SME Area Segment Manager (Agri) at Absa South Africa

Key Accountabilities

People Leadership & Performance Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of SME Relationship Executives to achieve agreed financial, sales, and client experience outcomes across diversified SME portfolios, including Agriculture-focused clients.
• Set clear performance expectations and contract objectives through the Performance Development process.
• Drive colleague capability, engagement, and succession by identifying development needs and enabling targeted coaching and learning, including sector-specific capability for Agriculture and rural SME markets.
• Foster a high-performance, inclusive, and empowering team culture aligned to Absa’s values.

Business & Commercial Management

• Translate Business Unit and Segment strategy into tactical delivery plans and measurable objectives for the team.
• Drive portfolio growth, profitability, and productivity across the area by optimising origination, cross-sell, and client retention, with tailored approaches for Agriculture and Agri-related SME clients.
• Monitor and manage performance against targets, taking corrective action where required.
• Ensure consistent execution of the SME Customer Value Proposition (CVP), adapting solutions to meet the seasonal, cash-flow, and risk characteristics of Agricultural clients.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure all activities are conducted in line with FAIS, credit, regulatory, and internal governance frameworks.
• Embed a strong risk culture by ensuring quality origination, disciplined credit assessment, and proactive portfolio risk management, including effective management of sector-specific risks such as climate, commodity price volatility, and production risk within Agriculture portfolios.
• Monitor adherence to compliance standards including FICA, NCA, and internal control requirements.
• Take accountability for audit findings, risk issues, and remediation actions within the area.

Client & Customer Experience

• Ensure Relationship Executives deliver a consistently high standard of service and trusted advisory to SME clients, including farmers, agri-business owners, and Agricultural value-chain participants.
• Support complex client engagements, escalations, and solutioning where required, particularly for larger or more specialised Agricultural relationships.
• Drive client satisfaction, advocacy, and retention through strong relationship coverage and service excellence.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with Credit, Product, Risk, Operations, and Agriculture / Sector Specialists to enable effective client solutions and delivery.
• Build strong internal partnerships to improve ways of working and remove friction in the client journey.
• Share market, portfolio, and sector-specific insights (including Agriculture market trends and risks) to inform business decisions and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Finance, Economics, Business Management, or related field (preferred).
• 5–8 years’ experience in Business / Commercial Banking, with demonstrated exposure to SME portfolios, including Agriculture or sector-based lending.
• 2–4 years’ experience in a leadership or people management role within a banking or financial services environment.
• Strong understanding of SME banking, credit, financial analysis, and risk management, including sector-specific considerations for Agricultural and rural enterprises.
• Proven track record of driving sales performance, portfolio growth, and team delivery in complex, regionally diverse markets.