Permanent - Business Development Manager, Africa Diversification - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

Reports to Regional Director, Africa

Position Statement:

The Business Development Manager, Africa Diversification will lead the identification, development and conversion of new revenue opportunities across Africa, with a particular focus on building diversified propositions that use the Company's assets, capabilities and customer relationships in new ways. The role will support the company’s growth agenda by developing business hub, property utilisation and ecosystem-led opportunities, creating long-term customer relationships and cross-selling pathways across the company's service portfolio.

Key focus areas:

• Develop and maintain a qualified pipeline of diversification and new business opportunities across Africa.
• Lead market discovery, prospecting and commercial development for the company's Business Hubs and related ecosystem opportunities.
• Convert property, storage, logistics, relocation, records management and workspace strengths into integrated customer solutions.
• Build partnerships with entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates, local networks and internal stakeholders to create recurring revenue and long-term clients.

Responsibilities:

Business development and market creation:

• Identify priority markets, customer segments and partnership opportunities that support diversification and revenue growth across Africa.
• Create and execute targeted prospecting plans for entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates, business communities and channel partners.
• Develop a clear sales pipeline, maintaining accurate records of opportunities, activities, progress and conversion status through the CRM system.
• Prepare commercially credible proposals, pricing inputs, presentations and business cases for new diversification opportunities.
• Represent the company professionally in customer meetings, networking forums, local business communities and commercial events.

Business Hubs and diversification propositions:

• Support the development and scaling of the company's Business Hubs, starting with current and planned opportunities in Johannesburg, Botswana, Durban and Cape Town, subject to business priorities.
• Translate under-utilised property and operational capability into compelling customer propositions, including secure space, storage, logistics support, meeting rooms, infrastructure and value-added services.
• Work with operational, property, finance and country leadership teams to assess feasibility, customer demand, service scope and commercial viability.
• Develop propositions that encourage business partners to use multiple company services as they grow, creating cross-selling opportunities across the Group.
• Track lessons learned from pilot activities and recommend improvements to support repeatable, scalable growth models.

Stakeholder management and collaboration:

• Build trusted relationships with country managers, operational teams, sales colleagues, finance and senior stakeholders across Africa and EMEA.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications colleagues to shape targeted campaigns, customer messaging and local market engagement.
• Work closely with colleagues across company’s service lines to design integrated solutions that meet customer needs and reflect company’s brand promise.
• Provide regular updates on pipeline health, risks, opportunities, competitor insights and recommended next actions.

Commercial governance and performance:

• Support revenue, margin and activity targets agreed for diversification initiatives and new business growth.
• Ensure opportunities are commercially assessed, risk reviewed and progressed in line with internal approval requirements.
• Monitor customer feedback, market response and pipeline conversion to inform future investment and proposition refinement.
• Maintain high standards of data quality, documentation and follow-up across all business development activity.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

• Support the company CSR commitment and goals, including responsible business growth, community impact and sustainable use of company assets.

Other:

• Demonstrate and promote the company vision and values.
• Act as an ambassador for the company’s growth and diversification agenda.
• Undertake ad hoc duties as assigned by the Manager.

Skills and experience:

• Proven experience in business development, consultative sales, commercial partnerships or market development, ideally within logistics, relocation, property, serviced offices, storage, records management, workspace or broader B2B services.
• Strong track record of creating pipeline, progressing opportunities and closing new business.
• Experience developing propositions for new markets, new customer segments or diversified revenue streams.
• Ability to prepare proposals, business cases, customer presentations and commercial updates for senior stakeholders.
• Strong CRM discipline and confidence using sales data to prioritise activity and forecast progress.
• Comfortable working across geographies, cultures and functions, with experience in Africa or emerging markets desirable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including confident presentation and influencing capability.

Competencies:

• Communication
• Planning
• Personal organisation
• Listening skills
• Commercial awareness
• Quality
• Productivity
• Reliability

Personal attributes:

• Entrepreneurial, curious and able to identify opportunity in emerging or ambiguous markets.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate effectively and build trust with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Confident, determined and resilient, with the ability to manage rejection and maintain momentum.
• Ability to work in a rapidly changing, high-pressure environment while maintaining accuracy and professionalism.
• Strong cultural sensitivity and ability to operate effectively across different African markets and business environments.
• Solution-oriented approach to problem solving and decision making.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, tact and discretion