Job Description

The Financial Director (FD): Rise & Axio will provide strategic financial leadership to the combined Rise and Axio business, supporting the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive the next phase of growth, integration, and operational excellence across the Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) segment.



The Financial Director will be responsible for end-to-end financial management, including business performance, commercial optimisation, capital allocation, financial controls, investment analysis, risk governance, and integration of the finance environments across the four acquired entities.



This is a critical executive appointment designed to build a scalable financial architecture for Rise & Axio and ensure the business is financially prepared for future expansion, consolidation, and shareholder value creation.

1. Strategic Financial Leadership

Partner with the MD and COO to shape and execute the Rise & Axio growth strategy. Drive financial planning aligned to the integration mandate, go-to-market strategy, and long-term business model. Provide robust commercial insight to support pricing, product strategy, and competitive positioning. Evaluate strategic opportunities (M&A, partnerships, JV structures) in collaboration with Maziv Group CFO. Develop financial scenarios for expansion into new MDU segments and provinces

2. Financial Management, Reporting & Performance

Own the Rise & Axio P&L and balance sheet, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and transparency. Lead budgeting, forecasting, FP&A cycles, and multi-year financial modelling. Establish financial discipline across all functions, ensuring cost optimisation and margin enhancement. Implement revenue assurance frameworks and oversee billing accuracy. Ensure compliance with IFRS and Maziv Group accounting policies.

3. Integration & Transformation

A core mandate of this role is to integrate four finance environments into a single scalable finance organisation, including: Harmonisation of financial processes, reporting structures, and accounting policies. Consolidation of finance systems (ERP, billing, CRM data feeds, reporting tools). Standardisation of commercial practices (pricing, deal approvals, contracting). Design of a unified finance operating model supporting MD and COO decision-making. Delivery of synergy capture (cost reduction, operational efficiency, revenue enhancement). Change leadership across teams transitioning into a single Rise & Axio finance team.

4. Commercial Finance & Business Enablement

Support MD and COO through data-driven commercial insights. Lead commercial contract reviews, pricing models, partner negotiations, and margin improvement initiatives. Build business cases for new builds, technology investments, and operational expansion. Partner with Operations to align network investment with financial returns (ROIC discipline). Oversee procurement and cost-of-sales optimisation across entities

5. Capital Allocation & Investment Governance

Drive capital allocation effectiveness, ensuring investments align with strategic priorities. Oversee working capital management and liquidity planning. Support Maziv Group Treasury with banking, debt drawdowns, covenant reporting, and funding alignment. Develop investment proposals and submissions for the Maziv Group Investment Committee.

6. Risk, Compliance & Financial Governance

Build a strong control environment across the integrated Rise/Axio structure. Ensure governance alignment with King IV, Companies Act, tax legislation, B-BBEE, POPIA, and ICASA financial regulations. Lead internal and external audits, ensuring timely resolution of findings. Implement financial risk frameworks covering credit, operational, regulatory, and commercial risk

7. Leadership, Culture & People Management

Build and lead a high-performing finance team with strong succession depth. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Mentor finance managers and develop specialised financial capability (commercial, FP&A, revenue assurance). Drive transformation and support Maziv's diversity and inclusion objectives. Serve as an active member of the Rise & Axio executive leadership team

OBJECTIVES & DELIVERABLES

The CFO will be accountable for delivering:

Integrated financial architecture enabling a single unified business. Strong P&L performance, EBITDA growth, and margin improvement. Accurate forecasting and data-driven business insight enabling strategic, operational, and commercial decisions. Synergy realisation from integration (cost and revenue). Working capital discipline and capital allocation optimisation. Clean audit outcomes and strong control environment. Executive partnership with MD and COO to drive operational and commercial excellence. Financial readiness for future expansion and potential strategic transactions.

Essential

Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) or equivalent. Minimum 10-15 years of progressive financial leadership experience. Experience leading finance in high-growth or integration-heavy organisations. Strong understanding of telecoms, infrastructure, technology or related sectors. Demonstrated P&L ownership and leadership of finance teams.

Preferred

Experience in telecommunications, fibre, ISPs, network infrastructure or MDU environments. Experience integrating multi-entity finance functions. * Exposure to capital raising, M&A, and corporate finance transactions