With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary
To lead and manage a regional credit lending function, including overseeing the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga regions, ensuring effective credit risk management, operational excellence, and portfolio quality. The role ensures that lending practices align with the bank’s risk appetite in supporting sustainable business growth.Job Description
Key Responsibilities
Portfolio Oversight
- Manage and monitor the overall health and performance of regional credit portfolios
- Analyse portfolio trends, identify risk concentrations, and recommend corrective actions
- Ensure adherence to internal risk frameworks, policies, and regulatory requirements
Business Enablement
- Enable quality business growth without putting the bank under undue risk
- Evaluate, structure, and approve credit applications beyond regional sanctioner limits
- Review credit proposals for completeness, accuracy, and sound risk assessment
- Balance customer needs with the Bank’s risk appetite and policies
Risk Management
- Embed strong risk management practices and maintain a robust control environment
- Identify early warning signals of potential non-performing loans
- Implement proactive measures to mitigate credit risk and minimise bad debts
- Ensure sound judgement, prudent decision-making, and timely escalation of risks
- Collaborate with collections and recovery teams to manage distressed exposures
Policy Adherence and Governance
- Ensure all lending activities comply with approved credit policies and procedures
- Maintain strong governance and audit readiness across regional operations
- Provide input into policy enhancements based on emerging risks and trends
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with business units, regions, and Credit Risk team
- Provide expert credit guidance to support customer-focused decisions
- Provide guidance on credit risk matters to relationship managers and regional teams
- Engage with senior leadership on portfolio performance and risk issues
People Management & Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team
- Oversee onboarding and training of new employees
- Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Mentor team members and share best practices across functions
Key Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field
- Professional certification (e.g., CA(SA), CFA, FRM) preferred
- Extensive experience in credit risk management, preferably in banking or financial services
- Strong knowledge of credit analysis, risk frameworks, and regulatory requirements
- Proven experience in approving high-value and complex credit facilities
- Excellent analytical, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills
- Requirement to travel to regions for stakeholder engagement.
Key Competencies
- Credit Risk Management
- Decision-Making & Judgement
- Portfolio Management
- Leadership & Team Development
- Attention to Detail
- Stakeholder Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Risk & Control Governance
Education
Bachelor Honours Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required), Postgraduate Diploma: AccountingAbsa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field
- Bachelor Honours Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies
- Postgraduate Diploma: Accounting
- Professional certification (CA(SA), CFA, FRM)
- Extensive experience in credit risk management, preferably in banking or financial services
- Proven experience approving high-value and complex credit facilities
- Strong knowledge of credit analysis, risk frameworks, and regulatory requirements
- Excellent analytical, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills
- Experience leading, coaching, and developing a high-performing team
- Willingness/ability to travel regionally for stakeholder engagement
Absa Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Absa Group and has not been reviewed or approved by Absa Group.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical aid, group life, disability, and funeral cover are described as comprehensive, with features such as terminal‑illness advances and beneficiary grocery benefits. Wellness and assistance offerings support overall financial and personal wellbeing.
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Retirement Support — A pension fund and group retirement arrangements are positioned as core benefits within fixed remuneration. Retirement coverage is embedded alongside other protections as part of standard employment.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Employee share‑ownership (eKhaya) and equity‑linked awards broaden wealth‑sharing, with dividends or cash‑equivalent participation in some markets. This provides longer‑term value beyond base pay.
Absa Group Insights
What We Do
Absa Group Limited (Absa) has forged a new way of getting things done, driven by bravery and passion, with the readiness to realise growth on the African continent and beyond. We’re a truly African brand, inspired by the people we serve in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We also have representative offices in China, Namibia, Nigeria and the United States, as well as securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States, along with technology support colleagues in the Czech Republic.
