million businesses worldwide. Backed by a resilient, proven model, our expanding network fuels growth—for Visa and for your career.

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Ready to take the next step? Learn more about life at Visa, explore our hiring process and get first-hand insights by hearing directly from our recruiters about what to expect. Apply with confidence today!

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