Product Manager Acceptance

About PayInc

PayInc is a purpose-driven payments provider building on over 50 years of trusted history in South Africa’s payments ecosystem. Our mission is to connect people, businesses, and economies through secure, efficient and inclusive digital payments infrastructure and be a catalyst for financial inclusion and economic growth. From EFTs and cards to PayShap, PayInc provides the backbone that enables money to move safely across the economy. At our core, we exist to make great connections, empowering participation, enabling growth, and ensuring no one is left behind.

Purpose

The Product Manager Acceptance is accountable for the end‑to‑end ownership of a product or suite of products, initially within Faster Payments and expanding across additional payment streams. The role ensures successful product transition, effective servicing and customer uptake, and sustained growth through ongoing enhancement in line with the overall payments strategy.

The role is also responsible for operational ownership of the scheme, including monitoring product performance against supplier and customer SLAs, managing product‑related risks, and ensuring alignment between operational delivery, product evolution, and development initiatives.

Stakeholders

Internal

• Market Development
• Head Strategic Business Development
• Head Stakeholder Engagement
• Strategy and Transformation (S&T)
• Customer Value Management
• Project Management office
• Service Centre and Management
• Service Desk and Management
• Operational Delivery
• IT Infrastructure and Application Development
• Shared Services
• Finance
• Human Capital
• Risk
• Legal
• Audit and Compliance

External

• Customers/Participants
• Banks, PPPSP’s, MNO’s, MTO’s, Integrators, non-Banks, ACH’s
• Relevant regulatory bodies.
• Decision Makers/Influencers e.g., BASA, SARB PEM, Fintech Associations, Retailer Payment Associations, SARB NSPD

Key Responsibilities

• Product Development Roadmap and initiatives – Align and Provide input into overarching business strategy.
• Identify and scope opportunities for product improvement/ value creation.
• Co-ordinate release schedule for enhancements and other projects and plan at least an annual release.
• Develop a detailed Product Business Plan, strategy and associated roadmap for the product suite including gap/needs identification, product lifecycle management, risks, opportunities, pricing, contract awareness and manage accordingly.
• Develop the business and supporting investment / business cases, secure budget approvals and management there-of
• Manage any customer escalations with regards operational efficiency, accuracy and experience.
• Negotiate contracts with current and prospective service providers
• Grow volumes and usage through collaboration with Head of Faster Payments, Scheme Management and Business Development and Customer Account Management teams on proposals and customer interaction
• Provide input to financial models/business cases for new business initiatives to ensure alignment with product/company strategy
• Support the Market Development and CAM team to drive new opportunities and maintain existing clients, to ensure revenue retention and protection.
• Ensure the establishment of automated billing, interchange validation and reconciliation
• Ensure all legal, contractual and regulatory requirements are met before a new customer or new product implementation goes live
• Ensure compliance with product and industry disaster recovery requirements
• Review all change recommendations (enhancements and fixes) and requirements and approve changes before escalating to next level of change approval.
• Be the first escalation point for all related incidents raised and ensure all required industry incident reports are completed and closed off according to industry requirements / timing
• Manage a customer take-on program, contracts, proposals and pricing, and deployment in alignment with all relevant business standards to ensure the successful take-on of new participants
• Develop monthly tracking and reporting at product level, market trends and product lifecycle
• Monthly reporting and forecasting of Participant performance, volume trends, implications and any recommended actions to grow or protect customer usage.
• Monthly reporting of performance against SLA
• Identify and drive key actions at customer product level and industry level and track and resolve any performance issues or incidents raised.
• Accountability for the overall Product P&L (revenue, volumes and costs)
• Overall accountability for industry-wide programme deployment and implementation with regards to QR milestone delivery

Qualifications / Knowledge

• Bachelor.Degree in IT/Information Technology or Commerce
• Product Service Knowledge
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Understanding of industry payments landscape (Inter-bank and regulatory)
• Understanding of the payment acceptance ecosystem (retailers, payment service providers, ecommerce)
• Understanding of QR and related use cases / deployment there-of / technology / commercialization

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in inter-bank clearing and settlement processes.
• The incumbent requires a good understanding of payment clearing and settlement processes, regulations, market dynamics, and competitive landscape.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in related payment product management disciplines.