Role Description
Cassava Technologies is a leading pan-African digital infrastructure and solutions provider, delivering services across connectivity, cloud & cyber-security, compute and co-location/data centre infrastructure.In South Africa, our colocation/data-centre business leverages both our national market footprint and the broader Cassava group assets (such as fibre networks, cross-border connectivity, cloud & AI compute platforms) to deliver compelling value propositions to enterprise, government and wholesale customers.Africa Data Centres (ADC) is Africa’s first network of state-of-the-art, interconnected Data Centre facilities. We bring leading cloud service providers, carriers and enterprises, the additional rack space and colocation services they need to meet the growing demand for cloud-based services in Southern Africa.Our facilities are all purpose-built to Tier III standards, are carrier-neutral, resilient, and have been designed, built and operated to the highest standards, to provide businesses across Africa with peace-of-mind, irrespective of the scale of their requirement.Furthermore, ADC’s facilities owned and operated entirely by us, meaning the physical and digital security of customers’ data and transactional computer processing are our top priority. ADC’s four vendor-neutral data environments are interconnected by multiple networks. This allows businesses hosting data and cloud in Africa to have control and flexibility of where to host and back-up their data with geographic diversity.ADC’s facilities are ISO 27001 certified, complying with high international information security management standards, and are compliant with PCI DSS too, the global information security standard set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to help control and minimise points of risk to fraud or compromise of sensitive information.
As Commercial Head for our South African colocation/data centre business, you will own the full commercial function: growth, market-share expansion, profitability (P&L), customer satisfaction/NPS, and partner/channel development. You will operate in a matrix structure — working with group commercial leadership and the data centre product/operations teams — to ensure we maximise synergies across the Cassava group ecosystem while delivering world-class services in the RSA market.
You will lead a senior commercial team, define growth strategies for enterprise, government and wholesale segments, and build a differentiated offer that leverages Cassava’s broader assets (connectivity, cloud, hybrid services) to drive competitive advantage.In this capacity, you will be responsible for developing and executing a robust commercial strategy specifically tailored to the unique dynamics of the South African colocation and data centre market. This includes identifying and prioritising growth opportunities across enterprise, government, and wholesale customer segments, and crafting effective go-to-market plans that reflect both local requirements and group-wide objectives. You will be expected to analyse market trends, monitor the regulatory landscape—including factors such as government procurement policies, B-BBEE compliance, and data sovereignty issues—and assess competitive positioning and pricing models to ensure sustained market relevance and profitability. Collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders will be key, as you work to optimise synergies, drive commercial excellence, and deliver innovative solutions that reinforce Cassava Technologies’ leadership position in the region.
Develop and implement a commercial strategy for the RSA colocation/data centre business, aligned with group strategy and local market dynamics.Identify and prioritise growth segments (Enterprise, Government, Wholesalers) in South Africa; craft tailored go-to-market plans for each.Analyse RSA market trends, regulatory environment (e.g., government procurement, B-BBEE, data-sovereignty), competitive positioning and pricing models.Define and manage the P&L for the RSA business: revenue targets, gross margin, contribution margin, cost base, OPEX/CAPEX trade-offs.Set and track commercial KPIs: revenue growth, margin, market share, customer acquisition/retention, NPS/CSAT.Leverage Cassava group assets (e.g., fibre/¬connectivity, cross-border transmission, AI/compute platforms) to create unique value propositions and integrated solutions.Operate within a matrix – align with Product/Data-Centre leadership on infrastructure planning, services roadmap, capacity investment; align with Commercial leadership on pricing, bundling, strategy.
Develop portfolio plans to meet annual targets.Work with the product team to drive revenue through innovation, new business, and increased client spend.Lead sales in understanding customer businesses and strategies to build partnerships and grow revenue.Stay informed on trends in segments like Hyperscale, Global Carriers, and Resellers to identify opportunities.Execute targeted customer activities.Create detailed account plans for strategic customer management and long-term profitability.Drive continuous improvement across business units for sales efficiency.Advise on investments based on customer growth, market trends, and business needs.Manage Sales Cadence, including opportunity tracking and regional forecasting using Salesforce.com.Meet MRR, ACV, TCV, and revenue goals.Maintain current revenue within the account portfolio.Provide accurate monthly forecasts and updates, aligning pipeline development with sales strategy.Engage key clients and prospects to support team and business unit goals.
Lead the business-development function: win new enterprise customers (large corporates), government ministries/agencies, and wholesale colocation/hosting partners.
Develop go-to-market execution: segmentation, targeting, positioning, value-proposition design (including hybrid/managed services, connectivity bundles, cloud-on-ramp).Build and manage key account relationships: senior stakeholder engagement, contract negotiation, closing major deals, long-term partnership development.Lead and build the commercial team (sales, channel/partners, alliances) in RSA; foster high-performance culture.Work closely with marketing, product and operations to ensure the offering is compelling, differentiated, aligned with market needs.
Define and implement sales strategies to drive revenue, profitability, and growth across all territories.Provide accurate monthly sales forecasts and program updates, while ensuring that pipeline/funnel development activities align with sales strategy and business objectives.
