Credit Head

Job Description

Accountable for leading and managing the credit function across multiple African markets outside the home country. It ensures sound credit governance, consistent application of credit policies, and effective risk oversight to support sustainable business growth. The incumbent integrates regional credit insights, translates group credit strategies into actionable frameworks, and provides expert guidance to in-country credit teams to maintain a balanced risk-return profile.

• Translate group credit strategy into region-specific credit frameworks, processes, and standards.
• Ensure consistent implementation of credit governance, delegation of authority, and risk appetite thresholds across all African markets.
• Drive the development and periodic review of regional credit policies to ensure relevance, scalability, and alignment with evolving business needs.
• Establish regional credit governance forums and ensure effective escalation, reporting, and oversight mechanisms.
• Provide input into broader regional business strategies, ensuring credit risk implications are properly understood and incorporated.
• Oversee the health, quality, and performance of the regional credit portfolio, including early warning indicators and portfolio trends.
• Provide expert oversight of high-value or complex credit applications, ensuring alignment with policy and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor concentration risk, emerging market risks, and macroeconomic exposures.
• Lead portfolio stress testing, sensitivity analysis, and scenario modelling to inform risk appetite adjustments.
• Drive credit loss forecasting, impairment modelling, and provisioning accuracy in collaboration with Finance and Risk Analytics.
• Identify opportunities to improve portfolio resilience and recommend corrective strategies for underperforming segments.
• Partner with regional executives, country leadership teams, and group risk to support business growth strategies while maintaining prudent risk standards.
• Build strong relationships with regulators, external stakeholders, and credit bureaus across relevant African jurisdictions.
• Represent the credit function in regional steering committees, investment forums, and strategic decision-making platforms.
• Influence product development, pricing, and market entry decisions through a risk-informed perspective.
• Facilitate cross-country collaboration to strengthen credit capabilities and harmonise practices.
• Lead dispersed credit teams across multiple geographies, driving capability development, coaching, and professional excellence.
• Ensure regional succession planning, technical certification pathways, and ongoing competency development for credit practitioners.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and sound risk judgement.
• Conduct regional talent reviews and support the development of country credit heads.
• Guide teams in resolving complex cases, appeals, and escalations while maintaining consistent application of policy.
• Ensure adherence to local and international regulatory requirements, internal controls, and audit frameworks across all markets.
• Lead internal audit engagements, regulatory reviews, and risk assurance activities for the region.
• Develop and implement remediation plans, ensuring timely closure of audit findings and regulatory issues.
• Maintain awareness of legislative and regulatory changes affecting credit practices in the region and ensure proactive alignment.
• Drive continuous improvement of credit assessment, decisioning, and monitoring processes across the region.
• Implement data-driven decisioning tools, credit automation, and digital enhancements to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Standardise metrics, reporting frameworks, and documentation practices across countries.
• Champion the adoption of credit technology platforms and ensure teams are trained and upskilled accordingly.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement solutions to reduce turnaround times and improve customer experience.
• Oversee the production of accurate and insightful credit risk reports for executive and board-level committees.
• Monitor regional performance against key portfolio metrics and early warning indicators.
• Provide commentary, insights, and recommendations based on regional portfolio trends.
• Ensure the integrity, quality, and governance of data used in credit decisioning and reporting.

Job Details

Take note that applications will not be accepted on the below date and onwards, kindly submit applications ahead of the closing date indicated below.

27/03/26