Lesaka Technologies

Head of Data

Cape Town, Western Cape
Permanent

Posted: 28 January 2026
Closing Date: 06 February 2026

Role Overview

Lesaka Technologies is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Data to lead data capabilities across the Group. This role carries a dual mandate:

• Group Level: Act as Head of Data Engineering, defining and operating shared data platforms, architecture, and engineering standards across the Consumer, Enterprise, and Merchant businesses.

• Enterprise Level: Own the end-to-end data function for the Enterprise business, including Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering, Data Analytics, and Data Science, driving insight, innovation, and measurable business value.

This role is critical in enabling data-driven decision-making, scalable platforms, and advanced analytics across Lesaka’s diverse, high-volume operations.

Location: Tygerberg Office Park, Uys Krige Drive, Plattekloof, Cape Town (Hybrid/On-site)

Key Responsibilities

Group Responsibilities (Consumer, Enterprise, Merchant)

As Group Head of Data Engineering, you will be accountable for:

• Defining and executing data platform strategy, architecture, and tooling

• Ensuring reliability, scalability, performance, and cost efficiency of data platforms

• Establishing and enforcing group-wide data engineering standards, best practices, and governance

• Building and maintaining shared data infrastructure supporting high-volume transactional systems

• Partnering with Group Technology, Security, and Architecture teams to ensure compliance, security, and resilience

• Enabling self-service analytics and data access across all business units

• Leading and developing senior data engineering leaders across the Group

Enterprise Responsibilities (Full Data Ownership)

As Head of Data for the Enterprise business, you will have full accountability for:

• Data Engineering

• Analytics Engineering

• Data Analytics / Business Intelligence

• Data Science

Key deliverables include:

• Translating enterprise strategy into a clear data and analytics roadmap

• Driving adoption of modern analytics practices, including semantic layers, metrics, experimentation, and machine learning

• Partnering closely with Enterprise leadership across Product, Sales, Finance, and Operations

• Delivering actionable insights that improve:

  • Revenue growth

  • Customer acquisition and retention

  • Risk management

  • Operational efficiency

• Overseeing advanced analytics and data science use cases, including predictive modelling and optimisation

• Owning data quality, trust, and business usability within the Enterprise environment

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and scale high-performing, multi-disciplinary data teams

• Influence senior executives through clear, outcome-focused data narratives

• Balance short-term delivery with long-term platform evolution

• Act as a trusted advisor on data, analytics, and AI strategy

• Manage vendors, partners, and third-party platforms where applicable

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with regulatory and data privacy requirements (e.g. POPIA)

• Implement robust data governance, lineage, and quality frameworks

• Partner with Risk and Compliance teams to ensure responsible and ethical data usage

Required Experience & Skills

Experience

• 10+ years’ experience in data-related roles, including significant leadership responsibility

• Proven experience leading data teams at scale

• Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end data functions (engineering, analytics, and data science)

• Experience in complex, high-volume environments (payments, fintech, or financial services preferred)

• Exposure to multi-business or group operating models

Technical & Functional Skills

• Strong experience with modern data platforms, including cloud data warehouses, streaming, and orchestration

• Deep understanding of analytics engineering and BI best practices

• Familiarity with the data science and machine learning lifecycle

• Knowledge of data governance, quality, and security frameworks

• Ability to translate complex business challenges into effective data solutions

Leadership & Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability

• Excellent communicator across technical and non-technical audiences

• Comfortable operating at executive level

• Pragmatic, commercially aware, and outcome-driven

• Proven people leader with a track record of building and developing senior teams

Apply here