The Role 

The Head of Business Development will lead the origination, negotiation, and expansion of strategic partnerships across Africa. This role requires both hands-on deal-making and the ability to build scalable frameworks for long-term business growth. Success is measured by the ability to unlock high-impact partnerships, ensure seamless collaboration from business development to launch, and grow accounts into scaled platforms that drive sustained revenue. 

Key Responsibilities 

Partnership Origination & Negotiation

Identify and secure new high-value partnerships across priority markets. 

Lead negotiations of commercial agreements with minimal oversight. 

Build playbooks for structuring repeatable and competitive deals. 

Originate transformative partnerships that expand Kuunda’s footprint into new markets or customer bases.

Business Case Development & Pitching

Formulate business cases for new market entries, products, and partnerships. 

Collaborate cross-functionally to validate assumptions and align on opportunities. 

Translate complex market opportunities into compelling, data-backed narratives for internal and external stakeholders. 

Present and defend business cases to leadership teams, boards, and partner decision-makers.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution Readiness

Ensure seamless transition from business development to execution, aligning with product, compliance, and operations teams. 

Anticipate risks and create frameworks that reduce friction and accelerate delivery. 

Promote standard practices across the BD function to drive consistency and speed.

Strategic Account Growth

Serve as an executive sponsor for key accounts, monitoring performance and identifying opportunities for expansion. 

Build structured growth plans for live partners, including new products, markets, and use cases. 

Cultivate long-term, trust-based relationships with senior decision-makers across the financial services ecosystem.

Leadership & Enablement

Build and mentor a high-performing BD team with a clear pipeline, KPIs, and career paths. 

Provide executive-level visibility into the BD pipeline, risks, and opportunities. 

Collaborate with Finance and Strategy teams to evaluate performance and growth potential. 

Position the BD function as a strategic growth engine, aligned with company priorities. 

Experience 

10+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, or commercial leadership, ideally in fintech, payments, or telecom. 

Proven track record of closing high-value partnerships in Africa or emerging markets. 

Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance growth, risk, and sustainability. 

Experience developing and pitching business cases to executive stakeholders. 

Broad network across financial and digital ecosystem players. 

Exceptional negotiation and influencing skills at senior levels. 

Demonstrated ability to align cross-functional teams and manage complex launches. 

Entrepreneurial mindset suited to high-growth environments. 

French language skills are an advantage. 

Attributes 

Hands-On: A “doer” who rolls up their sleeves to get the job done. 

Mobility: Willingness to travel to support on-the-ground teams and expansion initiatives. 

Attention to Detail: Able to identify and address key details without leaving gaps. 

Problem-Solver: Adept at tackling challenges and designing solutions. 

Listener: Able to understand stakeholder needs without bias. 

Market Understanding: Genuine interest in the economics of the informal sector. 

Analytical: Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills. 

Growth-Minded: Ability to recognize barriers and implement solutions. 

Collaborative: Proven ability to work effectively across teams. 

Communicator: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

Influencer: Able to create buy-in for Kuunda’s vision internally and externally.