Finance Analyst - Content at MultiChoice Group

Finance Analyst - Content

The Organisation

Multichoice Group Limited is a broad-based JSE top 40 listed multinational media group headquartered in South Africa and Dubai with principal operations in pay television and video entertainment. The group operates in almost 50 countries in Africa. Its holding company, Naspers, is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and has an ADR listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). International investors account for around 50% of its shareholder base.

An African platform operator, Video Entertainment’s expertise lies distributing media products, creating media content and selling advertising. Its key areas of operations are:
 

• Pay Television: direct-to-home satellite and digital terrestrial television services; and
• SVOD: subscription video on demand services across multiple online platforms with a focus on library and local content in developing markets
   

Operating in the majority of African countries, Video Entertainment is the leading Pay TV provider in most of the key African markets. Its strategy is to offer the best local and international content across multiple platforms to customers wherever they are.

The group’s strength lies in its focus on local language and culture, its entrepreneurial spirit and the quality of its workforce. Over the years Video Entertainment has built a successful track record of identifying trends early, adapting them for the markets in which it operates and leveraging them to maximum advantage. The group generates revenues mainly by collecting subscription fees, with a moderate contribution from advertising revenue. Its key objectives are to:
 

• Build its Pay TV and SVOD subscriber base
• Focus on investment and technology
• Maintain a local approach
• Provide quality service
• Attract innovative and motivated employees

Position Name
Finance Analyst - Content 

Reports to
Finance Manager

Division
General Entertainment
 

Department
Finance

Number of Direct Reports
0

Key Customers

• Business unit directors and HODs within South Africa,  Rest of Africa and General Entertainment

Purpose of the Position: Responsible for supporting directors and heads of departments in planning and reporting and analysis of results.

Key Performance Objectives

Tasks
Perform Financial Planning and Analysis

• Facilitate the budget and forecast process for the Business Unit and ensure it aligns with regional objectives
• Proactively partner with the business to identify and evaluate opportunities to improve performance and ensure that change initiatives are implemented
• Prepare monthly reporting pack (including financial performance and variance analyses of actuals against plans, forecasts, prior periods)
• Prepare divisional performance reporting for monthly and year to date results against budget and forecasts
• Provide meaningful ad hoc financial analysis as required
• Attend monthly finance meetings for results review
• Work with corporate BI team to set up and further improve reporting for the business unit
• Budget and forecast of Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash flows
• Budgeting for capex to enable detailed analysis and commentary
• 24 month Treasury cash flow forecasts
• 24 month rolling forecasts of Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement
• Initiation and approval of SGA expenses to confirm validity and availability of budget
• Policy compliance custodian for the division

Month end Reporting

• SAP month end procedures
• Responsible for providing or reviewing financial data and calculations to/from Shared Services to process accounting entries (i.e. for monthly accruals, intercompany recharges)
• Responsible for ensuring that the accounting records correctly reflect the financial results
• Prepare Consolidated monthly reporting packs for Business Units including financial and non-financial information, variance analysis of actuals, budget, forecasts and prior year
• Deliver accurate monthly management accounts with detailed variance analysis
• Preparation of the monthly cash flow forecast with detailed variance analysis
• General ledger and balance sheet recons
• Management of the content costing system (including reconciliation between sub-ledger

Cash flow management

• Track cash flows against treasury forecasts and budgets
• Maintain accuracy of treasury forecasts, as well as reconciliation between actual and forecast
• Manage multiple suppliers in order to achieve forecasting objectives; and pay within contractual terms
• Monitor foreign currency exposure on Content Payables, including submissions to Treasury for FECs; and in-country exposure

Business Partnering (operational areas)

• First line support and business partnering to the operational business units
• Consolidation of budget and forecasts information for the divisions, including monthly tracking of saving objectives and corrective action where necessary
• First point of contact for procurement process and finance review thereof to ensure alignment to policy and budget.

Ad-hoc

• As requested or required by the business unit

Qualifications

• Must be a CA (SA)

Experience / Skills

• Minimum 1-2 years post article relevant experience in a similar role
• Sound knowledge of IFRS and Taxation rules
• SAP system experience
• Advanced excel skills
• Experience in the content industry would be advantageous

 
Competencies

• Attention to detail
• Analytical thinking
• Deadline driven
• Results driven
• Pro-activeness
• Interpersonal skills
• Assertiveness
• Able to work in a pressurized environment
• Decision making
• Team player
• Conflict management
• Risk management
• Flexibility and adaptable