Meet Ozow
Ozow is a leading fintech company that's redefining digital payments in South Africa and beyond. We're dedicated to making payments more accessible, secure, and convenient for both businesses and consumers. As a fast-growing player in the financial technology sector, Ozow fosters a culture of innovation, diversity, and inclusivity. We believe in pushing the boundaries of what's possible and are committed to making a positive impact on the world through our payment solutions.
More about this Ozow fantastic position
Ozow is seeking a Junior Software Engineer (AI Enabled) to join our development team. You'll help build and maintain the solutions that power our digital payment platforms, learning from experienced engineers as we replatform and modernise our systems with AI. You'll use AI tools from day one, and we'll help you use them well: with discipline, care and an understanding of the code you ship.
This is an early-career, hands-on engineering role, not an agentic AI role. Your focus is building software with AI, rather than designing autonomous, long-running agent workflows.
Your role and responsibilities
Software Development
- Work with cross-functional teams to build and maintain software solutions that meet high-quality standards and business requirements.
AI-Enabled Replatforming
- Contribute to replatforming existing systems onto modern, AI-native services, migrating well-defined pieces of functionality under the guidance of senior engineers.
AI Feature Development
- Help build features that integrate with large language models (LLMs), learning techniques such as context management, embeddings and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
Coding
- Write clean, efficient and maintainable code following our coding standards, using AI coding tools to learn and move faster while understanding and being able to explain everything you commit.
Responsible AI Delivery
- Follow the team's standards for using AI safely across the software development lifecycle, including checking AI-generated output and protecting sensitive and payment data.
Technical Problem Solving
- Investigate and fix bugs and technical issues, escalating early when you're stuck.
System Architecture
- Learn how our systems are designed for scalability, security and performance, and apply those principles in the features you build.
Code Reviews
- Take part in code reviews, both receiving feedback on your code and reviewing others' to build your understanding of the codebase.
Testing and Quality
- Write unit tests for your code and help test features end to end, including AI features whose outputs are not always the same.
DevOps and Deployment
- Learn and use our CI/CD pipelines, containers and cloud environments (AWS or Azure) to get your code safely into production.
Agile Development
- Work in an Agile environment, participating in sprint planning, stand-ups and retrospectives.
Documentation
- Create and maintain technical documentation for the software and processes you work on.
Learning and Growth
- Learn from senior engineers through pairing, code reviews and feedback, and share what you discover about using AI tools well with the wider team.
You are an ideal candidate if you have
- 2 years of experience as a Software Engineer or Developer, including internships or graduate programmes
- An IT Diploma or Degree, or equivalent practical experience such as a recognised coding bootcamp
- Working knowledge of at least one of .NET C#, Python or JavaScript/ReactJs (more is a bonus)
- Regular, thoughtful use of AI coding tools, with the ability to explain and check the code they produce
- Exposure to building with LLMs, for example through personal, university or work projects, beneficial
- A good grasp of databases and SQL, version control (Git) and how the web works
- A curious, pragmatic attitude towards AI and a strong willingness to learn
Your skills and competencies
- You eagerly embrace change, absorb cross-functional skills, and connect ideas across disciplines to drive fresh thinking and innovation.
- Ability to initiate, develop, maintain and leverage outstanding relationships to influence a wide network, both inside and outside the company.
- A trailblazer who steps up, takes charge, and creates meaningful impact—those driven by performance and purpose to lead from the front and make a real difference every day.
- You thrive in collaboration, embrace inclusion, and bring a genuine curiosity for global cultures—valuing collective success over individual credit.
- Demonstrate strategic foresight, sound judgement, and the ability to make confident decisions under uncertainty, always working toward the best possible outcomes.
- You challenge norms, champion innovation, and constantly seek growth—for themselves, their team, and the solutions they build.
- You are a decisive doer—those who take initiative, follow through with confidence, and ensure results through courageous, hands-on leadership.
- We value optimism, agility, and the strength to persevere under pressure—balancing performance with positivity, even in challenging environments.
- You are driven, proactive individuals who take ownership, face challenges with grit, and consistently push for excellence—not just as participants, but as catalysts for success.
Interview process
During the interview process you will meet with the People team, the hiring manager, and relevant CSuite. Our process may include psychometric and technical assessments, giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths, skills and potential beyond your CV and interview.
In office perks
- Healthy breakfast, lunches and snacks
- Monthly team connects
- On-site Barista
Perks for South African based employees
- Medical aid subsidy
- Group Risk Insurance
- Generous paid annual leave
- Birthday leave
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Mentorship programme
- Quarterly team building
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Community initiatives
- Access to cutting edge technology - Ozow Tech Stack
Our Employee Value Proposition
At Ozow, we don't just process payments. We are redefining the future of how money moves. Our promise to our people is simple. Ozow is built for high impact: clear expectations, genuine investment in you, and the room to do work you are proud of. We back you to own what you deliver and how you grow, and we recognise the people who lift others, not just themselves. People are trusted to make decisions and own outcomes, where the growth you create, in yourself and in others, is part of how we succeed together.
Compliance
As a fintech company, we prioritize data security, confidentiality, regulatory and compliance. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we require individuals with a high level of integrity and trustworthiness to ensure adherence to financial regulations and industry standards. Given the sensitive nature of our work, all employees are expected to demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and a commitment to ethical conduct in line with financial regulations and industry standards
Ready to be exceptional? Apply now!
Keen to know more?
Interested in joining our rocket ship?
To find out more about life at Ozow, head over to our Careers Page here!
Skills Required
- Two years of experience as a Software Engineer or Developer, including internships or graduate programs
- IT diploma or degree, or equivalent practical experience such as a recognized coding bootcamp
- Working knowledge of at least one of .NET C#, Python, or JavaScript/ReactJS
- Regular, thoughtful use of AI coding tools, including the ability to explain and check generated code
- Exposure to databases and SQL, version control with Git, and web fundamentals
- Curious, pragmatic attitude toward AI and strong willingness to learn
- Exposure to building with LLMs through personal, university, or work projects
What We Do
Ozow is the future of payment as we know it. An oh-so (or Ozow) easy, automated and ultra-secure EFT solution that helps customers pay in just a few seconds, merchants can initiate Ozow payments through a variety of payment platforms, such as SMS, eCommerce, eBilling, QR Code and instore Point-of-Sale (POS). Through Ozow’s precise and secure system (that reduces the risk of charge-backs), merchants get real-time payments with instant transaction notifications and automated bank reconciliations. As no card is required for payment, their products are also more widely available, resulting in less abandoned carts, increased sales and more happy customers. Furthermore, merchants enjoy transaction fees as low as 1,5%, with no monthly costs, setup fees, or minimum charges, enabling them to save their money. As an added bonus, merchants processing up to R1m per month can use Ozow for free in their first year, no strings attached. Ozow is committed to financial inclusion on a continent where many people are disenfranchised by a lack of payments options. Furthermore, Ozow is committed to making it affordable for smaller businesses to take their trade to a wider audience, and to ensure that if traditional payment methods are unavailable, merchants don’t suffer. To date, Ozow has processed over a billion transactions, and has processed a combined value exceeding R5 billion. Ozow is bringing commerce to a wider audience, promoting financial inclusion and innovating for our customers. Paying with us is Ozow easy, Ozow fast and Ozow trusted