Develop strategic plans to retain and grow existing and new customers. Manage multiple priorities while meeting ongoing business needs. Lead sales initiatives to achieve customer acquisition, revenue, and profitability targets.Support finance by tracking sales department OPEX and CAPEX.Review reports to monitor progress and adjust objectives as needed.Align sales strategies with the company’s operational model and expansion plans. Assist teams in exceeding customer satisfaction goals.Lead, recruit, develop, and retain a motivated sales team to surpass targets.Evaluate employee performance against company and sales objectives. Ensure compliance with group policies within sales operations. Build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.Drive new business development through effective account planning. Foster a collaborative, high-performing, customer-focused culture.
Own customer satisfaction/NPS for the colocation business in RSA: set targets, monitor performance, act on feedback to drive improvements. Ensure seamless transition from sales to service delivery/operations; ensure customer expectations are met/exceeded. Monitor service-metrics (SLA performance, uptime, incident trends) and coordinate continuous improvement with operations/engineering.
Lead initial assessments of projects and partnerships to evaluate ADC's potential involvement. Coordinate with various company functions to drive revenue growth and customer satisfaction.Collaborate with marketing to enhance ADC's market position. Use technology to manage and support sales and partnerships.Form strategic industry partnerships.Work with internal teams to align customer needs with service delivery. Ensure the team receives technical sales support throughout the process.
Present to prospective high-value customers and follow up through Sales Managers.
Design and manage the pricing strategy for the RSA business (rack space, power & cooling, interconnect, managed services, hybrid/cloud on-ramp) to be competitive yet maintain margins.Lead complex proposal/contracting activities: deal structuring, margin modelling, risk assessment, negotiation and approvals; ensure alignment with legal/commercial governance.Work with finance/commercial operations to ensure accurate forecasting, revenue recognition, discounting controls.
Identify and build strategic channel/partner relationships (wholesalers, telcos, systems integrators, global co-location partners) in RSA to expand reach and scale.Leverage Cassava group’s regional and continental footprint to create cross-border offerings or wholesale-colocation partnerships.Track competitive landscape in RSA and region; proactively adapt strategy, differentiate offering, exploit market gaps.
Provide monthly/quarterly commercial performance reports to senior management: revenue vs target, margin, pipeline, key accounts, forecast.Maintain robust commercial governance: pipeline management, deal risk register, compliance with company policies, discounting/margin floors.Represent the colocation business on senior leadership forums (commercial review, product/ops review); influence strategy and investment decisions.
Develop and execute the 3-5 year South African Colocation Business Strategy aligned to ADC and Cassava Group objectives. Define market positioning, growth priorities, customer segment strategies and commercial expansion plans. Identify emerging market opportunities, industry trends and new revenue streams.
Display leadership to inspire team synergy.Monitor and advise on poor Performance Improvement Plans (PIP's) for poor performers together with line managers.
Develop detailed annual succession plans for the respective area/s for Talent roles and ensure traction.Monitor effectiveness of training interventions and adjust where required.Plan resources for sales business unit to meet recruitment demands.Oversee key hiring and talent development programmes.Supporting the development of a healthy internal culture that retains key employees and encourages their professional development.Optimise employee performance through setting clear performance expectations and conducting objective and regular performance reviews.
Develop business cases for data centre expansion, power and cooling investments, new facilities and strategic infrastructure upgrades.Recommend capital allocation priorities to maximise long-term return on investment.Drive data centre capacity planning and utilisation optimisation.
Participate in Executive leadership forums. Present business performance, investment proposals and strategic initiatives to Executive Committees and Board forums.
Ensure governance frameworks support sustainable growth and risk mitigation.Lead strategic business reviews, investment governance forums and executive decision-making processes relating to infrastructure growth, asset utilisation, market expansion and business transformation programmes.
Leverage ADC's continental footprint to develop multinational and cross-border opportunities. Position South Africa as a preferred connectivity, colocation and cloud hub. Drive regional growth initiatives and multi-country customer solutions. Develop executive relationships with hyperscalers, cloud providers, global carriers, systems integrators and strategic infrastructure partners. Establish partnerships supporting capacity growth, occupancy and revenue expansion. Lead negotiations of strategic commercial agreements.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, ICT or related field; MBA or equivalent preferred: Essential
8 years' experience in sales management: Essential
5 years' Experience in sales leadership across Africa with the telecommunications and data centre industries: Essential
More than 6 years of relevant leadership and employee motivation experience within a global role operating across multiple regions: Essential
4 or more years of working at director level within an executive committee (exco): Essential
4 years' Experience in or exposure to wholesale colocation/hosting partner models is an advantage: Essential
Minimum of 10-15 years’ senior commercial/business development experience in data centre/colocation, cloud infrastructure, telecommunications or critical infrastructure in South Africa or Africa: Essential
5 years' Experience in strategic sales planning and execution: Essential
5 years Experience in developing and implementing new strategies and procedures: Essential
All Appointments are subject to the Labour Legislation in the respective country.
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