Sales Manager: East and West Africa

SUMMARY:

Africa region | Field-based with extensive travel | Reports to Chief Customer Officer

Our client is a specialist South African life-sciences manufacturer supplying feed additives, premixes, biosecurity and hygiene solutions into the animal feed, livestock and food chain. They sell to feed manufacturers, livestock producers...

POSITION INFO:
Africa region | Field-based with extensive travel | Reports to Chief Customer Officer Our client is a specialist South African life-sciences manufacturer supplying feed additives, premixes, biosecurity and hygiene solutions into the animal feed, livestock and food chain. They sell to feed manufacturers, livestock producers, integrators, distributors and related commercial partners across Africa. They are seeking a hands-on Sales Manager to drive profitable growth across East and West African markets. This role combines regional sales leadership with direct personal accountability for market entry, new customer acquisition and strategic account development. Key Responsibilities • Take overall accountability for regional sales, gross profit, market share and customer growth across East and West Africa. • Identify, assess and personally enter new African markets; develop country-entry plans and convert them into action through prospecting, customer visits, distributor engagement and first sales. • Build and lead a high-performing Africa Technical Sales Advisors team while remaining personally active in the market and with strategic customers. • Lead senior-level customer engagements with feed manufacturers, livestock producers, integrators and distributors; uncover needs and position feed additive, premix, biosecurity and hygiene solutions using value-selling principles. • Develop account plans for strategic and key customers that protect existing business, identify cross-sell opportunities and grow share of customer spend. • Prepare and manage regional sales plans, budgets, forecasts and activity priorities; monitor performance, pipeline conversion, customer retention and new-business contribution. • Generate opportunities proactively through market mapping, referrals, industry networks, trade events, targeted visits, distributor relationships and direct prospecting. • Provide market, competitor and customer insight to support product, pricing and growth strategies. • Ensure the team maintains strong product and technical knowledge; hold regular field coaching sessions to observe customer interactions and improve selling capability. • Align with Product, Technical, Marketing, Pricing, Supply Chain and Logistics to resolve customer issues, deliver commitments and progress growth opportunities. Minimum Requirements • Proven track record of personally winning new customers and opening new markets across multiple African markets, territories or countries. • Demonstrated success in leading, coaching and holding a geographically dispersed sales team accountable for results. • Strong commercial judgement, negotiation capability and understanding of margin, pricing and pipeline management. • Credibility to engage customers and partners from operational level through to senior executives. • Strong analytical ability; capacity to translate market and sales information into practical growth actions. • Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office and CRM systems. • Willing and able to spend a minimum of two weeks out of every month travelling within the assigned African territory. • Valid passport and ability to travel extensively. • Bachelor’s degree. • Comfortable working independently in unfamiliar or developing markets. Preferred Requirements • Honours degree. • BSc in Animal Science or a related technical or commercial field. • Experience selling into animal nutrition, feed additives, premixes, biosecurity, livestock production or related agri\/life-sciences channels.