Job Description

Zestlife is seeking a skilled Finance Executive to lead and manage the full financial function across its life and non-life portfolios. The role includes strategic financial planning, regulatory reporting, budgeting, and financial control, ensuring compliance and effective financial management.
The Finance Executive will provide strategic insights to support executive decision-making, drive financial performance, and uphold governance standards across all financial operations.
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Role Purpose
To lead and manage the financial function of Zestlife, including strategic financial planning, regulatory reporting, budgeting, and financial control across both life and non-life portfolios. The Finance Executive will play a key strategic role in supporting executive management in decision-making through high-quality financial insights and oversight.
Requirements
Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) or equivalent qualification.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years' experience in financial leadership roles, preferably within insurance or financial services.
• Strong technical knowledge of IFRS, insurance accounting, and tax regulation.
• Proven track record in strategic financial planning and team leadership.

Duties & Responsibilities
Responsibilities, work outputs and individual contribution:
1. Strategic Finance

• Develop and oversee the financial strategy in alignment with Zestlife and Guardrisk's goals.
• Provide financial insights and support strategic planning, growth initiatives, and product development decisions.

2. Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee all financial operations including budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, and cash flow management.
• Ensure accurate and timely preparation of monthly and quarterly management reports, board packs, and statutory financial statements.

3. Regulatory and Compliance

• Oversee FSP representative register.
• Ensure full compliance with relevant regulatory bodies including FSCA, SARS, and IFRS standards.
• Liaise with auditors and regulatory authorities and ensure all tax and statutory obligations are met.

4. Operational Finance

• Maintain and enhance budget models and forecasting tools.
• Oversee rate table management and premium and claim bordereaux functions for life and non-life products and ensure accuracy for renewals and product updates. premium collection functions including group payroll collections, premium debtor reporting and bank account reconciliations and related premium bordereaux payments.
• Oversee claim payment submissions to bank, related bank account verifications, bank account reconciliation and claim recoveries.
• Manage policy cash back payments.
• Processing financial transactions including operating and production expenses and authorise payments and refunds. Manage intercompany loans.
• Oversee management of asset register.

5. Taxation

• Responsible for VAT and IT calculations and submission.

6. Governance and Risk

• Ensure compliance with internal controls and external regulations.

7. Technology and System Management

• Take ownership of the IT platforms - developments, maintenance, close monitoring of production environment, upgrades and provide detailed IT business requirements for implementation of new processes, process changes and products,

8. Leadership

• Lead and mentor the finance team.
• Collaborate with Operations, Actuarial, and Distribution teams for effective business partnering.

Competencies

• Developing strategies: Is focused on developing strategies; thinks in the longer term and anticipates trends; envisages the future and adopts a visionary approach.
• Directing people: Is comfortable leading people; coordinates and directs groups; seeks to control things.
• Making decisions: Is determined and decides on actions; willingly assumes responsibility; is definitive and stands by own decisions.
• Interpreting data: Interprets data rationally by quantifying issues; applies technology as a means to evaluating data; evaluates information objectively.
• Examining information: Analyses and processes information; asks probing questions; strives to find solutions to problems.

Skills Required