Programme Manager

Introduction

Buya Futi AgriCo Establishment Programme

We are looking for a commercially minded Programme Manager to lead the establishment of Buya Futi AgriCo, a rural agri-trading and market-access platform anchored in a Sterkspruit trading legacy that dates to 1976.

Buya Futi was founded by Mr Donald Tsembeyi, founder and director of Armenia & Eldorado Farming, and has become a trusted local trading name serving rural communities, farmers and livestock owners in the Eastern Cape and Free State border region.

We are now formalising and scaling this legacy into a modern agricultural trading platform focused on:

• Animal feed, lucerne and roughage
• Livestock-linked trade
• Fencing and farm infrastructure
• Animal health and vet-linked services
• Rural retail and farmer support
• Government programme supply opportunities
• Market access for farming production

The Programme Manager will be responsible for coordinating the establishment programme, driving workstreams, managing advisors and partners, preparing governance packs, tracking risks and decisions, and ensuring that the initiative moves forward without depending on the executive sponsor for daily execution.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and manage the Buya Futi AgriCo establishment roadmap
• Coordinate entity structuring, governance, finance, operations and commercial workstreams
• Support strategic partner engagement, including agri-retail and supplier partners
• Prepare site visit packs, steering reports, action logs and risk registers
• Drive readiness of the Sterkspruit facility and second outlet
• Support product category planning, supplier alignment and pilot design
• Coordinate finance, reporting, stock, margin and working-capital inputs
• Protect the integrity of the Buya Futi brand and rural customer relationships
• Ensure disciplined execution from concept to pilot and scale-up

Ideal candidate profile:

• 8–15 years’ experience in programme management, project management, retail operations, agri-business, FMCG distribution, enterprise development, supplier development or commercial operations
• Strong ability to coordinate multiple workstreams and stakeholders
• Comfortable with margins, stock, debtors, reporting and basic commercial analysis
• Practical, grounded and able to operate in a rural trading environment
• Strong communication, follow-through and documentation discipline
• Able to work respectfully within a family-business and legacy-brand environment
• Experience in agriculture, rural retail, livestock, feed, animal health or supplier networks will be an advantage

This role is ideal for someone who can combine structure with practicality. Someone who can work with advisors and executives but also understand what it takes to build a credible trading platform on the ground.

Location

Sterkspruit / Zastron region, with hybrid coordination where practical

Engagement

Contract / fixed-term assignment, with potential to evolve as the platform scales

• Start: As soon as practical