Regional Sales Manager, South Africa, Cape Town

Our client is an established international automotive aftermarket business seeking a Regional Sales Manager to lead its South African sales team and grow its battery and automotive parts brands nationally.

This is a player-coach role based in Cape Town, combining field sales leadership with direct responsibility for key national accounts. The successful candidate will manage team performance, grow strategic customer relationships and take ownership of national turnover, margin and collections.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and manage a field sales team across South Africa.
• Conduct weekly performance reviews driven by CRM data, customer visits, sales activity and results.
• Set clear visit targets, sales objectives and performance expectations for the team.
• Personally open, develop and manage national accounts, including retail chains, distributors, battery centres and fleets.
• Own the national turnover target, gross margin performance and collections.
• Set and apply pricing, promotions, discounts and commercial terms in line with company policy.
• Monitor customer profitability, payment performance and credit exposure.
• Plan stock requirements and container arrivals in cooperation with the supply chain team.
• Recruit, onboard and develop sales team members.
• Build strong relationships with key customers and trade partners across the national market.
• Use CRM reporting to identify opportunities, address performance gaps and improve sales execution.
• Travel nationally to visit customers, support the sales team and develop new business.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of experience in South African automotive aftermarket sales, covering batteries, parts or related products.
• At least 3 years of experience leading a field sales team.
• An active network with national retail chains, automotive distributors, battery centres and fleet customers.
• Experience managing a field sales team through CRM systems, customer visit targets and performance-based pay.
• A proven record of growing sales and managing national or regional customer accounts.
• Strong commercial discipline across pricing, margins, credit control and collections.
• Experience with sales forecasting, stock planning and supply chain coordination.
• Own reliable vehicle.
• Valid South African driver’s licence.
• Fluent English.
• Willingness to travel nationally across South Africa.
• Strong coaching, negotiation, account management and commercial leadership skills.

What the Role Offers

• The opportunity to lead the South African sales team for established automotive aftermarket brands.
• Direct responsibility for growing battery and parts sales nationally.
• A player-coach position combining leadership, key account management and business development.
• Independent contractor terms with significant ownership of national commercial performance.
• The opportunity to develop a high-performing field sales operation across South Africa.

 

This is a confidential search conducted by JOH Partners. Interested candidates should apply directly to our team for a confidential discussion.