Running a retail operation well is harder than it looks. It's not just the stock figures and the SLA reports — it's the staff roster, the shop branding, the training gap you spotted last Tuesday, the depot owner who needs a conversation, and the customer complaint that somehow landed in three different queues. It's knowing which of those to handle yourself and which to delegate, and doing both without dropping anything.
If that description sounds like a normal week to you — and you're looking for a role where the scope is real and the mission behind it actually means something — M-KOPA is worth your attention.
We're hiring a Retail Team Lead to provide leadership across our service centres, stock depots, and sales points in South Africa — overseeing operations, driving customer experience standards, leading retail training, and managing the people and processes that keep our retail channel performing.
What M-KOPA is building
We've served more than 7 million customers across Africa, unlocking over $2 billion in credit. 55% of those customers are accessing formal financial services for the very first time. 86% report a meaningful improvement in their quality of life. We're growing toward 10 million — which means our retail footprint is expanding, our depot and service centre network is scaling, and the operational leadership that holds it all together matters more than ever.
What the work actually looks like
The breadth of this role is genuine. On any given week you could be reviewing service centre performance data, conducting a stock audit, coordinating a shop renovation, running a training session for retail staff, resolving a Freshdesk ticket escalation, and preparing a performance report for the Retail Operations Manager. No two weeks are identical, and that's by design.
Customer servicing is a consistent thread — you'll monitor performance across service centres, stock points, and depots, and work closely with other teams to ensure customer issues are resolved without delay. When the standard slips, you'll identify it early and act.
Stock management sits firmly in your remit. You'll supervise stock controllers, oversee inventory tracking, implement stock control procedures, conduct regular audits, and coordinate with supply chain and warehouse to ensure replenishment happens on time. Discrepancies get investigated, not ignored.
Shop management covers the physical and commercial aspects of M-KOPA's retail presence — brand execution, permits, look and feel, branding materials, and maintenance. You'll work closely with the Retail Senior Manager and Marketing to ensure every location reflects M-KOPA's standards and supports the customer experience we're committed to delivering.
Training is a dedicated part of the role rather than an afterthought. You'll develop and manage the retail knowledge base, own the training schedule and materials, identify knowledge gaps across the team, and close them through structured training and process improvement. Your direct reports include Retail Trainers — which means your investment in training quality has a multiplier effect across the network.
You'll also manage Customer Care Executives, maintain CASAT and SLA reporting, drive policy and process adherence across all locations, and support Depot Shop Owner activities including servicing, commercials, and commissions.
People management runs across all of it — building rosters, conducting performance reviews, managing recruitment and onboarding, addressing employee relations issues, and creating the kind of team environment where people are motivated to perform.
What makes you ready for this
Proven experience in a team leader or supervisory role within retail operations — with a demonstrated track record managing stock control, shop operations, and multi-site performance across service or depot environments
Strong working knowledge of inventory management systems and retail operations processes — including stock auditing, SLA adherence, and the ability to identify operational gaps and implement practical improvements
The organisational capability and leadership presence to manage a diverse team including Retail Trainers and Customer Care Executives — alongside the willingness to travel countrywide and the flexibility to handle a broad, fast-moving remit without losing quality on any part of it
The reality check
This role covers a lot of ground — intentionally. You'll be across stock, people, training, reporting, customer experience, and shop standards simultaneously, and the expectation is that nothing falls through the cracks. That requires strong prioritisation, personal discipline, and the kind of proactive attitude that spots a problem before it becomes an incident. If you're energised by variety and take genuine ownership of outcomes across a wide brief, you'll find this role rewarding. If you prefer a tightly defined scope, it may not be the right fit.
Why M-KOPA, and why now
Most retail operations roles are about protecting what's already working. This one is about building what comes next. M-KOPA's retail network in South Africa is growing — new service centres, new depots, new markets — and the Regional Retail Team Lead is the person who makes sure that growth doesn't outpace our standards. The work you do directly shapes the experience of customers who are, in many cases, accessing formal financial services for the first time. That's not a small thing.
If you're ready for a broad, demanding, genuinely consequential retail leadership role — let's talk.
At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.
Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.
Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 7 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.
Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.
If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.
