Contract Vacancies at Zadna

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS 

• Provide strategic oversight of the regulation, development and sustainability of the .za domain name namespace and broader South African domain name industry.
• Ensure compliance with ECTA, PFMA, Companies Act, Treasury Regulations, applicable legislation and corporate governance requirements, including King IV.
• Act as Accounting Officer and safeguard sound financial governance, performance, risk management, internal controls and accountability.
• Build strategic relationships with Government, DCDT, Parliament, ICANN, AFRINIC, registries, registrars, industry and international stakeholders.
• Align .zadna with international Internet governance developments and represent the organisation in national, regional and global forums.
• Lead organisational transformation, employee engagement, ethical culture, leadership capability and high-performance execution.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS & EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE 

• Master’s degree (NQF Level 9) in ICT, Information Systems, Computer Science or relevant field; MBA or equivalent business leadership qualification advantageous.
• 10–15 years’ senior management experience in ICT, digital economy, telecommunications, Internet governance, regulatory or public-sector environments, including at least 8 years at executive level.
• Demonstrable experience engaging Boards, Executive Authorities, Parliament and senior national/international stakeholders.
• Sound knowledge of the South African ICT and digital economy landscape; DNS and Internet governance; ICANN and related international structures; ECTA; PFMA; and corporate governance.
• Professional registration with a recognised body, where applicable, is advantageous.

CLOSING DATE 06 September 2026

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KEY JOB DELIVERABLES:

Financial Reporting and Management Accounts:

• Prepare monthly management accounts with performance analysis, highlighting key financial metrics.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting, including preparing periodic financial statements in accordance with IFRS or IFRS and compliance standards.
• Maintain the general ledger and perform month-end and year-end closing processes.

General Ledger Reconciliations and Year-End Preparations:

• Conduct regular reconciliations of general ledger accounts to ensure accurate reporting and balance integrity.
• Prepare year-end financial closing processes, ensuring all accounts are accurately reconciled and ready for external review.
• Collaborate with internal and external auditors, preparing necessary documentation and addressing audit queries promptly and accurately.

Project Accounting and Cost Management:

• Setting project budgets, tracking costs, and cost allocation.
• Conduct variance analysis on project costs, preparing project-specific financial reports. Partner with project managers to monitor project performance and provide insights on financial management for successful project delivery. Compliance, Taxation, and Policy Drafting:
• Manage tax compliance, including VAT, income tax, PAYE, and other statutory filings, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• Draft and update finance policies and procedures to enhance internal controls, financial accuracy, and regulatory compliance.
• Stay informed on tax regulations and compliance changes, implementing updates to align with current laws and best practices.

Auditing Coordination and Support:

• Serve as the point of contact for internal and external auditors, facilitating the audit process.
• Prepare required documentation and respond to audit queries related to financial reporting, compliance, and project accounting.
• Assist in implementing recommendations from audit findings to strengthen financial controls and reporting practices

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Financial Planning:

• Assist in preparing annual budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections, supporting the company’s financial objectives.
• Analyze variances between actual and budgeted figures, preparing comprehensive variance analysis reports.
• Provide insights into management on budget adjustments and financial planning to support effective resource allocation. Stakeholder Collaboration and Performance Monitoring:
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including project managers and  department heads, to support financial decision-making.
• Conduct regular financial analyses to monitor trends, optimize performance, and recommend cost-saving measures.
• Engage with external advisors, tax authorities, and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and support company objectives

Minimum Requirements:

• Relevant bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field with completed articles.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in accounting, focusing on project accounting, financial reporting, and compliance.
• Proficiency in accounting software (e.g. Sage One /Draft Works/Sage Business Cloud Professional Payroll or SSS) and advanced Excel skills.
• Strong understanding of IFRS or IFRS with hands-on experience in tax compliance (VAT, income tax, PAYE) and policy drafting.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills; ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with teams.

Additional Requirements:

• High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities within tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with commitment to accuracy and compliance.

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KEY JOB DELIVERABLES:
Internet Governance Expertise

• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and/or monitor advocacy strategies to advance South
• African Internet Governance objectives within different legal and regulatory environments.
• Provide expertise on digital rights policy issues, including freedom of expression, data protection, privacy, access to information, and surveillance.
• Maintain currency in the trends and technologies affecting digital rights policy issues, and the mitigation
• strategies being experimented with.
• Engage in local, regional, and international Internet Governance events.
• Consult and assist stakeholders on Internet Governance policy challenges.

Research and reporting

• Analyze current global Internet Governance trends and produce thought pieces and approaches to address challenges across the internet freedom community.
• Develop policy briefs to address global, regional or country-specific Internet Governance challenges.
• Develop the annual South African Internet Governance report.

Events and Presentations

• Develop and maintain up-to-date Internet Governance briefing and communications materials
• Support ZAIGF and stakeholder meetings and events
• Play a leading role in supporting and developing Internews’ public engagement strategy about internet policy, internet governance, and technology policy upon approval and instruction of the Executive.

Stakeholder liaison

• Culturally sensitive communication and mediation skills.
• Maintains and contributes to a database of “promising practices” in stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to the development strategies for ensuring that best practices in stakeholder engagement are identified and become institutionalized.
• Collaborates closely with the PR and Awareness Officer.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Relevant NQF level 6 qualification in Social Science, Law, or IT.
• Total experience of 4 years in the ICT sector, and specifically DNS.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in ICT/Internet Governance, policy or research is a strong preference.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in project management,
• Minimum of 2 years working with multi-stakeholder entities.

Required Competencies (Skills, Knowledge & Behavioral Attributes):

• Knowledge of policy development.
• Expertise working with human rights defenders, journalists, advocates, and/or marginalized populations and (ideally) with internet freedom communities.
• Understanding of gender-sensitive programming and approaches to civil society engagement.
• Thought leadership in public discourse.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize shifting workload.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Superior analytical and writing ability.
• Superior communication and presentation skills